Rosh Hashanah 24a (כד.) — the Talmud in English

It is shooting arrows.

This is an arc in which the sun shoots arrows toward those who deny it. For one who shoots with a bow positions its center facing him and its concavity toward his face. And concerning this it is stated: “The parable and fear are with Him.”

This passage does not belong here!

One beraita teaches.

We learned in one beraita: If the witness said that the moon stood

to the north

of the sun,

his statement is accepted,

but if he said that the moon stood

to the south

of the sun,

he has said nothing

and the reason will be explained below.

And we raise an objection:

But was it not taught to the contrary,

for we learned the opposite in another beraita:

To the south—

his statement is accepted.

To the north—

he has said nothing!

And we answer:

There is no difficulty.

Here,

in the latter beraita, in which we learned, “To the south, his statement is accepted,” it is referring

to the summer season.

Here,

whereas the first beraita, in which we learned, “To the north, his statement is accepted,” is referring

to the winter season.

This is the reason:

a] This is the course of the sun:

During the seasons of Tishrei and Nisan, the days and nights are equal. The sun rises from the middle of the east, passes through the south, and sets in the middle of the west.

During the summer season, the sun rises in the northeast, passes through the south, and sets in the northwest.

On the longest day, the sun rises from the northernmost point, which is close to the west, and in the evening it passes across the entire west and sets at the northernmost point.

As the days grow shorter, the sun approaches the middle of the east at sunrise and the middle of the west at sunset.

During the winter season, the sun rises at the easternmost point, very close to the south, and sets at the westernmost point, very close to the south.

b] At the time of its renewal, the moon is located at the southwestern edge of the firmament, and it is visible only close to sunset.

Therefore, during the winter season, when the sun enters the west only at the time of sunset, and the moon is visible close to sunset, it follows that the moon is already in the west before the sun reaches there. For until very close to sunset, the sun is still in the south; consequently, the moon is north of the sun.

But during the summer season, the sun passes across most of the west, and sometimes even across all of it, and sets at the northwesternmost point. Since the moon is visible only close to sunset, and it is in the southwest, it follows that when the moon is visible

close to sunset, the sun has already passed the southwest. Thus, during the summer season, the moon is seen to the south of the sun.

We learned in the Mishna: How high was it and toward where was it inclined.

We learned in a beraita:

One says

that the moon was

high

to the measure of

two ox-goads

a certain measure of the stick with which cattle are struck, and

one says three—

their testimony stands.

This is because it is possible that each one estimated the height differently.

And if

one says

it was high

three

ox-goads, and

one says five—

their testimony is invalid!

This is because the discrepancy between them is too great.

But they may join

with one another

for another testimony.

If another witness is found who makes the same statement as one of them, he joins that witness, and their testimony is accepted.

We learned in a beraita:

Witnesses who said:

We saw it

reflected

in water,

or

we saw it

reflected

in a glass,

the glass surrounding a lamp, or

we saw it through clouds,

on a cloudy day we saw it through the clouds—

they may not testify concerning it.

They cannot testify concerning it.

They said: We saw

half of it in water,

we saw

half of it through clouds,

we saw

half of it in a glass—

they may not testify concerning it.

And we are astonished:

Now,

when they saw

all of it

in water, in a glass, or through clouds,

you say that they cannot

testify concerning it.

If they saw

half of it—

is it necessary to say so!?

Would it really be necessary to state that if they saw only half the moon in a glass, in water, or through clouds, they may not testify concerning it?!

Rather, this is what it is saying:

They said: We saw

half of it in water

and

half

of the other part

in the firmament.

Half of it through clouds

and

half of it in the firmament.

Half of it in a glass

and

half of it in the firmament—

they may not testify.

We learned in a beraita:

Witnesses who said:

We saw it, and afterward

later

we did not see it—

they may not testify concerning it.

And we are astonished: Does this mean that

they see it for all this time and keep going!?

Do they really have to continue seeing it indefinitely?!

Abaye said: This is what it is saying,

the tanna intended to say as follows:

We saw it on our own,

without intending to testify concerning it,

and we returned

and intended

to see it deliberately

in order to testify concerning it,

and

then again

we did not see it—

they may not testify concerning it.

What is the reason?

Perhaps what they saw was merely a small cloud.

Perhaps they saw a small round cloud, which appeared to them to be the moon; then the cloud dissipated and disappeared.

Mishna:

a. After the court had accepted the testimony concerning the new month,

the head of the court would say: “Sanctified.”

And all the people would answer after him: “Sanctified, sanctified.”

b.

Whether

the moon was seen

at its proper time

on the night of the thirtieth day.

Whether it was not seen at its proper time—

they sanctify it.

Rabbi Elazar ben Rabbi Tzadok says: If it was not seen at its proper time, they do not sanctify it

on the thirty-first day, because

the heavens have already sanctified it.

For on the thirty-first day the matter is not dependent on the court. Therefore, they do not need to say “Sanctified” on the thirty-first day.

Gemara:

We learned in the Mishna:

The head of the court

says, “Sanctified,”

and so on.

And we inquire:

From where are these words derived,

from where did they learn these matters?

