משנה: רָאוּהוּ בֵית דִּין וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל נֶחְקְרוּ הָעֵדִים וְלֹא הִסְפִּיקוּ לוֹמַר מְקוּדָּשׁ עַד שֶׁחָשֵׁיכָה הֲרֵי זֶה מְעוּבָּר. רָאוּהוּ בֵית דִּין בִּלְבַד יַעַמְדוּ שְׁנַיִם וְיָעִידוּ לִפְנֵיהֶם וְיֹאמְרוּ מְקוּדָּשׁ מְקוּדָּשׁ. רָאוּהוּ שְׁלשָׁה וְהֵן בֵּית דִּין יַעַמְדוּ שְׁנַיִם וְיוֹשִׁיבוּ מֵחַבֵירֵיהֶם אֵצֶל הַיָּחִיד וְיָעִידוּ בִפְנֵיהֶן וְיֹאמְרוּ מְקוּדָּשׁ מְקוּדָּשׁ שֶׁאֵין הַיָּחִיד נֶאֱמָן עַל יְדֵי עַצְמוֹ: MISHNAH: If the Court and all of Israel saw it, the witnesses were interrogated but they did not manage to say “sanctified” before nightfall, it is prolonged1Even though everybody knows that day 30 of the preceding month should have been declared as first of the new month, if it is not declared so by the Court empowered to establish the calendar then automatically day 31 will be the first of the next month.. If the Court alone saw it, two of them shall stand and testify before them, and they shall say “sanctified, sanctified”. If three who form a court2Three duly ordained members of the Calendar Court. saw it, two of them shall stand up, let two of their colleagues sit with the single one, testify before them, so they can say “sanctified, sanctified”, since no single individual is empowered by himself3Mishnah Sanhedrin 1:2..
הלכה: רָאוּהוּ בֵית דִּין וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל כול׳. כֵּינִי מַתְנִיתָא. אוֹ בֵית דִּין אוֹ כָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל. HALAKHAH: “If the Court and all of Israel saw it,” etc. So is the Mishnah: Either the court or all of Israel4The statement that the day is not consecrated as New Moon unless the authorized Court pronounces it sanctified applies to all cases, whether there are outside witnesses or not..
רִבִּי זְעוּרָה רִבִּי אִימִּי בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לִֵוי. מְעַמְעֲמִין עַל הַנִּרְאֶה לְעַבְּרוֹ. אֵין מְעַמְעֲמִין עַל שֶׁלֹּא נִרְאֶה לְקַדְּשׁוֹ. רִבִּי בָּא וְרִבִּי חִייָה בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי. מְעַמְעֲמִין עַל שֶׁלֹּא נִרְאֶה לְקַדְּשׁוֹ וְאֵין מְעַמְעֲמִין עַל הַנִּרְאֶה לְעַבְּרוֹ. מַתְנִיתָא פְלִיגָא עַל רִבִּי זְעוּרָא. רָאוּהוּ בֵית דִּין וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל. נֶחְקְרוּ הָעֵדִים וְלֹא הִסְפִּיקוּ לוֹמַר. מְקוּדָּשׁ. עַד שֶׁחָשֵׁיכָה. הֲרֵי זֶה מְקוּדָּשׁ. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁחָשֵׁיכָה. הָא אִם לֹא חָשֵׁיכָה לֹא. הָדָא אָֽמְרָה. אֵין מְעַמְעֲמִין עַל הַנִּרְאֶה לְעַבְּרוֹ. מַתְנִיתָא פְלִיגָא עַל רִבִּי בָּא. יָכוֹל אִם הָיָה צָרִיךְ שְׁנֵי יָמִים נוֹתְנִין לו שְׁנֵי יָמִים. תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר אוֹתוֹ. אֵין לוֹ אֶלָּא יוֹם אֶחָד בִּלְבַד. הָדָא אָֽמְרָה. אֵין מְעַמְעֲמִין עַל שֶׁלֹּא נִרְאֶה לְקַדְּשׁוֹ. מַתְנִיתָא פְלִיגָא עַל רִבִּי בָּא. יָכוֹל כְּשֵׁם שֶׁמְּעַבְּרִין אֶת הַשָּׁנָה מִפְּנֵי הַצּוֹרֶךְ כָּךְ יְקַדְּשׁוּ אֶת הַחוֹדֶשׁ מִפְּנֵי הַצּוֹרֶךְ. תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר הַחוֹדֶשׁ. אַחַר הַחוֹדֶשׁ הֵן הוֹלְכִין. הָדָא אָֽמְרָה. אֵין מְעַמְעֲמִין עַל שֶׁלֹּא נִרְאֶה לְקַדְּשׁוֹ. מַתְנִיתָא פְלִיגָא עַל רִבִּי בָּא. יָכוֹל אִם לֹא נִרְאֲתָה הַלְּבָנָה לִשְׁנֵי יָמִים. כָּךְ יְקַדְּשׁוּ אֶת הַחוֹדֶשׁ לִשְׁנֵי יָמִים. תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר אוֹתָם אֵלֶּה הֵם. אֵין אֵלֶּה מוֹעֲדַיי. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁלֹּא נִרְאֲתָה. הָא אִם נִרְאֲתָה לֹא. הָדָא אָֽמְרָה. אֵין מְעַמְעֲמִין עַל שֶׁלֹּא נִרְאֶה לְקַדְּשׁוֹ. הֲווֹן בָּעֵיי מֵימַר וְלָא פְלִיגִין. מַה דְאָמַר רִבִּי זְעוּרָה בִשְׁאָר כָּל־הַחֳדָשִׁים. מַה דְאָמַר רִבִּי בָּא עַל נִיסָן וְעַל תִּשְׁרֵי. Rebbi Ze`ira, Rebbi Immi in the name of Rebbi Joshua ben Levi: One entangles one who was seen to prolong it; one does entangle one who was not seen to sanctify it5Babli 20a. “Entangle” in this case means that one conducts the cross-examination of the witnesses in such a way that they get confused and confess that they cannot exactly testify to the appearance of the new moon, leaving the Court without witnesses. In this version, one may confound witnesses about what they saw, but not about what they did not see.. Rebbi Abba and Rebbi Ḥiyya in the name of Rebbi Joshua ben Levi: One entangles one who was not seen to sanctify it, one does not entangle one who was seen to prolong it6In this version one may not interfere with true testimony, but the court always may declare the 30th day as belonging to the next month.. The Mishnah disagrees with Rebbi Ze`ira: “If the Court and all of Israel saw it, the witnesses were interrogated but they did not manage to say “sanctified” before nightfall, it is sanctified7As noted at the end of Halakhah 2:6, the 31st day is automatically sanctified at sundown after the 30th..” Because of nightfall. Therefore not if there was no nightfall. This implies that one does not entangle one who was seen to prolong it8The Mishnah implies that the 31st day becomes consecrated only because of the slowness of the Court; no intentional dragging of feet.. A baraita disagrees with Rebbi Abba: “I could think that if two days were needed, one adds two days. The verse says, it. There is authorization only for one day9Sifra Emor Pereq 10(6); The verse referred to should be Lev. 23:4, where one reads אוֹתָם. There does not exist a verse referring to the first of a month using the expression אוֹתוֹ..” This implies that one does not entangle one who was not seen to sanctify it. A baraita disagrees with Rebbi Abba: “I could think that just as one intercalates a year according to necessity so one would sanctify the month according to necessity. The verse says, the new moon, one follows the new moon.10Sifra Emor Pereq 10(5). There never can be a month of 28 or 31 days.” This implies that one does not entangle one which was not seen to sanctify it. A baraita disagrees with Rebbi Abba: “I could think that if the moon was not seen for two days, they should sanctify the next month for two days. The verse says, they, there are, those would not be My festive seasons11Tosephta 2:3, the verse referred to in the Tosephta is Lev 23:34 but here it is Lev. 23:4.”. Because it was not seen; therefore not if it had been seen12If it was not seen one could not retroactively declare the month to start from day 30.. This implies that one does not entangle one who was not seen to sanctify it. They wanted to say that they do not disagree. What Rebbi Ze`ira said, about all other months; what Rebbi Abba said, about Nisan and Tishre13Babli 20a, minority opinion of Abbai..
