564. "Judah you are he whom your brethren shall praise, your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies" (Beresheet 49:8). Rabbi Yosi opened the discussion saying, "He made the moon for seasons" (Tehilim 104:19). "He made the moon" with which to sanctify the first day of months and new years. The moon never shines but from the sun. When the sun reigns, the moon does not; when the sun is gathered, the moon rules. The moon is of no account, save when the sun is gathered.

565. The Holy One, blessed be He, made both so that they will shine, as it is written in the verse, "And Elohim set them in the firmament of heaven to give light upon the earth" (Beresheet 1:17), to "let them be for signs" (Ibid. 15). Shabbat CALLED SIGN, as in "It is a sign" (Shemot 31:17). "And for seasons," the holidays; "and for days," the days of the beginning of the month; "and years" (Beresheet 1:14), are new year days. The nations in the world reckon by the sun and Yisrael by the moon.

566. This accords with Rabbi Elazar's discourse upon the verse, "You have multiplied the nation, and increased its joy" (Yeshayah 9:2). The "nation" is Yisrael, of whom it says, "For what nation is there so great" (Devarim 4:7) and "a single nation on the earth" (I Divrei Hayamim 17:21). "Its" means 'for it,' "increased its joy" of the moon, which light grew for Yisrael's sake. The nations of the world RECKON TIMES BY THE CYCLE OF the sun and Yisrael BY THE CYCLE OF the moon. HE ASKS, Which one is superior, THE RECKONING BY THE SUN OR BY THE MOON? HE REPLIES, Surely the moon is above, and the sun of the peoples of the world is underneath this moon. That sun RECEIVES LIGHT from the moon and illuminates. See the difference between Yisrael and THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD, The children of Yisrael are attached to the moon and linked to the Supernal Sun. They are united with the place which shines by the Supernal Sun and cleave to it, as it is written, "But you that did cleave unto Hashem your Elohim are alive every one of you this day" (Devarim 4:4).