Rosh Hashanah 2

אִם אֵינָן מַכִּירִין אוֹתוֹ, מְשַׁלְּחִין אַחֵר עִמּוֹ לַהֲעִידוֹ. בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה הָיוּ מְקַבְּלִין עֵדוּת הַחֹדֶשׁ מִכָּל אָדָם. מִשֶּׁקִּלְקְלוּ הַמִּינִין, הִתְקִינוּ שֶׁלֹּא יְהוּ מְקַבְּלִין אֶלָּא מִן הַמַּכִּירִים:

If they do not recognize him [i.e., if beth-din do not recognize the witness as being trustworthy and kasher, they [the beth-din in the witness's city] send another [pair of witnesses] with him to testify about him [before the great beth-din who sanctify the New Moon.] In the beginning, they would accept testimony to the (appearance of) the new moon from all men. When the heretics attempted to undermine (the institution of the New Moon) [by hiring false witnesses to deceive the sages], they ordained that only recognized (witnesses) be accepted.

בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה הָיוּ מַשִּׂיאִין מַשּׂוּאוֹת. מִשֶּׁקִּלְקְלוּ הַכּוּתִים, הִתְקִינוּ שֶׁיְּהוּ שְׁלוּחִין יוֹצְאִין:

In the beginning, they would light beacons [to inform those at a distance that the month had been sanctified, and they did not have to hire messengers to send them to the exile to apprise them, for they would be apprised by the beacons.] When the Cuthites attempted to undermine (the institution of the New Moon) [and they, too, lit beacons at the wrong time, to deceive them], they ordained that messengers go out [For beth-din would light beacons only for a month which was sanctified on the thirtieth day; and if they did not light them on the eve of the thirtieth day, all knew that the month was full. And once beth-din intercalated the month and did not light beacons on the eve of the thirtieth day — and the Cuthites lit them in their hills and deceived the Jews in the exile into making the month defective (instead of full)].

כֵּיצַד הָיוּ מַשִּׂיאִין מַשּׂוּאוֹת, מְבִיאִין כְּלֻנְסָאוֹת שֶׁל אֶרֶז אֲרֻכִּין וְקָנִים וַעֲצֵי שֶׁמֶן וּנְעֹרֶת שֶׁל פִּשְׁתָּן וְכוֹרֵךְ בִּמְשִׁיחָה, וְעוֹלֶה לְרֹאשׁ הָהָר וּמַצִּית בָּהֶן אֶת הָאוּר, וּמוֹלִיךְ וּמֵבִיא וּמַעֲלֶה וּמוֹרִיד, עַד שֶׁהוּא רוֹאֶה אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ שֶׁהוּא עוֹשֶׂה כֵן בְּרֹאשׁ הָהָר הַשֵּׁנִי, וְכֵן בְּרֹאשׁ הָהָר הַשְּׁלִישִׁי:

How did they light the beacons? They brought long cedar beams [which would be seen from afar], and reeds, and oil-wood, and hatchelled flax [to increase the flame], and one would tie them all together with a rope and go up to the top of the mountain and light it, and move it from side to side and up and down until he saw his friend (i.e., his counterpart) doing so on top of the second mountain; and so, on top of the third mountain, etc.

וּמֵאַיִן הָיוּ מַשִּׂיאִין מַשּׂוּאוֹת, מֵהַר הַמִּשְׁחָה לְסַרְטְבָא, וּמִסַּרְטְבָא לִגְרוֹפִינָא, וּמִגְּרוֹפִינָא לְחַוְרָן, וּמֵחַוְרָן לְבֵית בִּלְתִּין, וּמִבֵּית בִּלְתִּין לֹא זָזוּ מִשָּׁם, אֶלָּא מוֹלִיךְ וּמֵבִיא וּמַעֲלֶה וּמוֹרִיד עַד שֶׁהָיָה רוֹאֶה כָל הַגּוֹלָה לְפָנָיו כִּמְדוּרַת הָאֵשׁ:

And from where did they light the beacons? From the Mount of Olives [facing Jerusalem in the east] to Sarteva, and from Sarteva to Grofina, and from Grofina to Chavran, and from Chavran to Beth Biltin, and from Beth Biltin — they did not leave — but he moved it (the beacon) from side to side and up and down until he saw the entire exile [Bavel] (lit) before him as a bonfire. [For each one would take a torch and bring it up to his roof.]

