Parshath Hachodesh

The first Rashi, on the first verse in the Torah makes the argument that the Torah should have started with the special reading we do on Parshat Hachodesh: 

בראשית. אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק לֹֹֹֹֹא הָיָה צָרִיךְ לְהַתְחִיל אֶת הַתּוֹרָה אֶלָּא מֵהַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם, שֶׁהִיא מִצְוָה רִאשׁוֹנָה שֶׁנִּצְטַוּוּ בָּהּ יִשׂרָאֵל,

 Rabbi Isaac said: The Torah  should have commenced with the verse (Exodus 12:2) “This month shall be unto you the first of the months” which is the first commandment given to Israel.

This Rashi raises the significance of this reading. 

 A problem arises. Some mitzvoth are mentioned prior to the instructions for the first (special) Pesach. The Mizrachi deals with that question: 

שנצטוו בה ישראל. פי' מה שאין כן מילה וגיד הנשה, שאף על פי שהמילה נצטוה בה אברהם אבינו בעדו ובעד כל ישראל, וכן גיד הנשה נצטוה בו יעקב אבינו בעדו ובעד כל ישראל ,אליבא דרבי יהודה ,דפליג עלייהו דרבנן ,דאמר בסיני נאמרה אלא שנכתב שם להודיע טעם איסורו, כדאיתא בפרק גיד הנשה .מכל מקום כיון שלא היו צוויין אלא ליחיד, אינן נחשבות מכלל מצותיה כל זמן שלא נצטוו בם כל ישראל

That Israel was commanded: With the exception of  circumcision and the forbidden sinew. Although circumcision was  commanded to our father Abraham for himself and all Israel; Similarly the forbidden sinew was commanded to Jacob and for all Israel. We are interpreting the situation according to Rabbi Yehuda, with whom the Rabbis disagree, who says that  all the commandments ( including these) were said at Sinai.  The stories surrounding them are written  to inform us of the reason for the prohibition  as is stated in chapter Gid Hanashe. Regardless, since they were commanded to individuals are are not considered in the category of mitzvoth unless thay are commanded to all of Israel. 

The Mizrachi emphasizes the significance of a commandment to all Israel, and this would seem to be the first. 

הַחֹ֧דֶשׁ הַזֶּ֛ה לָכֶ֖ם רֹ֣אשׁ חֳדָשִׁ֑ים רִאשׁ֥וֹן הוּא֙ לָכֶ֔ם לְחׇדְשֵׁ֖י הַשָּׁנָֽה׃ 

דַּבְּר֗וּ אֶֽל־כׇּל־עֲדַ֤ת יִשְׂרָאֵל֙

This month shall mark for you the beginning of the months; it shall be the first of the months of the year for you. 

Speak to the  entire community  of Israel

Making Nisan the first month, setting the calendar, is the first move toward creating a unified nation that differentiated itself from its oppressors.  

The Mizrachi's comments emphasize the unifying aspect of the calendar. It is important for the community to have free and ritual time together. When the Soviets attempted to stagger days off so that the factories could run 7 days per week, it did not work.  It was too disheartening. People need free time together. 

This first mitzvah frees each individual. At the same time it gives the nation of Israel its own calendar, its own holidays, its identity.  The result of having a calendar of our own is that we spend free time together, strengthening the Lachem, the unity of the people. 

I imagine that long bondage estranged people. The first instruction, before Sinai, had to be one that unified the people and alienated them from their oppressors,  The ritual described was a protection against terrible plague and a celebration of victory over the oppressor.  The protection from the scourge came by the family  publicly, perhaps dangerously, identifying with the Israelites, not the Egyptians. 

 Soforno  emphasizes that time now belonged to the former slaves, to do as they wish: 

החדש הזה לכם ראש חדשים. מכאן ואילך יהיו החדשים שלכם, לעשות בהם כרצונכם, אבל בימי השעבוד לא היו ימיכם שלכם, אבל היו לעבודת אחרים ורצונם, לפיכך ראשון הוא לכם לחדשי השנה. כי בו התחיל מציאותכם הבחיריי:

, from now on these months will be yours, to do with as you like.  This is by way of contrast to the years when you were enslaved when you had no control over your time or timetable at all. While you were enslaved, your days, hours, minutes even, were always at the beck and call of your taskmasters.

Now, as I face the possibility of retirement, I am very afraid of the free time that is in store.  I am afraid of this real freedom. I understand a part of the reason  why people remain enslaved.

Pesach and the preparations that go into it re-unify the people  annually. It strengthens the family, the community and the Nation. And I derive strength from that.