רִבִּי אוֹמֵר. נִיסָן לֹא נִתְעַבֵּר מִיָּמָיו. וְהָא תַנִּינָן. אִם בָא חֹדֶשׁ בִּזְמַנּוֹ. אִם בָּא. לֹא בָא. רַב אָמַר. תִּשְׁרֵי לֹא נִתְעַבֵּר מִיָּמָיו. וְהָא תַנִּינָן. אִם הָיָה הַחֹדֶשׁ מְעוּבָּר. אִם הָיָה. לֹא הָיָה. 14This and the following paragraphs also are found in Ševi`it 10:2 (Notes 41–55) and Sanhedrin 1:2 (Notes 213–215). Rebbi says, Nisan was never lengthened. But did we not state15Mishnah Šeqalim 4:5.: “If the New Moon appeared in time”? If it would appear; it did not appear. Rav said, Tishre was never lengthened. But did we not state16Mishnah Ševi`it 10:2.: “If the month was long”? If it would be; it never was.
וּכְשֶׁקִּידְּשׁוּ אֶת הַשָּׁנָה בְאוּשָׁא בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן עָבַר רִבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל בְּנוֹ שֶׁלְרִבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן בְּרוֹקָה. אוֹמֵר כְדִבְרֵי רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן נוּרִי. אָמַר רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל. לֹא הָיִינוּ נוֹהֲגִין כֵּן בְּיַבְנֶה. בַּיּוֹם הַשֵּׁינִי עָבַר רִבִּי חֲנִינָה בְּנוֹ שֶׁלְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי הַגָּלִילִי וְאָמַר כְּדִבְרֵי רִבִּי עֲקִיבָה. אָמַר רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל. כֵּן הָיִינוּ נוֹהֲגִין בְּיַבְנֶה. וְהָא תַנֵּי. קִידְּשׁוּהוּ בָרִאשׁוֹן ובַשֵּׁינִי. רִבִּי זְעוּרָה בְשֵׁם רַב חִסְדַּא. אוֹתָהּ הַשָּׁנָה נִתְקַלְקְלָה. מָהוּ בָרִאשׁוֹן מָהוּ בַשֵּׁינִי. רִבִּי בָּא בְשֵׁם רַב. שָׁנָה רִאשׁוֹנָה וְשָׁנָה הַשְּׁנִייָה. וְהָא תַנֵּי. בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן וּבַיּוֹם הַשֵּׁינִי. 17Tosephta Roš Haššanah 3:11, Sifra Emor Parashah 11(5); Babli 32a.“When they sanctified the year at Usha, on the first day Rebbi Ismael, the son of Rebbi Joḥanan ben Beroqa, led and recited following the opinion of Rebbi Joḥanan ben Nuri. Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel said, we did not follow this at Jabneh. On the second day, Rebbi Ḥananiah, the son of Rebbi Yose the Galilean, led and recited following Rebbi Aqiba. Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel said, this we did follow at Jabneh.” But does this not mean that they sanctified it on the first and the second day? Rebbi Ze`ira in the name of Rav Ḥisda: That year was disorganized. What is “on the first, on the second”? Rebbi Abba in the name of Rav: The first year, the second year! But was it not stated: the first day, the second day?
קִידְּשׁוּהוּ קוֹדֶם לִזְמַנּוֹ אוֹ לְאַחַר עִיבּוּרוֹ יוֹם אֶחָד יָכוֹל יְהֵא מְקוּדָּשׁ. תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר אוֹתָם. אוֹתָם אֵלֶּא הֵם [מוֹעֲדָיי]. אֵין אֵ֥לֶּה מוֹעֲדָיי. לִפְנֵי זְמַנּוֹ עֶשְׂרִים וְתִשְׁעָה יוֹם. לְאַחַר עִיבּוּרוֹ שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁנַיִם יוֹם. וּמְנַיִין שֶׁמְעַבְּרִין אֶת הַשָּׁנָה עַל הַגָּלִיּוֹת שֶׁעָלוּ וַאֲדַיִין לֹא הִגִּיעוּ. תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מוֹעֲדָיי. עֲשֵׂה אֶת הַמּוֹעֲדוֹת שֶׁיַּעֲשׂוּ אוֹתָן כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל. אָמַר רִבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן. וְהֵן שֶׁהִגִּיעוּ לִנְהַר פְּרָת. “If they sanctified it before its time or after its lengthening, should I assume it was lengthened? The verse says, them, them; not these are My holidays? Before its time, the 29th day; after its lengthening, the 32nd day.”18Sifra Emor Parashah 9(3). Lev. 23:2 prescribes publication of the dates of festivals. The masoretic text has אֹתָם “them” as if it were אַתֶּם “you”, empowering the High Court to determine the times even in disagreement with the astronomical data. From where that one intercalates for the year because of the diaspora19The Babylonians who come to Jerusalem in caravans to celebrate Passover. who set out but did not yet arrive? The verse says, the Children of Israel. Make the holidays so they can be observed by all of Israel. Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman said, only if they had reached the river Euphrates.