Rabbi Hiyya bar Gamda said that Rabbi Yosei bar Shaul said that Rabbi:

The verse states

Leviticus 23:

“Moses declared the appointed times of the Lord.”

From here it follows that the head of the court says, “Sanctified.”

The meaning of the verse is: Moses declared the appointed times of the Lord by saying concerning the new month, “Sanctified,” and through this the appointed times were established.

We learned in the Mishna:

“And all the people would answer after him: ‘Sanctified, sanctified.’”

And we inquire:

From where do we know this?

Rav Pappa said: The verse states

there: “These are the appointed times of the Lord, sacred convocations

which you shall proclaim.”

The word “you” is written without the letter vav.

And therefore,

read it as: “You”!

This teaches that you shall proclaim them as the appointed times of the Lord.

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said:

It is stated there:

“These are My appointed times.”

This teaches you that

“they,”

the people,

shall say, “My appointed times,”

by answering “Sanctified, sanctified” after the “Sanctified” of the court.

And we inquire:

“Sanctified, sanctified”—

why do I need it twice!?

Why did the people answer “Sanctified, sanctified” twice?

And we answer:

As it is written, “sacred convocations,”

which implies two proclamations, meaning that they should say “Sanctified” twice.

We learned in the Mishna:

Rabbi Elazar ben Rabbi Tzadok says: If it was not seen

the renewal of the moon

at its proper time

on the night of the thirtieth day—again

they do not sanctify it.

It was taught: Pelimo says:

If the renewal of the moon was seen

at its proper time,

on the night of the thirtieth day,

they do not sanctify it.

Because now is its proper time, and it is already sanctified on its own, without the reinforcement of the court’s saying “Sanctified.”

But if it was seen

not at its proper time,

on the night of the thirty-first day, then the court

sanctifies it.

Rabbi Elazar ben Rabbi Shimon says: In either case—

they do not sanctify it.

As it is stated

Leviticus 25:

“And you shall sanctify the fiftieth

year”—

a year

the Jubilee year

you sanctify, but you do not sanctify months.

Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said: The halakha is in accordance with Rabbi Elazar ben Rabbi Tzadok,

that when it is seen at its proper time they sanctify it, and when it is not seen at its proper time they do not sanctify it.

Abaye said: We too have learned this,

for we too can derive this from the words of our Mishna [below, 25b]:

As we learned:

If the court and all Israel saw it,

on the night of the thirtieth day, or if

the witnesses were examined

on the thirtieth day and found to be truthful witnesses,

but they did not manage to say “Sanctified” before nightfall, it is a leap month,

the New Moon does not begin on the thirtieth day, but on the thirty-first day.

“It is a leap month”—

not.

That is, specifically “it is a leap month” is what we learned in the Mishna, and its meaning is that once night falls on the thirty-first day, it becomes sanctified on its own.

But

“sanctified

the next day,” meaning that the court must sanctify it on the following day

not

is what we learned there.

And from here it follows that the court does not sanctify it at all!

And we reject this: It is possible that the Mishna maintains that even when it is seen not at its proper time, they sanctify it.

Nevertheless,

“it is a leap month”

was necessary for him.

The tanna had to teach us that the month is made a leap month.

For had he taught, “Sanctified the next day,” then

it might have entered your mind

you would have said:

Since the court and all Israel saw it—

the matter has been publicized,

the matter,

let them not make it a leap month.

Since the matter had already become public, they would not make the month a leap month; rather, on the following day the court would say: Behold, the month was sanctified as of yesterday.

Therefore,

it teaches us

that the tanna meant that the month is made a leap month.

Mishna:

Rabban Gamliel had figures of lunar forms,

and they were drawn

on a tablet,

on the table,

and on the wall—

in his upper chamber,

where he received the witnesses.

With them,

using those figures, he would

show the ordinary people,

simple people who did not understand the questions mentioned in the preceding Mishna.

And he would say

to the witness:

Did you see one like this or one like that?

Gemara:

And we are astonished:

Is it permitted,

is it permitted to make a figure resembling the moon?!

But it is written

Exodus 20: “You have seen that I have spoken with you from the heavens.

You shall not make with Me.”

And the Sages interpreted this in tractate Avoda Zara [43a]:

“You shall not make” figures of the celestial servants

that stand

“with Me.”

And the Gemara assumed that “celestial servants that stand with Me” means the sun, moon, and stars.

And we answer:

Abaye said: The Torah prohibited making

only

celestial servants that it is possible

for a person

to make like them

in an exact likeness, as in those listed in the following beraita:

As it was taught: A person may not make a house

that is like

the design of the Sanctuary,

with the dimensions of the Sanctuary of the Temple in its length, width, and height, and with its entrances matching the dimensions of the entrances of the Sanctuary. But if he changes it slightly, it is permitted. [Rashi, Avoda Zara 43a].

Nor

a portico,

like

the design of the Hall

that stood before the Sanctuary.

Nor

a courtyard corresponding to

the dimensions of

the Temple courtyard.

Nor

a table corresponding to

the

table

that was in the Temple.

Nor

a menorah corresponding to

the

menorah

that was in the Temple, which had seven lamps.