There's a fascinating passage in Shemot Rabbah that uses the moon as a metaphor to explain just that. It's a brilliant, poetic, and surprisingly practical way to look at history.
The passage opens with a quote from (Exodus 12:2), "This month shall be for you [the first of months]." But it doesn't stop there. It immediately connects this to (Psalm 72:7): "In his days let the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace, until the moon is no more." What's the link? Well, the Midrash (a method of interpreting biblical texts) sees in the lunar cycle a blueprint for Israel's kingship.
Before taking the Israelites out of Egypt, the Holy One, Blessed be He, hinted that their reign would last for thirty generations. How? "This month shall be for you the first of months." A month has thirty days, symbolizing thirty generations of royalty. Think of it like this: the moon starts as a sliver on the first of Nisan, then gradually waxes until it's full on the fifteenth day. Then, it wanes until it disappears on the thirtieth.
So, who are these lunar figures in our story? The text tells us that from Abraham to Solomon, fifteen generations shone brightly. Abraham "began to give light," as (Isaiah 41:2) says: “Who has risen from the east, righteousness attends his footsteps.” Then came Isaac, adding his light. "Light is sown for the righteous" (Psalms 97:11). Jacob amplified it: "The light of Israel shall be fire" (Isaiah 10:17). And then a lineage is listed, leading us, generation by generation to the magnificent King Solomon.
When Solomon arrived, the moon was full. His reign was the apex. The Midrash quotes (1 (Chronicles 29:2)3): “Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king.” Wait a minute, can anyone really sit on God’s throne? Of course not literally. The text goes on to explain that just as God rules the entire world, so too did Solomon. (2 (Chronicles 9:2)3)–24 tells us that "All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon…and each of them brought his gift." His wisdom, his power, his influence – it was unparalleled.
The Midrash continues, drawing parallels between God's throne and Solomon's. God’s throne is described in (Ezekiel 1:10) with faces of a man, a lion, and an ox; Solomon’s throne in (1 (Kings 7:2)9) had lions and oxen. God’s throne is untouched by evil (Psalms 5:5), and during Solomon’s reign, there was "neither adversary nor evil occurrence" (1 (Kings 5:1)8). God dwells in the seventh heaven; Solomon sat on the seventh step of his throne (1 (Kings 10:1)9).
But what goes up, must come down. After Solomon, the kings started to diminish, like the waning moon. The text then lists the kings following Solomon, from Rehoboam to Zedekiah.
And finally, with Zedekiah, as (Jeremiah 52:11) says, "He blinded the eyes of Zedekiah," the light of the moon was gone. The kingdom was destroyed, and darkness fell.
Now, here's where it gets even more interesting. The Midrash asks, even when Israel was sinning, who was interceding for them? The patriarchs! Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were constantly praying for them. “Let the mountains bear peace to the people” (Psalms 72:3), and the mountains are none other than the patriarchs, as it is stated: “Hear, O heights, the Lord’s grievance” (Micah 6:2). But their intercession only lasted until Zedekiah and the destruction of the Temple.
So, who makes peace for Israel now? The answer is both simple and profound: God Himself. "May the Lord lift His countenance to you and grant you peace" (Numbers 6:26). It's a powerful reminder that even in the darkest of times, even when the "moon" has disappeared, divine grace remains.
This passage from Shemot Rabbah isn't just a history lesson. It's a reflection on the cyclical nature of power, the importance of righteous leadership, and the enduring promise of divine presence. It reminds us that even when earthly kingdoms crumble, there's a source of light and peace that never fades. What does this mean for us today? Perhaps it’s a call to seek lasting peace, not in fleeting power, but in the enduring light of faith.
Another interpretation: “This month shall be for you [the first of months]” (Exodus 12:2) – that is what is written: “In his days let the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace, until the moon is no more” (Psalms 72:7). Before the Holy One blessed be He took Israel out of Egypt, He made it known to them by allusion that their royalty would endure for them for thirty generations, as it is stated: “This month shall be for you the first of months.” The month is thirty days, and your royalty will be thirty generations. On the first of Nisan, the moon begins to shine, and it gradually increases its light until the fifteenth day, and its orb becomes full. From fifteen until thirty days, its light wanes, and on the thirtieth it is not seen. So Israel, for fifteen generations from Abraham until Solomon. Abraham began to give light, as it is stated: “Who has risen from the east, righteousness attends his footsteps” (Isaiah 41:2). Isaac came, and he also gave light, as it is stated: “Light is sown for the righteous” (Psalms 97:11). Jacob came and added light, as it is stated: “The light of Israel shall be fire” (Isaiah 10:17). And then Judah, Peretz, Ḥetzron, Ram, Aminadav, Naḥshon, Salmon, Boaz. Oved, Yishai, David. When Solomon came, the orb of the moon became full, as it is stated: “Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king” (I Chronicles 29:23). Can a person sit on the throne of the Holy One blessed be He, of whom it is stated: “His throne was fiery flames” (Daniel 7:9)? Rather, just as the Holy One blessed be He rules from one end of the world to the other end, and He rules over all the kings, as it is stated: “All the kings of the earth shall give thanks to You” (Psalms 138:4), so, Solomon ruled from one end of the world to the other end, as it is stated: “And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon…and each of them brought his gift” (II Chronicles 9:23–24). That is why it is stated: “Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king.” The garb of the Holy One blessed be He is majesty and glory, and He granted Solomon royal majesty, as it is stated: “He bestowed upon him royal majesty” (I Chronicles 29:25). Regarding the throne of the Holy One blessed be He it is written: “As for the likeness of their faces, the face of a man, and the face of a lion […and the face of an ox from the left for the four of them]” (Ezekiel 1:10), and regarding Solomon it is written: “And on the borders that were between the frames were lions, oxen” (I Kings 7:29), and another verse says: “Like the work of the chariot wheel” (I Kings 7:33). No evil touches the throne of the Holy One blessed be He, as it is stated: “Evil will not reside with You” (Psalms 5:5); regarding Solomon, it is written: “There is neither adversary nor evil occurrence” (I Kings 5:18). The Holy One blessed be He made six heavens, and He sits in the seventh, and regarding the throne of Solomon it is written: “The throne had six steps” (I Kings 10:19), and he sat on the seventh step. The orb of the moon thereby became full, and from there the kings began diminishing: “The son of Solomon, Reḥavam” (I Chronicles 3:10), the son of Reḥavam, Aviya, his son Asa, Yehoshafat, Yehoram, Ahaziah, Yoash, Amatzyahu, Uzziah, Yotam, Hezekiah, Menashe, Amon, Josiah, Yehoyakim. When Zedekiah came, as it is written: “He blinded the eyes of Zedekiah” (Jeremiah 52:11), the light of the moon was lacking. All those years, even though Israel was sinning, the patriarchs were praying for them and making peace between Israel and the Omnipresent, as it is stated: “Let the mountains bear peace to the people” (Psalms 72:3), and the mountains are nothing other than the patriarchs, as it is stated: “Hear, O heights, the Lord’s grievance” (Micah 6:2). Until when were the patriarchs praying for them? Until Zedekiah lost his eyes and the Temple was destroyed, as it is stated: “And abundance of peace, until the moon is no more,” until thirty generations that Israel had royalty. From that moment until now, who makes peace for Israel? It is the Lord, as it is stated: “May the Lord lift His countenance to you and grant you peace” (Numbers 6:26).
