בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה הָיוּ מַשִּׂיאִין מַשּׂוּאוֹת. מִשֶּׁקִּלְקְלוּ הַכּוּתִים, הִתְקִינוּ שֶׁיְּהוּ שְׁלוּחִין יוֹצְאִין:
Au début, ils allumaient des balises [pour informer ceux qui étaient à distance que le mois avait été sanctifié, et ils n'avaient pas à engager des messagers pour les envoyer en exil pour les informer, car ils seraient informés par les balises.] Lorsque les Cuthites ont tenté de saper (l'institution de la Nouvelle Lune) [et eux aussi ont allumé des balises au mauvais moment, pour les tromper], ils ont ordonné que des messagers sortent [Car Beth-Din n'allumerait des balises que pendant un mois qui a été sanctifié le trentième jour; et s'ils ne les allumaient pas la veille du trentième jour, tous savaient que le mois était plein. Et une fois que Beth-Din a intercalé le mois et n'a pas allumé de balises à la veille du trentième jour— et les Cuthites les ont allumés dans leurs collines et ont trompé les Juifs en exil en rendant le mois défectueux (au lieu de plein)].
Tosefta Rosh Hashanah (Lieberman)
Formerly it was customary to signal with beacons on the high mountain peaks: on the Mount of Olives, on Sartaba, on Agrippina, on the Tabor, on the Hauran and Bet Bilti. R. Shimon ben Elazar says: Also the mountains of Machaerus and Gadara and similar. When do you signal the month? [Answer:] On the night it was switched on. How [one should understand this] ? [Answer:] He fell on a Friday or Sabbath, one signals on Sunday because of it; when the month comes in its time, one signals for it; but if not, one does not signal for his sake. Because of all the months one signaled with signal fires. Said one: Before the sun , so he said nothing. [He said:] To the south of her, his words are valid. If one said: I saw him two ox sticks high, and if one said: three, then the testimony is valid. If one says three, and one says five, they are not taken together; but he is taken together with others [who make the same statement]. Says one I have seen him erect, and one says: I have seen him bent, so they are not taken together, but he is taken together with others [who make the same statement]. If he saw him half in the water, he said nothing; [he saw] him halfway through a cloud, he said nothing. [If he saw] him half through glass, he said nothing. R. Elazar ben R. Zadok says: If he is not seen in his time, the month is not sanctified; because heaven has it already sanctified. And likewise, R. Eleazar ben R. Zadok used to say: The messengers do not go to Syria until they have heard from the mouth of the court: Sanctified.
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