Jerusalem Talmud Rosh Hashanah 4:4

משנה: בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה הָיוּ מְקַבְּלִין עֵדוּת הַחוֹדֶשׁ כָּל־הַיּוֹם. פַּעַם אַחַת נִשְׁתָּהוּ הָעֵדִים מִלָּבוֹא וְקִילְקְלוּ הַלְוִיִּם בַּשִּׁיר. הִתְקִינוּ שֶׁלֹּא יְהוּ מְקַבְּלִין אֶלָּא עַד הַמִּנְחָה. בָּאוּ עֵדִים מִן הַמִּנְחָה וּלְמַעְלָן נוֹהֲגִין אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם קוֹדֶשׁ וּלְמָחָר קוֹדֶשׁ. מִשֶּׁחָרַב בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ הִתְקִין רַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי שֶׁיְּהוּ מְקַבְּלִין עֵדוּת הַחֹדֶשׁ כָּל־הַיּוֹם. MISHNAH: Originally they were accepting testimony about the new moon during the entire day³⁰The 30^th of Elul. Since the witnesses were expected on that day, one had to treat it as holiday from sundown the preceding evening; but the holiday sacrifices could only be brought upon instruction from the Calendar Court.. Once the witnesses tarried to come and the Levites erred in the song³¹The problem was the song required at the daily evening sacrifice. In the morning when no witnesses were expected, they always sang the weekday song. In the afternoon they were expected to sing the holiday song. The weekday psalm never was sung on a holiday.. They instituted that one would accept only up to the afternoon prayers³²Which is the time of the daily afternoon sacrifice.; if witnesses came after afternoon prayers one kept the day holy and the next day holy³³Since the witnesses were available, it is clear that the 30^th of Elul was New Year’s Day and correctly treated as holiday. But since they came late, the weekday song was recited at the daily sacrifice, the musaf sacrifices could not be brought on that day, and the next day was the day of the holiday sacrifices.. After the Temple was destroyed, Rabban Joḥanan ben Zakkai instituted that one accepted testimony about the new moon during the entire day³⁴Since there were no sacrifices there was no problem with which Psalm be recited..

הלכה: אָמַר רִבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן. מִפְּנֵי מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁאִירָע. פַּעַם אַחַת נָ‍ֽפְלָה הֲבָרָה בָעִיר וּבָאוּ סַרַקִיִּים וּנְטָלוּם וְנִתְקַלְקלוּ הַלְוִיִּם בַשִּׁיר. אָמַר רִבִּי אָחָא בַר פָּפָּא קוֹמֵי רִבִּי זְעוּרָה. חֲבֵרַייָא בְעוֹן קוֹמֵי רִבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן. בְּשֵׁם מָן רִבִּי אָמַר לָהּ. אֲמַר לוֹן. דִּכְווָתְכוֹן דְּאִית לְכוֹן רְבָבִין סַגִּין. בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לִֵוי אֲמַר לֵיהּ. וְרִבִּי לָא מַייְתֵי לָהּ טַעֲם דַּהֲלָכָה. דְּתַנֵּי. שִׁירוּ שֶׁלְחֲמִישִׁי הָיוּ אוֹמְרִים. הַ֭רְנִינוּ לֵאלֹהִ֣ים עוּזֵּ֑נוּ. וּבְרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה הָיוּ אוֹמְרִים. הֲסִיר֣וֹתִי מִסֵּ֣בֶל שִׁכְמ֑וֹ. חָל יוֹם טוֹב לִהְיוֹת בַּחֲמִישִׁי. בַּשַׁחֲרִית הָיוּ אוֹמְרִים. הַ֭רְנִינוּ לֵאלֹהִ֣ים עוּזֵּ֑נוּ. וּבַמִּנְחָה הָיוּ אוֹמְרִים. הֲסִיר֣וֹתִי מִסֵּ֣בֶל שִׁכְמ֑וֹ. אִם בָּאוּ מִן הַמִּנְחָה וּלְמַטָּן אוֹמְרִים. הַ֭רְנִינוּ לֵאלֹהִ֣ים עוּזֵּ֑נוּ. לֹא נִמְצְאוּ אוֹמְרִים שִׁיר וְכוֹפְלִין אוֹתוֹ. HALAKHAH: Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman said, because of what had happened. Once there was a rumor in the city that Saracens had come and took them³⁵This expression is difficult to explain. What it seems to imply is that on the rumor of a marauding band of Saracens, bent on plunder, everybody stayed in his house to defend his property; so nobody dared to go to be a witness for the new moon., and the Levites spoiled the song. Rebbi Aḥa bar Pappus said before Rebbi Ze`ira that the colleagues asked before Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman, in whose name does the rabbi say this? He said to them, that is like you who have many teachers³⁶Since they have many teachers they must be careful to keep the different traditions separate in order not to run into inconsistencies in their pronouncements. But the only teacher of R. Samuel bar Naḥman was R. Joshua ben Levi; he does not have to mention the tradition to which he adheres.! In the name of Rebbi Joshua ben Levi did he say it. But Rebbi La brought the reason for the practice, as it was stated: They were saying the song of Thursday, shout with joy for our mighty God³⁷Psalms.81.2">Ps.81:2.. But on New Year’s Day they were saying, I removed his shoulder from hardship³⁸Psalms.81.8">Ps. 81:8. Even though blowing the shofar is mentioned in Psalms.81.4">v. 4, the holiday song in the Temple started with v. 8, based on the midrash that Joseph was freed from jail on New Year’s Day (Babli 10b, Midrash Tehillim 81[7]).. If the holiday fell on Thursday, in the morning they did say, shout with joy for our mighty God. In the afternoon they did say, I removed his shoulder from hardship; if they came after the afternoon prayers, they would say, shout with joy for our mighty God³⁹The entire weekday song.. Would they not say the song twice⁴⁰While they kept the day as holiday, when only the second part of the song would have been appropriate. Differently in the Babli 30b.?

רִבִּי אָדָא דְקַיְסָרִין בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. כְּבַר עָבַר רוּבּוֹ שֶׁלְיוֹם בִּקְדוּשָּׁה. Rebbi Ada from Caesarea in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: Already most of the day did pass in holiness⁴¹This explains the statement in the Mishnah that when witnesses came late one treated both the 30^th and the 31^st of Elul as holidays..

אָמַר רִבִּי חִייָה בַּר בָּא. רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן מְפַקֵּד לְאִילֵּין דִּכְנִישָׁא דִכִיפְרָא. סַבֻין מְטוּל ומֵיעוּל עַד דּוּ אִימָמָא וְאַתּוּן מַדְכִּרִין זְמַנּוֹ וְעִיבּוּרוֹ. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said, Rebbi Joḥanan commanded those of the Kifra synagogue⁴²A synagogue in Tiberias., trade so that you come home when it is still daytime and you should mention its time and its addition⁴³This defines current practice. Since Elul is presumed to have only 29 days, one must stop all commercial activity in the afternoon of the 29^th, and in the evening prayers one uses the text for holidays and mentions that the day is New Year’s Day, and continues the same for a second day the next evening and the following day..