These prayers, said on seeing the New Moon, have a dual dimension. First, they testify to the presence of God in creation. The regularity of the moon’s waxing and waning are a visible reminder of the law-governed nature of the universe and the presence of an underlying order that surrounds us (Rabbenu Yonah). Second, the moon, endlessly reborn after seeming to decline, is a symbol of Jewish people who have seemed at times to face eclipse, yet they too have recovered and given light at dark times. Both themes are present in the Psalms and accompanying blessing. The physical act of stretching out on tiptoe to the moon is a gesture of faith that as the moon is beyond human reach and indestructible, so is the people it symbolizes.