The commandment of the additional sacrifice on each and every month: That we should sacrifice an additional sacrifice on each Rosh Chodesh (first day of the month) on top of the regular sacrifice of every day, as it is stated (Numbers 28:11-15), “And on your new months, you shall sacrifice a burnt-offering to the Lord, two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year old unblemished lambs [and their grain-offerings.] And their libations, etc. And a male goat as a sin-offering to the Lord.”
From the roots of the commandment, [there is a need to] preface that it is known to all wise-hearted men that the sphere of the sun and the sphere of the moon act with their power — that is given over to them from the Master of all the powers in this lowly world — great effects upon the bodies of people and upon all types of other animals. [And] even upon everything that grows in the earth, from the great cedars to the thin grasses — and more generally upon all that is from the four elements, which are below them and under their governance. And so is it written in the Order of VeZot HaBerakhah (Deuteronomy 33:14), “With the bounteous produce of the sun, and the bounteous crop of the moons.” And it is famous among the masses — young and old — that the power of the moon is noticeable in everything that is done on earth; as is known to those that cut whitish trees, as they do not cut them when the moon is new until five or more days, and those that ply the waters also do not cast off until after five days of a new moon, and so [too,] all people are careful not to draw blood close to its renewal. And several other activities, — big and small — require guarding not to do them when the moon is renewing; to the point that they say that flax found in soaking or in the kettle to cook during the renewal of the moon becomes defective and will not be effective for anything afterwards. And the principle of these things is revealed and known to all, and discussing them at length would be childish. And so since the renewal of the moon brings novelty to the activity of man — and it is all according to the word of the Omnipresent, blessed be He, and according to His decree — it is fitting for us also to bring novelty, and sacrifice an additional sacrifice — over the other days — to His name, may He be blessed; to arouse our souls and to fix in our hearts that all novelties that exist in the world are from Him, blessed be He, and all of the power of the spheres are only found with God alone. And with this pure and true thought, our souls will rise, and the blessing of God, may He be blessed, will rest upon our heads.
I have written the laws of the commandment about the matter of the additional sacrifices and the whole topic — as is my custom — regarding the addition of Pesach in the Order of Emor el HaKohanim (Sefer HaChinukh 299). And I will further inform you here that [when] Rosh Chodesh falls on Shabbat, the song of the addition of Rosh Chodesh pushes off the song of the addition of Shabbat, in order to publicize that today is Rosh Chodesh (Sukkah 54b). And it is well-known that the song of the additions of Shabbat in the Temple was the song of Haazinu. And they would divide it into six parts on six Shabbats. And the sign [to remember this] is heh, zayin, yud, vav, lamed, reish (the first letters of each of the parts), in the way that we read it in the synagogue.
מִצְוַת קָרְבַּן מוּסָף בְּכָל חֹדֶשׁ וְחֹדֶשׁ – שֶׁנַּקְרִיב קָרְבַּן מוּסָף בְּכָל רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ עַל תָּמִיד שֶׁל כָּל יוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר כח יא טו) וּבְרָאשֵׁי חָדְשֵׁיכֶם תַּקְרִיבוּ עֹלָה לַיְיָ פָּרִים בְּנֵי בָקָר שְׁנַיִם וְאַיִל אֶחָד, כְּבָשִׂים בְּנֵי שָׁנָה שִׁבְעָה תְּמִימִם, וּמִנְחָתָם וְנִסְכֵּהֶם" וְגוֹ', וּשְׂעִיר עִזִּים אֶחָד לְחַטָּאת לַיְיָ.
The commandment of the additional sacrifice on each and every month: That we should sacrifice an additional sacrifice on each Rosh Chodesh (first day of the month) on top of the regular sacrifice of every day, as it is stated (Numbers 28:11-15), “And on your new months, you shall sacrifice a burnt-offering to the Lord, two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year old unblemished lambs [and their grain-offerings.] And their libations, etc. And a male goat as a sin-offering to the Lord.”
