“This month shall be the beginning of months for you” (Exodus 12).
RASHI interpreted: “Moses was perplexed over the birth of the moon: To what extent should it be seen in order to be fit for sanctification? He showed him with the finger the moon in the firmament and said to him, ‘This you shall see and sanctify.’”
The interprets asked, What was so perplexing to Moses concerning the sanctification of the moon? Also, what is the connection to showing him with the finger? What does the word “finger” imply to us?
Baal HaSulam said that the moon implies Malchut, which pertains to the acceptance of the burden of the kingdom of heaven. It was difficult for Moses to tell the people of Israel to take upon themselves the burden of the kingdom of heaven when they feel concealment. It stands to reason that if he approached the people of Israel to take upon themselves the kingdom of heaven with some revelation of Godliness, there would be something with which to speak to them. But with the intention that the moon is still not full and should be sanctified at the time of its birth, when it is still not apparent how she receives the light of the sun, and when it still does not shine, yet at that time it must be sanctified?
The meaning is that a person must take upon himself the burden of the kingdom of heaven on the lowest quality, and say about it that to him, even that state, the lowest that can be, meaning one that is entirely above reason, when he has no support from the mind, and the feeling that he can build its foundations on it.
At that time, he is seemingly standing between heaven and earth and has no support, for then everything is above reason.
Then a person says that the Creator sent him this state, where he is in utter lowliness, since the Creator wants him to take upon himself the burden of the kingdom of heaven in this manner of lowliness.
At that time, he takes upon himself because he believes above reason that the situation he is in now comes to him from the Creator, meaning that the Creator wants him to see the lowest possible state in the world.
And yet, he must say that he believes in the Creator in all manners. This is considered that he has made an unconditional surrender. That is, a person does not say to the Creator, “If You give me a good feeling, to feel that ‘The whole earth is full of His glory,’ I will believe.”
Rather, when he has no reason and no sensation of spirituality, he cannot accept the burden of the kingdom of heaven and observe the Torah and Mitzvot [commandments]. Rather, he must accept the kingdom of heaven unconditionally.
This is what perplexed Moses: How could he come to the people of Israel with such lowliness? It is about this that the Creator showed him with the finger and said, “This you shall see and sanctify,” meaning the moon at the time of its birth, when its virtue is still not apparent.
Precisely by accepting the kingdom of heaven in lowliness, on this basis, it will later be revealed what our sages said, “Rabbi Elazar said, ‘The Creator is destined to pardon the righteous and dwell among them in the Garden of Eden, and each one will point with his finger as was say, ‘And he said on that day, ‘Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation’’’” (Taanit 31).
It follows that the hint that the Creator points to the moon with the finger and says, “This,” by this we are rewarded that each one points with his finger, “Behold, this is our God.”