חָצֵר גְּדוֹלָה הָיְתָה בִירוּשָׁלַיִם, וּבֵית יַעְזֵק הָיְתָה נִקְרֵאת, וּלְשָׁם כָּל הָעֵדִים מִתְכַּנְּסִים, וּבֵית דִּין בּוֹדְקִין אוֹתָם שָׁם. וּסְעוּדוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת עוֹשִׂין לָהֶם בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁיְּהוּ רְגִילִין לָבֹא. בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה לֹא הָיוּ זָזִין מִשָּׁם כָּל הַיּוֹם, הִתְקִין רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל הַזָּקֵן שֶׁיְּהוּ מְהַלְּכִין אַלְפַּיִם אַמָּה לְכָל רוּחַ. וְלֹא אֵלּוּ בִלְבַד, אֶלָּא אַף הַחֲכָמָה הַבָּאָה לְיַלֵּד, וְהַבָּא לְהַצִּיל מִן הַדְּלֵקָה וּמִן הַגַּיִס וּמִן הַנָּהָר וּמִן הַמַּפֹּלֶת, הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ כְאַנְשֵׁי הָעִיר, וְיֵשׁ לָהֶם אַלְפַּיִם אַמָּה לְכָל רוּחַ:

There was a big courtyard in Jerusalem called Beth Ya'azek, where all the witnesses congregated and where beth-din examined them. And they would make large feasts for them so that they would be encouraged to come. In the beginning, they [the witnesses, who had left their tchum on Shabbath and had come to testify] did not move from there the entire day, [for one who leaves the tchum may walk only four cubits (outside it)], whereupon R. Gamliel the Elder instituted that they be permitted to go two thousand cubits in every direction. And not only they — but also a midwife who came to deliver (outside the tchum), one fleeing a fire, or (one fleeing) an armed troop, an overflow, or a cave-in, are regarded as the people of the city and may go two thousand cubits in every direction.

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.

רֹאשׁ בֵּית דִּין אוֹמֵר מְקֻדָּשׁ, וְכָל הָעָם עוֹנִין אַחֲרָיו מְקֻדָּשׁ מְקֻדָּשׁ. בֵּין שֶׁנִּרְאָה בִזְמַנּוֹ בֵּית שֶׁלֹּא נִרְאָה בִזְמַנּוֹ, מְקַדְּשִׁין אוֹתוֹ. רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרַבִּי צָדוֹק אוֹמֵר, אִם לֹא נִרְאָה בִזְמַנּוֹ, אֵין מְקַדְּשִׁין אוֹתוֹ, שֶׁכְּבָר קִדְּשׁוּהוּ שָׁמָיִם:

The head of beth-din says: "It is sanctified," [it being written (Leviticus 23:44): "And Moses declared the festivals of the L-rd" — whence it is derived that the head of beth-din says: "It is sanctified."], and all the people respond: "It is sanctified; it is sanctified," [it being written (Ibid. 3): "…the festivals of the L-rd which you shall call them" (otham) — read it "atem" ("you"), it being written without the vav (i.e., you declare the New Moon). ("It is sanctified; it is sanctified":) twice, it being written (Ibid.): "callings of holiness," two callings.] Whether it is seen in its time [on the night of the thirtieth] or not seen in its time, it is sanctified. R. Elazar b. Tzaddok says: If it is not seen in its time, [and the night of Rosh Chodesh is set as the night of the thirty-first], it is not sanctified, having already been sanctified by Heaven. [For the sanctification of the moon is not obligatory, it being written (Ibid. 25:10): "And you shall sanctify the fiftieth year" — You sanctify years (it being incumbent upon beth-din to say that the month is sanctified in the year of the Jubilee), but you do not sanctify months, (it not being incumbent upon beth-din to say that the month is sanctified. And when it is seen in its time, it is sanctified because it requires "strengthening." The halachah is in accordance with R. Elazar b. R. Tzaddok.]