מִשָּׁרְשֵׁי הַמִּצְוָה. הַקְדָּמָה. יָדוּעַ לְכָל חֲכַם לֵב בִּבְנֵי אָדָם, כִּי גַּלְגַּל הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְגַלְגַּל הַיָּרֵחַ, פּוֹעֲלִים בְּכֹחָם הַנֶּאֱצָל עֲלֵיהֶם מֵאֲדוֹן כָּל הַכֹּחוֹת בָּעוֹלָם הַשָּׁפָל, פְּעֻלּוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת בְּגוּפוֹת בְּנֵי אָדָם, וּבְכָל מִינֵי שְׁאָר בַּעֲלֵי חַיִּים, גַּם בְּכָל הַצּוֹמֵחַ בָּאָרֶץ, מִן הָאֲרָזִים הַגְּדוֹלִים עַד הָעֲשָׂבִים הַדַּקִּים, וְדֶרֶךְ כְּלָל בְּכָל שֶׁהוּא מֵאַרְבַּע יְסוֹדוֹת, שֶׁהֵם לְמַטָּה מֵהֶם וְתַחַת מֶמְשַׁלְתָּם, וְכֵן כָּתוּב בְּסֵדֶר וְזֹאת הַבְּרָכָה (דברים לג יד), וּמִמֶּגֶד תְּבוּאֹת שָׁמֶשׁ וּמִמֶּגֶד גֶּרֶשׁ יְרָחִים. וּמְפֻרְסָם בְּכָל הֲמוֹן הָעָם, נְעָרִים עִם זְקֵנִים, כִּי כֹּחַ הַלְּבָנָה נִכָּר בְּכָל אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה בָּאָרֶץ, כַּיָּדוּעַ לְכֹרְתֵי הָאִילָנוֹת לַבִּנְיָנוֹת, כִּי לֹא יִכְרְתוּם בִּזְמַן שֶׁהַלְּבָנָה בְּחִדּוּשָׁהּ, עַד עֲבֹר חֲמִשָּׁה יָמִים אוֹ יוֹתֵר, וְיוֹרְדֵי הַיָּם גַּם כֵּן אֵין מַפְלִיגִין בָּהּ עַד אַחַר חֲמִשָּׁה יָמִים שֶׁל חִדּוּשׁ הַלְּבָנָה, וְכֵן נִזְהָרִים כָּל בְּנֵי אָדָם מֵהַקִּיז דָּם סָמוּךְ לְחִדּוּשָׁהּ, וְכַמָּה מְלָאכוֹת אֲחֵרוֹת קְטַנּוֹת וּגְדוֹלוֹת צְרִיכוֹת שְׁמִירָה שֶׁלֹּא לַעֲשׂוֹתָם בְּעוֹד שֶׁהַלְּבָנָה מִתְחַדֶּשֶׁת, עַד שֶׁיֹּאמְרוּ, שֶׁהַפִּשְׁתָּן שֶׁיִּמָּצֵא בַּמִּשְׁרָה אוֹ בְּתוֹךְ הַיּוֹרָה לְבַשֵּׁל בְּחִדּוּשׁ לְבָנָה שֶׁהוּא לוֹקֶה וְלֹא יִצְלַח אַחַר כֵּן לַכֹּל. וּכְלַל עִנְיָנִים אֵלֶּה גְּלוּיִים וְנוֹדָעִים לַכֹּל, וְהָאֲרִיכוּת בָּהֶם יַלְדוּת. וְלָכֵן כִּי בְּחִדּוּשָׁהּ שֶׁל לְבָנָה לִפְעֻלּוֹת אָדָם יִתְחַדֵּשׁ עִנְיָן, וְהַכֹּל בִּדְבָרוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם בָּרוּךְ הוּא וּבִגְזֵרָתוֹ, רָאוּי לָנוּ גַּם כֵּן לְחַדֵּשׁ וּלְהַקְרִיב קָרְבָּן נוֹסָף עַל שְׁאָר הַיָּמִים לִשְׁמוֹ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, לְהָעִיר רוּחֵנוּ וְלִקְבֹּעַ בִּלְבָבֵנוּ כִּי כָּל הַחִדּוּשִׁים הַהוֹוִים בָּעוֹלָם מֵאִתּוֹ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וְכָל כֹּחָם שֶׁל גַּלְגַּלִּים לֹא יִמָּצֵא רַק מֵהַשֵּׁם לְבַדּוֹ, וְעִם הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה הַזַּכָּה הַזֹּאת וְהָאֲמִתִּית תִּתְעַלֶּה נַפְשֵׁנוּ, וּבִרְכַּת הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ תָּחוּל עַל רֹאשֵׁנוּ.
