משנה: עַל שְׁנֵי חֳדָשִׁים מְחַלְּלִין אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת עַל נִיסָן וְעַל תִּשְׁרֵי שֶׁבָּהֶן הַשְּׁלוּחִין יוֹצְאִין לְסוּרְיָא וּבָהֶן מְתַקְּנִין אֶת הַמּוֹעֲדוֹת. וּכְשֶׁבֵית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ קַיָים מְחַלְּלִין אַף עַל כּוּלָּן מִפְּנֵי תַקָּנַת הַקָּרְבָּן׃ בֵּין שֶׁנִּרְאָה בַעֲלִיל בֵּין שֶׁלֹּא נִרְאָה בַעֲלִיל מְחַלְּלִין עָלָיו אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר אִם נִרְאָה בַעֲלִיל אֵין מְחַלְּלִין עָלָיו אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת׃ מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁעָֽבְרוּ יוֹתֵר מֵאַרְבָּעִים זוּג וְעִיכְּבָן רִבִּי עֲקִיבָה בְלוּד. שָׁלַח לוֹ רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אִם מְעַכֵּב אַתָּה אֶת הָרַבִּים נִמְצֵאתָ מַכְשִׁלָן לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא׃ MISHNAH: For two months one271Potential witnesses to testify before the High Court that the New Moon was seen and they may declare the day as one of the New Moon. desecrates the Sabbath, for Nisan and for Tishre, when messengers go out into Syria and which fix the holidays. When the Temple existed one did desecrate for all of them because of the regulation of the sacrifice272The sacrifice for the day of New Moon, Numbers.28.1-8">Num. 28:1–8..
Whether it was seen clearly or not seen clearly one desecrates the Sabbath for it. Rebbi Yose said, if it was seen clearly one does not desecrate the Sabbath for it273Since there is no doubt that two persons at the place of the Court have seen the moon..
It happened that more than 40 couples passed by276On a Sabbath which was the first day the New Moon was seen. and Rebbi Aqiba held them back in Lydda277On the way to testify at Jabneh.. Rabban Gamliel sent to him, if you hinder the public you will make them stumble in the future.
הלכה: מָהוּ בַעֲלִיל. מְפוּרְסָם. כְּמַה דָאַתְּ אָמַר כֶּ֣סֶף צָ֭רוּף בַּֽעֲלִ֣יל לָאָ֑רֶץ מְזוּקָּק שִׁבְעָתָיִים׃ HALAKHAH: What means בַעֲלִיל? “Generally known”. As you are saying274Psalms.12.7">Ps. 12:7. Babli 21b., Molten silver open on earth275The usual translation is “in an earthenware crucible.” For several ways to translate the expression cf. Rashi Ps. 12:7., refined sevenfold.
מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁעָֽבְרוּ יוֹתֵר מֵאַרְבָּעִים זוּג וְעִיכְּבָן רִבִּי עֲקִיבָה בְלוּד. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵן אַרְבָּעִים זוּג. אֲבָל אִם הָיָה זוּג אֶחָד לֹא הָיָה מְעַכְּבוֹ. “It happened that more than 40 couples passed by and Rebbi Aqiba held them back in Lydda.” Because they are 40 couples. But if it had been a single couple he would not have held them back278Since these 40 pairs of witnesses, together 80 men, travelled in a group on the Sabbath, and the testimony of 40 pairs is not more valid than the testimony of a single pair, they clearly abused the rabbinic rule permitting Sabbath travel in this case. If there had been 40 couples of witnesses passing on the via maris at different times he would not have interfered..
שָׁלַח לוֹ רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אִם מְעַכֵּב אַתָּה אֶת הָרַבִּים נִמְצֵאתָ מַכְשִׁלָן לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא׃ לֹא נִמְצֵאתָ [מְעַכֵּב אֶת] הָרַבִּים מִלַּעֲשׂוֹת דְּבַר מִצְוָה. וְכָל־הַמְעַכֵּב אֶת הָרַבִּים מִלַּעֲשׂוֹת דְּבַר מִצְוָה צָרִיךְ נִידּוּי. אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה הַנַּחְתּוֹם. חַס וְשָׁלוֹם. לֹא נִתְנַדֶּה רִבִּי עֲקִיבָה. אֶלָּא רֹאשׁ גָּ[דֵ]ר הָיָה וְשָׁלַח רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל וְהֶעֱבִירוֹ מֵרָאשִׁיתוֹ. “Rabban Gamliel sent to him, if you hinder the public you will make them stumble in the future.” Would you not hinder the public from performing a meritorious act? And any who would hinder the public from performing a meritorious act must be excommunicated279Cf. Mo`ed qatan 3:1, Ta`aniot3:12.. Rebbi Jehudah the baker280This attribution seems to be correct and the quote in the Babli 22a has to be corrected accordingly. said, Heaven forbid that Rebbi Aqiba was excommunicated; but it was the head of Gader281This name was introduced into the text by the corrector from the Babli. In the ms. ג()ר was written by the scribe; the middle letter was erased by the corrector and replaced by ד. Therefore the name certainly is incorrect, also because talmudic Gadara is on the East side of Lake Genezareth, far from the road to Jabneh. Therefore most likely the name is Gezer, a district capital on the road from Lydda to Jabneh. In the Babli one has to read גֶדֶֿר, with dh indistinguishable in sound from z. (Places Haggedera, Gederotaim, Gederot mentioned Joshua.15.37">Jos. 15:37.41.); Rabban Gamliel sent and removed him from his headship.