Rosh Hashanah 24a — the Talmud in English

It shoots arrows .

This bow is a bow in which the sun shoots arrows toward those who deny it. For one who shoots with a bow places its center opposite himself, and its concavity toward his face. And concerning this it is said: “The parable and fear are with him”.

We learned in the Mishna:

how much was

the moon

high, and toward where was it inclined.

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 words stand,

and 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 in another beraita the opposite:

To the south—

his words stand.

To the north—

he has said nothing!

And we answer:

It is not difficult.

Here,

in the latter beraita, in which we learned “to the south, his words stand,” it speaks

of the summer days.

Here,

whereas the first beraita, in which we learned “to the north, his words stand,” speaks

of the winter days.

And this is the reason for the matter: [A]

This is the order of the sun’s course:

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

On the summer days, the sun rises from the northeast, passes through the south, and sets in the northwest.

On the longest day, the sun rises from the end of the northern direction, which is near the west, and in the evening it passes across the entire west and sets at the northern end.

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

On the winter days, the sun rises at the eastern end, very near the south, and sets at the western end, very near the south. [B]

The moon, at the time of its renewal, is found at the southwestern end of the firmament, and it is visible only near sunset.

Therefore, on the winter days, when the sun enters the west only at the time of sunset, and the moon is visible near sunset, it is found that the moon is already in the west before the sun has reached there, for until ממש סמוך to sunset the sun is still in the south; it follows that the moon is north of the sun.

But on the summer days, the sun passes across most of the west, and sometimes even all of it, and sets at the northwestern end. And since the moon is visible only near sunset, and it is in the southwestern part, it follows that when the moon is visible [near sunset], the sun has already passed the southwestern part; hence, on the summer days the moon is seen south of the sun.

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

The Sages taught:

Until

one says

that the moon was

high

to the measure of

two plow-staffs

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

one says three—

their testimony stands.

For it is possible that each one estimated the height differently.

And if

one says

it was high

three

plow-staffs, and

one says five—

their testimony is nullified!

For there is too great a difference between them.

But they join

they

for another testimony.

If another witness is found who says in accordance with the words of one of them, he joins with him, and their testimony is accepted.

The Sages taught:

Witnesses who said:

We saw it

reflected

in water,

or

we saw it

reflected

in a glass ,

in the glass surrounding the lamp, or

we saw it in the clouds,

on a cloudy day we saw it through the clouds—

they may not testify concerning it.

They are unable to testify concerning it.

They said: We saw

half of it in water,

we saw

half of it in the 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 in the clouds—

you say that they do not

have the ability to testify concerning it.

If they saw

half of it—

is it necessary to ask!?

Is it necessary to say that if they saw only half a moon [in a glass, in water, or in the clouds], they may not testify concerning it?!

Rather, this is what it says:

They said: We saw

half of it in water, and

the

other half

in the

firmament.

Half of it in the clouds and

the

half of it in the firmament.

Half of it in a glass and

the

half of it in the firmament—

they may not testify.

The Sages taught:

Witnesses who said:

We saw it, and again

afterward

we did not see it—

they may not testify concerning it.

And we are astonished: Why,

did they see it all this time and continue!?

Do they have to continue seeing it forever?!

Abaye said: This is what it says,

this is what the tanna intended to say:

We saw it on our own,

without intending to testify concerning it,

and we returned

and intended

to see it of our own accord,

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 it was merely a small cloud that they saw.

Perhaps they saw a small round cloud, and it appeared to them as the moon; then the cloud dissipated and went away.

Mishna:

A. After the court had accepted the testimony concerning the month,

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

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

B.

Whether it was seen

the moon

at its proper time

on the night of the thirtieth.

Whether it was not seen at its proper time—

they sanctify it.

Rabbi Eleazar son of Rabbi Zadok 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 does not depend upon the court. Therefore, they do not need to say on the thirty-first day, “Sanctified.”

Gemara:

We learned in the Mishna:

the head of the court

says “Sanctified,”

and so on.

And we discuss it:

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 said:

The verse says [Leviticus 23]:

Leviticus 23:

“And Moses declared the appointed times of the Lord.”

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

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

We learned in the Mishna:

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

And we discuss it:

From where do we know it?

Rav Pappa said: The verse says [there]: “These are the appointed times of the Lord, holy convocations

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

which you shall proclaim.”

It is written “you” without the letter vav.

And therefore,

read it: “you”!

To teach that you shall proclaim them as the appointed times of the Lord.

Rav Nahman bar Yitzhak said:

It is written [there]:

“These are My appointed times.”

To teach you:

“They,”

the people,

shall say, “My appointed times,”

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

And we discuss it:

“Sanctified, sanctified”—

why do I need it twice!?

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

And we answer:

For it is written, “holy convocations,”

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

We learned in the Mishna:

Rabbi Eleazar son of Rabbi Zadok says: If it was not seen

the renewal of the moon

at its proper time

[on the night of the thirtieth]—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,

they do not sanctify it.

For now it is its proper time, and it is sanctified by itself, 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, then the court

sanctifies it.

Rabbi Eleazar son of Rabbi Shimon says: Whether so or whether so—

they do not sanctify it.

As it is said [Leviticus 25]:

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 in the name of Shmuel: The halakha is according to Rabbi Eleazar son of Rabbi Zadok,

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,

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

For we learned:

If the court and all Israel saw it,

on the night of the thirtieth, or if

the witnesses were examined

on the thirtieth day and were found to be truthful witnesses,

and they did not manage to say “Sanctified” before it became dark, this month is intercalated,

the new month does not begin on the thirtieth day, but on the thirty-first day.

“Intercalated”—

not.

That is, specifically “intercalated” is what we learned in the Mishna, and its meaning is that from the time it became dark on the night of the thirty-first it is sanctified by itself.

But

“Sanctified

tomorrow,” meaning that the court must sanctify it on the following day [because the court sanctifies only by day and not at night]—

not

is what we learn in it.

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

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

Nevertheless,

“intercalated”—

it was necessary for it.

The tanna needed to inform us that the month is intercalated.

For had he taught “sanctified tomorrow,” then

it might enter your mind to say,

you would say:

Since the court and all Israel saw it—

the matter has become publicized,

the matter,

and they should not intercalate it.

The matter has already become publicized, and they will not intercalate the month; rather, tomorrow the court will say: Behold, the month was sanctified yesterday.

Therefore,

it informs us

the tanna that the month is intercalated.

Mishna:

Rabban Gamaliel had figures of lunar forms,

and they were drawn

on a tablet,

on the table,

and on the wall—

in his upper room,

where he received the witnesses.

With them,

with those figures, he would

show the ordinary people,

people who were simple and did not understand the questions mentioned in the previous Mishna.

And he would say

to the witness:

Did you see one like this or one like that?

Gemara:

And we are astonished:

But is it permitted,

is it permitted to make a figure in the form of the moon?!

But it is written [Exodus 20]: “You saw that from the heavens I spoke with you.

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

You shall not make with Me.”

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

“You shall not make” figures of the servants,

those that stand

“with Me.”

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

And we answer:

Abaye said: The Torah prohibited making

only

servants that it is possible

for a person

to make like them,

exactly. Such as those taught in the following beraita:

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

that is like

the pattern of the Sanctuary,

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

And not

a colonnade,

like

the pattern of the Hall

that was before the Sanctuary.

And not

a courtyard corresponding to

[the measure of] the

Temple Court.

And not

a table corresponding to

the

table

in the Temple.

And not

a menorah corresponding to

the

menorah

in the Temple, which had seven lamps.