If you know some basic information and are paying attention, you will read this week’s haftarah and be confused.
The Navi Yechezkel (45:16-25) describes an elaborate ceremony for korbanos which will be brought on Rosh Chodesh Nissan during the time of the third Beis HaMikdash. This is one of the connections to the layning of Parshas HaChodesh. However, questions abound. We don’t find these korbanos mentioned anywhere in the Torah. What are they; what is the purpose behind them and which halachos are being fulfilled by offering them?
The Malbim deals with this issue extensively and comes to the following conclusion, based on Menachos 45a: Yechezkel is describing the consecration ceremony that will take place when the third Beis HaMikdash is built. This ceremony will contain a completely different order of korbanos than had been previously conducted. The Navi describes a prolonged six-month arrangement of korbanos that will begin on Rosh Chodesh Nissan and conclude on Sukkos –
it will last for 180 days.
What the Malbim doesn’t say, but we can suggest, is that perhaps this was part of Achashveirosh’s intentions when he made his party last for 180 days at the time of Purim. Let us explain this thought based on what Chazal say in Megillah 12a.
Bnei Yisrael felt they were helping their political relationship with the government by attending Achashveirosh’s grand feast. In reality, their very attendance at the feast was the spiritual trigger and sin that brought about Haman’s evil decree to annihilate them. Why was it such a grave sin to attend the feast?
What was Achashveirosh celebrating, anyway? He foresaw (incorrectly, of course) that the Beis HaMikdash would never be rebuilt and the Jews would never again achieve independence. This is why he paraded around at the feast wearing the special garments of the Kohanim. Bnei Yisrael, for their part, felt they needed to attend the feast and feared Achashveirosh’s reprisals if they would boycott. This made good political sense to them. Mordechai warned them not to go, but they ignored his advice (Midrash Esther Rabbah 7:18). Essentially, they were attending a celebration of their own demise and, in addition, engaged in unholy behavior at the feast. The Jews had given up and thought Achashveirosh’s assumptions of their downfall were probably right. Hence, they were deserving of destruction.
This could be the reason for the 180 days. Achashveirosh was proclaiming that G-d had abandoned Bnei Yisrael and Moshiach will never come! Only I will celebrate for 180 days and your dream of doing so will never arise.
We return to Yechezkel. The Yesod V’Shoresh Ha’Avodah (end of Shaar 12) writes that when we listen to the haftarah of Parshas HaChodesh, we should have the following in mind: We should have tremendous thoughts of gratitude to Hashem and great joy that one day the Final Redemption will arrive and we will build the Beis HaMikdash, which unlike the previous two will not be destroyed. We should yearn for this day and strengthen our belief that this day will indeed come to be.
Regarding the cycle of the four parshiyos which concludes with Parshas HaChodesh, Rav Gedalya Schorr explains that Parshas Shekalim creates unity among Bnei Yisrael, with each one giving a half-shekel for the common cause of Mishkan, korbanos and national atonement. This was always done during Adar and evokes within us the power of love. When we access this ahavah, we are driven to eliminate evil within us and around us, and we remember to wipe out Amalek with Parshas Zachor and Purim. However, by removing the evil, we inevitably come into contact with its impurity.