דְּמוּת צוּרוֹת לְבָנוֹת הָיוּ לוֹ לְרַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל בַּטַּבְלָא וּבַכֹּתֶל בַּעֲלִיָּתוֹ, שֶׁבָּהֶן מַרְאֶה אֶת הַהֶדְיוֹטוֹת וְאוֹמֵר, הֲכָזֶה רָאִיתָ אוֹ כָזֶה. מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁבָּאוּ שְׁנַיִם וְאָמְרוּ, רְאִינוּהוּ שַׁחֲרִית בַּמִּזְרָח וְעַרְבִית בַּמַּעֲרָב. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן נוּרִי, עֵדֵי שֶׁקֶר הֵם. כְּשֶׁבָּאוּ לְיַבְנֶה קִבְּלָן רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל. וְעוֹד בָּאוּ שְׁנַיִם וְאָמְרוּ, רְאִינוּהוּ בִזְמַנּוֹ, וּבְלֵיל עִבּוּרוֹ לֹא נִרְאָה, וְקִבְּלָן רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל. אָמַר רַבִּי דוֹסָא בֶּן הַרְכִּינָס, עֵדֵי שֶׁקֶר הֵן, הֵיאָךְ מְעִידִין עַל הָאִשָּׁה שֶׁיָּלְדָה, וּלְמָחָר כְּרֵסָהּ בֵּין שִׁנֶּיהָ. אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, רוֹאֶה אֲנִי אֶת דְּבָרֶיךָ:

R. Gamliel had figures of the different forms of the moon, [depicting the size of the moon and the direction of the inclination of its rays], which he would show to those unversed (in technical terminology, who came to testify to the appearance of the new moon), asking them: "Did it look like this or like this?" Once, two witnesses came and said: "We saw it in the morning in the east, and in the evening in the west." R. Yochanan b. Nuri said: They are false witnesses. And when they came to Yavneh, R. Gamliel accepted their testimony. [Not because he thought that it was possible to see the moon in the morning in the east at the beginning of sunrise, and, in the same day, to see it in the west at sunset. For this is impossible. Rather, he accepted their testimony as to having seen the moon in the west in the evening, knowing, by calculation, that this was a possibility for that night. As to their saying that they had seen it in the morning in the east, he assumed that they had been deceived by having seen clouds in the form of the moon in the firmament. As it is taught in the baraitha (25a): "Once the skies were clouded over and the form of the moon appeared on the twenty-ninth of the month, etc." And R. Yochanan b. Nuri, who called them "false witnesses" — According to his calculation it was impossible for the witnesses to have seen the moon that night, there not having been enough time between their sighting and the molad ("birth" of the moon) for them to have seen it. And on this account R. Gamliel counters in the baraitha: "Thus have I received it from my father's father's house: Sometimes it comes longer; sometimes it comes shorter." That is, the time between the molad and the appearance of the moon is not always the same. For sometimes the movement of the moon is faster, and, sometimes, slower. And by the speed of the moon's movement at that time, R. Gamliel calculated that the moon could have been seen on that night, for which reason he accepted their testimony.] On another occasion, two witnesses came and testified: "We saw it in its (regular) time [the night of the thirtieth], but it was not visible on the night of its fullness" [the night of the thirty-first], and R. Gamliel accepted their testimony. [Not because he assumed that the moon moved away from the sun on the night of the thirtieth, so as to be visible, and then turned back towards the sun on the night of the thirty-first, so that it was concealed. For the moon does not turn back, but moves continuously in its orbit. Rather, R. Gamliel knew by calculation that on that night when the witnesses claimed to have seen it, the moon had already moved far enough from the sun to be visible, for which reason he accepted their testimony. As to their saying: "but it was not visible on the night of its fullness," it is possible that it had been covered by the clouds or that they could not see it because of some other reason.] R. Dossa b. Hyrcanus said: "They are false witnesses. It is like testifying about a woman that she has given birth, and the next morning finding her belly between her teeth!" R. Yehoshua said: "I accept your words" [to intercalate the month].

