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The requests in the Musaf Amida for Rosh Chodesh are stated in order after the words:חַדֵּשׁ עָלֵינוּ אֶת הַחדֶשׁ הַזֶּה

  1. לְטובָה וְלִבְרָכָה
  2. ששון וּלְשמְחָה.
  3. לִישׁוּעָה וּלְנֶחָמָה.
  4. לְפַרְנָסָה וּלְכַלְכָּלָה
  5. לְחַיִּים וּלְשָׁלום
  6. לִמְחִילַת חֵטְא וְלִסְלִיחַת עָ

This order seems illogical to me. For example I would have expected life חַיִּים to come first. I would have thought that forgiveness of sins would be a prerequisite before many of the others. According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs I would have expected an order more like this

  1. לְחַיִּים וּלְשָׁלום (life is a prerequisite)

  2. לְפַרְנָסָה וּלְכַלְכָּלָה (we need physical sustenance)

  3. לִמְחִילַת חֵטְא וְלִסְלִיחַת עון (we need atonement before the spiritual blessings)

  4. לְטובָה וְלִבְרָכָה (now we can ask for the abstract concepts)

  5. לִישׁוּעָה וּלְנֶחָמָה (comfort should come before simcha)

  6. ששון וּלְשמְחָה.

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  • Up to #5 of the original list - I can surmise: What quality of life would you have if you didn't have the others first? I also think that somehow the order has something to do with the concept of "renewal" inherent in Rosh Hodesh. Happy Rosh Hodesh to you filled with all the above in whichever order pleases you the most ;-)
    – DanF
    Jun 14, 2018 at 14:21
  • maybe it is in ascending order, or maybe each one includes the next לְטובָה וְלִבְרָכָה seems to include all the rest and then we are just specifying
    – hazoriz
    Jun 14, 2018 at 14:38
  • FWIW, 1.לְטובָה וְלִבְרָכָה is first in the same way that it is first in Birkat Hachodesh. If you look there, it is separated from the rest as it is listed as an intro before the list of what we ask G-d to give us. So, the language up to #1 is similar. I think #2 to the end is an "explanation" of לְטובָה וְלִבְרָכָה . Of course, it still doesn't explain the specific order of the remaining items.
    – DanF
    Jun 14, 2018 at 21:45
  • 2 subgroups, TB SS YN, PK HS HHSA. The first is a crescendo in deepness, objective, subjective, deeply subjective. The second also.
    – kouty
    Jun 15, 2018 at 9:25

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The Sefer Shaar Yisschor [Munkatch] (מאמר הירחים אות ט) writes that each word represents a month, starting from Nisson. Which is why in a leap year, we add an extra phrase.

Nisson - לטובה = the month of redemption

Iyar - לברכה = the month Mann started in the Midbar

Sivan - לששון = the month we received the Torah

Tamuz - לשמחה = the month that the Korban Tamid was stopped, and it's replacement will be לשמחה

Av - לישועה = the month Mashiach will reveal himself

Elul - לנחמה = Comforting of the redemption that will only come with Teshuva

Tishrei - לפרנסה = the month a person is judged on his livelihood

Cheshvon - לכלכלה = some gematria hint to Yeravom who made a new holiday in this month

Kislev - לחיים = a kabbalahistic hint to the Mazal of the month keshes/bow

Teves - לשלום =

Shevat - למחילת חטא

Adar - לסליחת עון

Adar II - לכפרת פשע

His explanation of these months are above my level, but he does bring sources to connect each of them.

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  • Fine, despite that is not the pshat
    – kouty
    Jun 17, 2018 at 20:24

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