Thirst drove me down to the water where I drank the moon's reflection.

Rumi

As the sun sets and the moon rises, a new day is born. Nights roll one into the next and if we are lucky, we gaze into the sky and see the silvery moon. Sometimes like an eagle's eye, wide and wise. Sometimes like an eyelash, a hint of beauty.

The moon locates us in time. The moon guides.

Jewish months are rooted in the moon. Each month begins with a crescent of possibility announcing Rosh Chodesh, literally meaning a head of renewal, and a minor holiday.

Picture this. In rabbinic times, after the destruction of the Temples, Jews lived throughout the Middle East and North Africa. In order to synchronize their calendars, long before Iphones or satellites, a rabbinic court in Jerusalem waited for witnesses to come and testify that they had seen the New Moon crescent.

Upon hearing from each witness, the judges scrupulously compared their testimonies to make sure they were identical. Once the New Moon was confirmed, the news had to spread immediately to people living far and wide. How, you ask?

Bonfires were lit on all the hilltops of Jerusalem and when a community saw the fire, they lit their own bonfire to pass on the message of the New Month. Imagine the lights in the sky!