Related%20passage for Rosh Hashanah 2:6

כֵּיצַד בּוֹדְקִין אֶת הָעֵדִים. זוּג שֶׁבָּא רִאשׁוֹן, בּוֹדְקִין אוֹתוֹ רִאשׁוֹן. וּמַכְנִיסִין אֶת הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁבָּהֶן וְאוֹמְרִים לוֹ, אֱמֹר, כֵּיצַד רָאִיתָ אֶת הַלְּבָנָה, לִפְנֵי הַחַמָּה אוֹ לְאַחַר הַחַמָּה, לִצְפוֹנָהּ אוֹ לִדְרוֹמָהּ, כַּמָּה הָיָה גָבוֹהַּ וּלְאַיִן הָיָה נוֹטֶה, וְכַמָּה הָיָה רָחָב. אִם אָמַר לִפְנֵי הַחַמָּה, לֹא אָמַר כְּלוּם. וְאַחַר כָּךְ הָיוּ מַכְנִיסִים אֶת הַשֵּׁנִי וּבוֹדְקִין אוֹתוֹ. אִם נִמְצְאוּ דִבְרֵיהֶם מְכֻוָּנִים, עֵדוּתָן קַיָּמֶת. וּשְׁאָר כָּל הַזּוּגוֹת שׁוֹאֲלִין אוֹתָם רָאשֵׁי דְבָרִים, לֹא שֶׁהָיוּ צְרִיכִין לָהֶן, אֶלָּא כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יֵצְאוּ בְּפַחֵי נֶפֶשׁ, בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁיְּהוּ רְגִילִים לָבֹא:

How are the witnesses examined? The pair to arrive first is examined first. The senior (of the pair) is brought in first, and asked: "How did you see the moon? Facing the sun, or behind the sun?" [i.e., Was the crescent of the moon inclining towards the sun or in a different direction? And in this regard it is stated below: "If he said that it was facing the sun, he has said nothing"; for the luminous side of it always is towards the sun and the crescent side, away from it], "In the north or in the south?" [For the moon moves away from the sun, sometimes to the north, sometimes to the south. And if beth-din knew, by calculation, that at that time it should be towards the north and the witnesses said they saw it towards the south, or vice versa, of a certainty, they are false witnesses.], "How high was it?" [above the earth, as you saw it? If one of them said two (men's) heights, and the other, three, their testimony is accepted. If one said three, and the other, five, their testimony is rejected.], "And whither did it incline?" [i.e., In which direction did the heads of the crescent incline, north or south?], And how broad was it?" [For the size of the moon (to the eye) varies as to its distance from the sun.] If he said that it was facing the sun, he has said nothing. Then they would bring in the second witness and examine him. If their statements jibed, their testimony was accepted. And the other pairs were asked general questions. Not because they were needed, but so that they not leave disconsolate, to encourage them to come again.

Explore related%20passage for Rosh Hashanah 2:6. In-depth commentary and analysis from classical Jewish sources.