רִבִּי יַעֲקֹב בַּר אָחָא רִבִּי אִימִּי בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יְהוּדָה בַּר פָּזִי. קִידְּשׁוּהוּ וְאַחַר כָּךְ נִמְצְאוּ הָעֵדִים זוֹמְמִין. הֲרֵי זֶה מְקוּדָּשׁ. קָם רִבִּי יוֹסֵה עִם רִבִּי יְהוּדָה בַּר פָּזִי. אָמַר לֵיהּ. אַתָּה שָׁמַעְתָּה מִן אָבוּךְ הָדָא מִילְּתָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ. כֵּן אָמַר אַבָּא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. אֵין מְדַקְדְּקִין בְּעֵדוּת הַחוֹדֶשׁ. 20Ševi`it 10:2, Note 56. Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa, Rebbi Immi in the name of Rebbi Jehudah bar Pazi: “If they sanctified it and after this the witnesses were found perjured, it remains sanctified21Tosephta 2:1, Sifra Emor Pereq 10(2)..” Rebbi Yose met Rebbi Jehudah bar Pazi. He asked him, did your hear this from your father? He answered him, so said my father in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan, one is not fussy with testimony of the new moon.
בֵּית דִּין שֶׁרָאוֹ אֶת הַהוֹרֵג. אָֽמְרוּ. אִם רוֹאִין אָנוּ אוֹתוֹ אֵין אָנוּ מַכִּירִין אוֹתוֹ. לֹא הָיוּ עוֹרְפִין. דִּכְתִיב וְעֵינֵי֖נוּ לֹ֥א רָאֽוּ׃ מִכָּל־מָקוֹם. וַהֲרֵי רָאוּ. וּבֵית דִּין שֶׁרָאוֹ אֶת הַהוֹרֵג. אִית תַּנָּיֵי תַנֵּי. יַעַמְדּוּ שְׁנַיִם וְיָעִידוּ לִפְנֵיהֶן. אִית תַּנָּיֵי תַנֵּי. יַעַמְדּוּ כוּלָּן וְיָעִידוּ בְמָקוֹם אַחֵר. רִבִּי יוּדָה בַּר פָּזִי בְשֵׁם רִבִּי זְעוּרָה. כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהֵן חֲלוּקִים כָּאן כָּךְ חֲלוּקִין בְּעֵידוּת הַחוֹדֶשׁ. 22The text here is closely parallel to one in Soṭah 9:1 (Notes 18–19), and a reformulation in Sanhedrin 1:1, Notes 127–138.
The first sentence deals with the ceremony of breaking the neck of a calf to atone for an unsolved murder (Deut. 21:1–9), whose rules are in Soṭah 9:1. If the Court saw the killer; even if they said, if we saw him we would not recognize him, they would not break the neck, for it is written, our eyes did not see23Deut. 21:7. in any way, and they did see. And if the court saw the killer, some Tannaïm state: two of them become witnesses and testify before the rest of them. There are Tannaïm who state that they all are witnesses and have to go and testify before another place24They hold that a witness is automatically disqualified as a judge since he has an opinion about the case before the start of the proceedings.. Rebbi Jehudah ben Pazi in the name of Rebbi Ze`ira: As they differ here, so they differ about testimony for the New Moon25Whether members of the Synhedrion who saw the New Moon may act as witnesses before their colleagues..
