PARSHAS HACHODESH

In the Torah, we find that the months don’t have names, just numbers; the first month,
the second month, etc.... Why? How come the Torah does not give names for the
months?

The Ramban (Shmos Perek 12) explains as follows. We count our months starting
from Nissan, the first month of the year, because that is the month of Yetzias
Mitzrayim. So every time a Jew mentions the date and says for example "today is the
5th day of the fourth month," that helps to remind him of the miracles of Yetzias
Mitzrayim. When a person says it is the fourth month of the year, a person would say
to himself, "oh, it is the fourth month from the first month. And why is that the first
month? Because that is the month during which we left Mitzrayim." So when one just
mentions the date, one is reminded of the miracles of Yetzias Mitzrayim. That is why
in the Torah there are no names for the months, just numbers. This is a beautiful pshat
from the Ramban.i

The Ramban says this is similar to the Torah's approach to the days of the week.
There are no names for the days of the week either, only numbers. Why? The
Ramban (Shmos Perek 20) explains that this is part of remembering Shabbos every
day. The Torah writes "Zachor es yom hashabbos lekadsho" (Shmos 20,8). One part
of this mitzvah is to remember Shabbos by saying Kiddush on Friday night.
According to the Ramban, there is another part of the mitzvah- to remember and think
about Shabbos every day of the week. We accomplish this by counting the days of the
week with numbers, by saying "Today is the first day to Shabbos, today is the second
day to Shabbos, etc…."

The lesson for us is that in Yahadus we try to dedicate every aspect of our lives to
Avodas Hashem. We do not limit Kedusha to activities such as davening or learning.
Rather, even something as 'neutral' as mentioning the date or the day of the week can,
and should, be suffused with Kedusha.

One of the best examples of this idea is the brocho of 'Asher Yotzar'. Using the
bathroom may be the classic gashmiyus activity. The necessity for humans to use the
bathroom is one of the ways we are most similar to animals. And yet, when a Jew
uses the bathroom, it becomes an opportunity for service of Hashem. Aside from the
Halachos associated with using the bathroom, a Jew takes this opportunity to give
thanks to Hashem for allowing the body to function properly. This is a classic
application of the Yesod of the Ramban.

We should all try to find ways to bring more Kedusha into all parts of our lives.
i
There is an obvious difficulty with this pshat. We know that we do have names for the months- Nissan, Iyar, etc….
How does this it with the Ramban's explanation? The Ramban addresses this question and offers the following pshat.
Our names of the months are Persian. Am Yisroel brought these names back from Bavel after Galus Bavel ended So the
Ramban explains that the Persian names are supposed to remind us that we were once in Galus in Bavel, and Hashem
redeemed us. Just like there was a Geulah from Mitzrayim, there was a Geulah from Bavel. And just like the numbers
of the months are supposed to remind us of Yetzias Mitzrayim, so too the names of the months are supposed to remind
us of the Geulah from Bavel. So instead of the Persian names creating a difficult with the Ramban's approach, they
actually are another application if the Ramban's Yesod. We use our description of the the calendar date to remember the
Chasdei Hashem.