Introduction This mishnah contains four more testimonies given by Rabbi Joshua and Rabbi Papias. Note that on the first two Rabbi Eliezer expresses a dissenting opinion, the same format we saw in the previous two mishnayoth.
They testified concerning the boards of bakers, that they are impure (they can receive, whereas Rabbi Eliezer declares them pure (unable to receive. The “boards of bakers” under discussion in this section are planks upon which the baker organizes his dough and puts it into the shape of loaves. If these planks are considered “vessels” than they can receive impurity, as can all “vessels”. If however, they are considered closer to raw material, less-shaped, then they cannot receive impurity. According to Rabbi Joshua and Rabbi Papias since these boards are specially made to have dough put on them, they can receive impurity. Rabbi Eliezer holds that they cannot.
They testified concerning an oven which was cut into rings and sand was put between the rings that it is impure (can receive, whereas Rabbi Eliezer declares it pure (unable to receive. The oven under discussion is one made of bricks. Sand has been placed between each brick and then a layer of plaster was put on the outside to seal the oven. The sand would prevent the bricks from being stuck together and therefore make this oven easy to take apart. According to Rabbi Joshua and Rabbi Papias, since the oven was plastered from the outside, it is considered a proper oven and can receive impurity. Rabbi Eliezer holds that since each part is separate, it is not considered an oven, but a broken oven. Since broken vessels cannot receive impurity, this oven cannot be made impure.
They testified that the year may be intercalated throughout the whole of Adar, whereas they used to say: only until Purim. The Jewish year is based on both a lunar and solar model. It is lunar in that the length of a month is determined by the moon. It is solar in that the year is occasionally adjusted so that months and holidays will fall consistently in the same season. (The concept of a year exists only in a solar calendar; the concept of a month exists only in a lunar calendar). In today’s fixed calendar the year receives an extra month seven out of nineteen years. The extra month comes after Adar, the month in which we celebrate Purim. This extra month is called Adar Bet (second Adar). During the time of the Mishnah they did not have a fixed calendar. Each year a court would have to decide whether or not to “intercalate” the year, meaning add another month. They would do so depending on the weather outside. According to Rabbi Joshua and Rabbi Papias, the court has until the end of Adar to intercalate the year. This means that they can do so at the last possible moment. The older halakhah was that it could only be intercalated before Purim, which falls on the 14th of Adar.
They testified that the year may be intercalated conditionally. There was such a case with Rabban Gamaliel who went to receive permission from the governor in Syria and he delayed in coming back; and they intercalated the year on condition that rabban gamaliel should approve; and when he came back he said: I approve, and the year was intercalated. The final testimony of Rabbi Joshua and Rabbi Papias is about conditionally intercalating the year. As we can see from the example in the story, this means that a court would decide to intercalate the year in the absence of the Patriarch, in this case Rabban Gamaliel, who evidently had the ultimate decision in whether or not to intercalate. When the Patriarch returned and agreed to the intercalation it becomes retroactively valid.