וִיקוּם חַד וִיתִיב חַד. וִיקוּם חַד וִיתִיב חַד. שַׁנְייָא הִיא שֶׁאֵין הָעֵד נַעֲשֶׂה דַייָן. כְּהָדָא רַב חוּנָה הֲוָה יְדַע שַׂהֲדוּ לְחַד בַּר נַשׁ. אֲזַל בָּעֵי מֵידוֹן קוֹמוֹי וְכָפַר בֵּיהּ. אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר רַב יִצְחָק. בְּגִין דְּאַתְּ יְדַע דְּרַב חוּנָה בַּר נָשָׁא רַבָּה אַתְּ כְּפַר בֵּיהּ. מָה אִילּוּ ייֵזִיל וְיִשְׂהַד עֲלָךְ קוֹמֵי בֵית דִּין חוֹרָן. אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַב חוּנָה. וְעָֽבְדִין כֵּן. אֲמַר לֵיהּ. אִין. וְשָׁרָא רַב חוּנָה גַרְמֵיהּ מִן הַהוּא דִינָא. וַאֲזַל וְאַשְׂהַד עֲלוֹי קוֹמֵי בֵית דִּין חוֹרָן. Why cannot always one stand up and one sit down26This now refers to the Mishnah here which prescribes that if three members of the Court saw the New Moon, one of them may sit with two others as a court and the other two who saw the New Moon appear as witnesses before them. The question arises, why does one have to call two others; would one not be sufficient if alternatingly one stands up as a witness and one sits down as a judge.? There is a difference because a witness cannot be a judge27Even if one does not hold that a potential witness be automatically disqualified as a judge, he must hold that once a person acted as a witness he is disqualified as a judge.. Rav Huna knew testimony for somebody. He28Rav Huna knew testimony for a creditor. The debtor required that the suit be heard in Rav Huna’s court. He knew that Rav Huna, as judge, could not act as witness and was prevented from using his knowledge in his judgment. He thought it was safe to deny any debt. came and wanted to have the suit judged before Rav Huna, and denied all. Rebbi Samuel ben Rav Isaac told him, because you know that Rav Huna is an important person29As Rav’s successor, he was Chief Judge of all courts under the jurisdiction of the Academy of Sura. The debtor assumed that a Chief Judge could not appear in a lower court. you deny everything. What if Rav Huna went and testified against you in another court? Rav Huna asked him, does one do that? He answered, yes. Rav Huna recused himself from that suit, went, and testified before another court30This decides practice. A judge who knows of the case has to disqualify himself and appear as a witness in another court not under his jurisdiction. The Babli agrees, Roš Haššanah 25b, Bava qamma 90b..
קָרָא עֶרֶר עַל חֲתִימַת יְדֵי הָעֵדִים. עַל חֲתִימַת יְדֵי הַדַּייָנִין. רִבִּי בָּא בְשֵׁם רַב יְהוּדָה. רָצָה לְקַייֵם בִּכְתַב יְדֵי הָעֵדִים מְקַייֵם. בִּכְתַב יְדֵי הַדַּייָנִים מְקַייֵם. וַאֲנִי אוֹמֵר. אֲפִילוּ בְעֵד אֶחָד. אֲפִילוּ בְדַייָן אֶחָד מְקַייֵם. בָּיוֹמוֹי דְרִבִּי אַבָּהוּ אֲתוֹן בָּעֵיי מֵימַר גּוֹאֲלֵינוּ וְאָֽמְרוּן גְּאוּלָּתֵינוּ וְקִבְּלוֹן. בְּיוֹמוֹיֹ דְרִבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה אִישְׁתַּתְּקוּן. אֲמַר לוֹן. שְׁמַעְתּוּן דְּאִיתְקַּדַּשׁ יַרְחָא. וְאַרְכִינוּן בְּרָאשֵׁיהוֹן וְקִבְּלוֹן. If a doubt was raised about the signature of the witnesses, about the signature of the judges. Rebbi Abba in the name of Rav Jehudah: If he wants to confirm by handwriting of the witnesses he may so confirm, by the handwriting of the judges he may so confirm31If it was claimed that a document or a judgment was falsified because the signatures on the documents were fake, it is not necessary to have the signatures verified by two witnesses each but one may present uncontested documents to the court from which by comparison the genuinness of the signatures may be inferred.; but I am saying, he may confirm even by one witness, even by one judge32Since this is not new testimony, but affirmation of a prior one, a single witness may be believed.. In the days of Rebbi Abbahu they intended to say גּוֹאֲלֵינוּ but said גְּאוּלָּתֵינוּ, and he accepted them33It is not clear what happened there; in any case it referred to testimony about the consecration of a New Moon and the usual standards of cross examination were waved.. In the days of Rebbi Berekhiah they became paralyzed. He asked them, did you hear that the New Moon was sanctified? They bowed their heads and he accepted them34As testimony that the Patriarch’s Court had declared a New Moon. Since R. Berekhiah is slightly younger than R. Yose who published the rules of calendar computation, it shows that with the publication of the rules the prior way of consecrating the day of the New Moon did not cease; that only happened when the Patriarchate was abolished by the Byzantine government..