Arakhin 9a (ט.) — the Talmud in English

The reason is

that if so

the molad would precede

of Tishrei

by three days

before Rosh HaShana, and this would appear strange to people, who would censure the Sages for doing whatever they wished.

Now, too,

when eight full months are established,

the molad still precedes

the molad of Tishrei

by two days

before Rosh HaShana.

And we answer:

as Rav Mesharsheya said

below, to resolve the matter differently; and they established the case as follows:

for example, the preceding year was a leap year. Here, too,

we will establish that the case in which eight months are made full is one

in which the preceding year was a leap year. And the leap month

we are authorized to establish as either a

full

month or a deficient one. And we made the leap month in the preceding year deficient. It follows that we advanced the Rosh HaShana of the preceding year by half a day before the molad, since we made the additional month twenty-nine days, whereas the interval between one molad and the next is twenty-nine and a half days.

Subtract

from the amount by which Rosh HaShana is delayed after the molad this year, owing to

the full month

of the eighth month,

the amount

by which the Rosh HaShana of the preceding year was advanced, owing to

the deficient month

of the leap month of the preceding year, and the two offset one another. It follows that Rosh HaShana this year will be delayed after the molad by only one day and not by two days. [According to a precise calculation, it will be delayed by a day and a half, but for our purposes this is considered one day. Rashi].

We raise another objection:

but still, the molad is one day

earlier than Rosh HaShana.

And we answer:

people do not take notice of one day,

and they will not censure the Sages on account of such a small interval.

Ulla said

that the Mishna should be interpreted differently:

the Sages did not deem it appropriate to make more than eight

months deficient. This is the first clause, which states that no fewer than four months may be full. The tanna did not come to add a further rule here, but rather to clarify the reason:

And what is the reason he states? What is the reason that no fewer than four months in the year may be full? Because the Sages did not deem it appropriate to make more than eight months deficient.

And we raise a difficulty:

what is different about nine, that one may not

make deficient? We must say that the reason is

that if so, the old

moon

would remain

from the molad of Elul

for three days

after Rosh HaShana. [For if six months are made full and six deficient, Rosh HaShana falls on the day of the molad, as stated; and when nine months are made deficient, Rosh HaShana is advanced by three days relative to the molad of Tishrei.] And the people would censure the Sages.

Now, too,

when eight months are made deficient,

the moon would remain

of Elul

for two days

after Rosh HaShana.

And we answer:

as Rav Mesharsheya said

below, he established the case as follows:

for example, the preceding year was a leap year. Here, too,

we will say that the case in which eight months are made deficient is one

in which the preceding year was

a leap year.

And the leap month was made full. It follows that we delayed the Rosh HaShana of the preceding year by half a day after the molad, since it was delayed by thirty days, whereas the molad was delayed by only twenty-nine and a half days.

Subtract

the amount by which Rosh HaShana this year is advanced, owing to

the deficient month

of the eighth month,

from

the amount by which the Rosh HaShana of the preceding year was delayed, owing to

the full month

of the leap month of the preceding year, and the two offset one another. It follows that Rosh HaShana this year will precede the molad of Tishrei by only one day and not by two days.

We raise another objection:

but still, there is one day

during which the old moon remains after Rosh HaShana.

And we answer:

people assume that it was visible

to the court,

but we did not take notice

of seeing it; and since the molad was delayed by only one day, they will attribute the matter to their own error. The conclusion of the sugya is that according to Rabbi Huna, there may not be more than eight full months, but eight may be made full. According to Ulla, the eight mentioned in the Mishna are deficient months; but full months may not number even eight.