From the roots of the commandment, [there is a need to] preface that it is known to all wise-hearted men that the sphere of the sun and the sphere of the moon act with their power — that is given over to them from the Master of all the powers in this lowly world — great effects upon the bodies of people and upon all types of other animals. [And] even upon everything that grows in the earth, from the great cedars to the thin grasses — and more generally upon all that is from the four elements, which are below them and under their governance. And so is it written in the Order of VeZot HaBerakhah (Deuteronomy 33:14), “With the bounteous produce of the sun, and the bounteous crop of the moons.” And it is famous among the masses — young and old — that the power of the moon is noticeable in everything that is done on earth; as is known to those that cut whitish trees, as they do not cut them when the moon is new until five or more days, and those that ply the waters also do not cast off until after five days of a new moon, and so [too,] all people are careful not to draw blood close to its renewal. And several other activities, — big and small — require guarding not to do them when the moon is renewing; to the point that they say that flax found in soaking or in the kettle to cook during the renewal of the moon becomes defective and will not be effective for anything afterwards. And the principle of these things is revealed and known to all, and discussing them at length would be childish. And so since the renewal of the moon brings novelty to the activity of man — and it is all according to the word of the Omnipresent, blessed be He, and according to His decree — it is fitting for us also to bring novelty, and sacrifice an additional sacrifice — over the other days — to His name, may He be blessed; to arouse our souls and to fix in our hearts that all novelties that exist in the world are from Him, blessed be He, and all of the power of the spheres are only found with God alone. And with this pure and true thought, our souls will rise, and the blessing of God, may He be blessed, will rest upon our heads.
דִּינֵי הַמִּצְוָה. בְּעִנְיַן הַמּוּסָפִין וּכְלַל הָעִנְיָן כְּמִנְהָגִי כָּתַבְתִּי בְּמוּסָף הַפֶּסַח בְּסֵדֶר אֱמֹר אֶל הַכֹּהֲנִים (מצוה רצט). וְעוֹד אוֹדִיעֲךָ כָּאן (סוכה נד, ב) שֶׁרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ שֶׁחָל לִהְיוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת שִׁיר שֶׁל מוּסַף רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ דּוֹחֶה שִׁיר שֶׁל מוּסַף שַׁבָּת, כְּדֵי לְפַרְסֵם שֶׁהַיּוֹם רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ, וְיָדוּעַ (ר"ה לא, א) שֶׁשִּׁירַת מוּסְפֵי שַׁבָּת בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ הִיא שִׁירַת הַאֲזִינוּ, וְהָיוּ מְחַלְּקִין אוֹתָהּ לְשִׁשָּׁה פְּרָקִים בְּשִׁשָּׁה שַׁבָּתוֹת, וְהַסִּימָן הזי"ו ל"ך, כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁאָנוּ קוֹרְאִין אוֹתָהּ בְּבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת.
I have written the laws of the commandment about the matter of the additional sacrifices and the whole topic — as is my custom — regarding the addition of Pesach in the Order of Emor el HaKohanim (Sefer HaChinukh 299). And I will further inform you here that [when] Rosh Chodesh falls on Shabbat, the song of the addition of Rosh Chodesh pushes off the song of the addition of Shabbat, in order to publicize that today is Rosh Chodesh (Sukkah 54b). And it is well-known that the song of the additions of Shabbat in the Temple was the song of Haazinu. And they would divide it into six parts on six Shabbats. And the sign [to remember this] is heh, zayin, yud, vav, lamed, reish (the first letters of each of the parts), in the way that we read it in the synagogue.