שָׁלַח לוֹ רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל, גּוֹזְרַנִי עָלֶיךָ שֶׁתָּבֹא אֶצְלִי בְּמַקֶּלְךָ וּבִמְעוֹתֶיךָ בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים שֶׁחָל לִהְיוֹת בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹנְךָ. הָלַךְ וּמְצָאוֹ רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא מֵצֵר, אָמַר לוֹ, יֶשׁ לִי לִלְמוֹד שֶׁכָּל מַה שֶּׁעָשָׂה רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל עָשׂוּי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כג), אֵלֶּה מוֹעֲדֵי יְיָ מִקְרָאֵי קֹדֶשׁ, אֲשֶׁר תִּקְרְאוּ אֹתָם, בֵּין בִּזְמַנָּן בֵּין שֶׁלֹּא בִזְמַנָּן, אֵין לִי מוֹעֲדוֹת אֶלָּא אֵלּוּ. בָּא לוֹ אֵצֶל רַבִּי דוֹסָא בֶּן הַרְכִּינָס, אָמַר לוֹ, אִם בָּאִין אָנוּ לָדוּן אַחַר בֵּית דִּינוֹ שֶׁל רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל, צְרִיכִין אָנוּ לָדוּן אַחַר כָּל בֵּית דִּין וּבֵית דִּין שֶׁעָמַד מִימוֹת משֶׁה וְעַד עַכְשָׁיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כד), וַיַּעַל משֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא וְשִׁבְעִים מִזִּקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְלָמָּה לֹא נִתְפָּרְשׁוּ שְׁמוֹתָן שֶׁל זְקֵנִים, אֶלָּא לְלַמֵּד, שֶׁכָּל שְׁלשָׁה וּשְׁלשָׁה שֶׁעָמְדוּ בֵית דִּין עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, הֲרֵי הוּא כְבֵית דִּינוֹ שֶׁל משֶׁה. נָטַל מַקְלוֹ וּמְעוֹתָיו בְּיָדוֹ, וְהָלַךְ לְיַבְנֶה אֵצֶל רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל בְּיוֹם שֶׁחָל יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים לִהְיוֹת בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹנוֹ. עָמַד רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל וּנְשָׁקוֹ עַל רֹאשׁוֹ, אָמַר לוֹ, בֹּא בְשָׁלוֹם, רַבִּי וְתַלְמִידִי, רַבִּי בְחָכְמָה, וְתַלְמִידִי שֶׁקִּבַּלְתָּ דְּבָרָי:

R. Gamliel (the Nassi) sent to him (R. Yehoshua): "I decree that you come to me with your staff and your money on the day that Yom Kippur falls out according to your reckoning." R. Akiva went and found him (R. Yehoshua) desponding [over the Nassi's having decreed that he desecrate Yom Kippur], whereupon he said to him: There is Biblical support for regarding everything done by R. Gamliel as done (i.e., taking effect), it being written (Leviticus 23:4): These are the festivals of the L-rd, callings of holiness, which you shall call them" — Whether (you proclaim them) in their times or not in their times, I have no festivals but these [Scripture making the "callings" of beth-din the criterion (for the determination of the festival times)]. When he [R. Yehoshua] came to R. Dossa b. Hyrcanus, he said to him: If we took exception with the beth-din of R. Gamliel, we would have to do so with every beth-din which arose for Israel from Moses' time until now, viz. (Exodus 24:9): "And there went up Moses and Aaron, Nadav and Avihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel": Why were the names of the elders not given? To teach that any three who are set up as a beth-din over Israel are equivalent to that of Moses himself. [So that if one questions the authority of a beth-din in his day, saying: "Are they as great as Moses and Aaron or Eldad and Medad?" he is told: "Perhaps he is as great as the remaining ones, whose names were not given."] He, thereupon, took his staff and his money in his hand and went to Yavneh to R. Gamliel on the day that Yom Kippur fell out according to his (R. Yehoshua's) reckoning. (When he got there,) R. Gamliel arose and kissed him on his head, saying: "Come in peace, my master and my disciple — my master, in wisdom; my disciple, for having done my bidding."