Parshas vayakhel / Pekudei Parshas Hachodesh

The writings and speeches of Rabbi Chaim Friedlander have been published under the name Sifsei Chaim (the lips of Chaim). The weeks drasha is based on the first essay in the Passover section of Sifsei Chaim. The second Torah we read told us of the first mitzva commanded to the Israelites. Hashem tells Moshe to consecrate the new moon of the month of Nissan and to establish a lunar calendar. (As we see later this lunar calendar is to be modified by inserting leap months to keep it in sync with the solar calendar). Once month have been established the commandments for the Passover observance follow. On the 10th of the month take a sheep, on the 14th slaughter it etc. The great commentator Rashi in his very first comment on the Torah asks why this commandment wasn't the beginning of the Torah. Others have questions Rashis question. Did Rashi seriously question why we have the book of Genesis and the first part of Exodus? Rabbi Friedlander explains that the commandment to make a calendar was the act of creating a new world. Up until that time the world was dominated by Hashems unwavering will. The plan was in motion and it didn't deviate. When Hashem told the Israelites to make a calendar he was placing them and the world in a new position. Henceforth Hashem was going to react to their actions. They would be given commandments and their obedience or lack thereof would determine His reaction. This was an entirely new world. A Jewish world that resembles the moon with change not constancy. The moon waxes and wanes as do the Jewish people in their observance. Hahsems presence is felt commensurately to the conduct of His children. Rashi says we live in Jewish / Lunar world. Every 30 days we bless the new moon and recognize the role we play in the universe. The Torah is not a history book it is the Book of the Jews. Why not start it from when the Jewish world was created.
Opposite the moon is the Sun. Unwavering consistency. That is the world of the gentiles. Hashem doesn't change the world because of their actions. To be sure is they will be punished or rewarded for their actions but that doesn't mean that Hashem changes the word due to their actions. That was the first creation. Every 28 years the sun and earth return to the same positions they occupied vis a vis each other when the world was created. We bless the sun and recognize that Hahsem has placed us in a world with a solar nature.