Rosh Hashanah 38

וחכמים מטהרין

whereas the Sages declare it clean'! - There is a difference of opinion between Tannaim [as to whether the Megillath Ta'anith, has been annulled], as it has been taught: 'These days which are mentioned in the Megillath Ta'anith are prohibited [to be kept as fast days] whether in the period when the Temple is standing or in the period when the Temple is not standing. So R'Meir.

תנאי היא דתניא הימים האלו הכתובין במגילת תענית בין בזמן שבית המקדש קיים בין בזמן שאין בהמ"ק קיים אסורין דברי ר"מ רבי יוסי אומר בזמן שבהמ"ק קיים אסורין מפני ששמחה היא להם אין בית המקדש קיים מותרין מפני שאבל הוא להם

R'Jose says: In the period when the Temple is standing they are prohibited, because they [Israel] have cause for rejoicing; in the period when the Temple is not standing they are permitted, because they have cause for mourning'. The law is that these prohibitions are annulled and the law is that they are not annulled.

והלכתא בטלו והלכתא לא בטלו קשיא הלכתא אהלכתא לא קשיא כאן בחנוכה ופורים כאן בשאר יומי:

There is a contradiction, is there not, between these two laws? - There is no contradiction: the one<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That fasting is prohibited.');">¹</span> relates to Hanukah and Purim, the other to the other days.

על אלול מפני ר"ה ועל תשרי מפני תקנת המועדות: כיון דנפקי להו אאלול אתשרי למה להו

OF ELUL ON ACCOUNT OF NEW YEAR, OF TISHRI FOR THE ADJUSTMENT OF THE FESTIVALS. Once the messengers have gone forth to report [the new moon of] Elul, why should they be required to do so for Tishri?

וכי תימא דלמא עברוה לאלול והאמר רבי חיננא בר כהנא א"ר מימות עזרא ואילך לא מצינו אלול מעובר

Should you reply that [the reason is because] perhaps Elul has been prolonged,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., made to last thirty days, and therefore the Diaspora may make a mistake about the Day of Atonement and Tabernacles.');">²</span> [this cannot be], because R'Hinena B'Kahana has said in the name of Rabbi: 'From the days of Ezra onwards we have found no instance of Elul being prolonged'! - [Exactly so]: 'We find no instance', because there was no reason [to prolong it]; where, however, there is a special reason,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The 'special reason' is discussed infra, 20a.');">³</span>

לא מצינו דלא איצטריך הא איצטריך מעברינן ליה

we do prolong it. But in that case New Year is interfered with?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'spoilt'. The Diaspora will keep it one day too soon.');">⁴</span>

הא מיקלקל ר"ה מוטב תיקלקל ראש השנה ולא יתקלקלו כולהו מועדות

- It is better that New Year should be interfered with than that all the festivals should be interfered with. There is also an indication [that this view is correct in the language of the Mishnah], which states, OF TISHRI FOR THE ADJUSTMENT OF THE FESTIVALS.

דיקא נמי דקתני על תשרי מפני תקנת המועדות ש"מ:

This is clear proof. OF KISLEV ON ACCOUNT OF HANUKAH AND OF ADAR ON ACCOUNT OF PURIM.

ועל כסליו מפני חנוכה ועל אדר מפני הפורים: ואילו נתעברה השנה יוצאין אף על אדר שני מפני הפורים לא קתני מתניתין דלא כר' דתניא רבי אומר אם נתעברה השנה יוצאין אף על אדר השני מפני הפורים

[The Mishnah], however, does not say, 'When the year is prolonged,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., made to consist of thirteen months, by the insertion of a second Adar.');">⁵</span> messengers go forth to report [the new moon of] the second Adar also on account of Purim'.

לימא בהא קמיפלגי דמר סבר כל מצות הנוהגות בשני נוהגות בראשון ומר סבר כל מצות הנוהגות בשני אין נוהגות בראשון

[This shows that] our Mishnah does not agree with Rabbi, since it has been taught: 'Rabbi says that if the year has been prolonged, messengers go forth to report also regarding the second Adar on account of Purim'. Shall we say that the point on which they join issue is this, that one authority holds that all the ceremonies observed in the second Adar<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Including in particular Purim.');">⁶</span>

לא דכולי עלמא מצות הנוהגות בשני אין נוהגות בראשון והכא בעיבור שנה קמיפלגי דתניא כמה עיבור שנה ל' יום רשב"ג אומר חדש

are observed also in the first,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And therefore the observance of Purim in the first Adar is really sufficient for religious purposes, and so there is no need to send out messengers to fix the date of the second.');">⁷</span> while the other holds that the ceremonies observed in the second are not observed in the first?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And therefore it is important that Purim in the second Adar should be kept on the right day, v. Meg. 6b.');">⁸</span>

מאי שנא ל' דידעי חדש נמי ידעי א"ר פפא מ"ד חדש רצה חדש רצה שלשים

- No. Both hold that the ceremonies observed in the second are not observed in the first, and here they differ on the question of the prolongation of the year,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the [days of the month of the first Adar which is inserted to prolong the year (Rashi) .');">⁹</span>

העיד ר' יהושע בן לוי משום קהלא קדישא דירושלים על שני אדרים שמקדשין אותם ביום עיבוריהן

as it has been taught: 'How long is the period of the prolongation of the year? Thirty days.

למימרא דחסרין עבדינן מלאין לא עבדינן לאפוקי מדדרש רב נחמן בר חסדא העיד רבי סימאי משום חגי זכריה ומלאכי על שני אדרים שאם רצו לעשותן שניהן מלאין עושין שניהן חסרין עושין אחד מלא ואחד חסר עושין וכך היו נוהגין בגולה ומשום רבינו אמרו לעולם אחד מלא ואחד חסר עד שיוודע לך שהוקבע ר"ח בזמנו

Simeon B'Gamaliel, however, says a month'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., twenty-nine days. This is apparently the opinion of Rabbi also.');">¹⁰</span> But why should only [the one who says] thirty days [require no messengers to be sent]?

שלחו ליה למר עוקבא אדר הסמוך לניסן לעולם חסר

Because, you say, people in this case know when the month ends?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When the first Adar ends and the second Adar begins.');">¹¹</span> If the period is a month, they also know! - R'Papa said: The one who said 'a month' holds that [the Beth din may prolong the year] either by thirty days or by a month at their option.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And therefore it is necessary to keep the public informed. (9) [Regarded by some as a survival of an Essene community, v. J.E V. p. 226]. ruchg ouh');">¹²</span>

מתיב רב נחמן על שני חדשים מחללין את השבת על ניסן ועל תשרי אי אמרת בשלמא זמנין מלא זמנין חסר משום הכי מחללינן

R'Joshua B'Levi testified on behalf of the holy community of Jerusalem concerning the two Adars, that they are sanctified on the day of their prolongation.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The thirtieth day is known as the day of prolongation () as it is the day which is added to make the preceding month full (v. supra p. 21, n. 7) . In the case of the two Adars the thirtieth day of each is sanctified as the New Moon of the next month.');">¹³</span> This is equivalent to saying that we make them defective but we do not make them full, and excludes the statement made in a discourse by R'Nahman B'Hisda; [for R'Nahman B'Hisda stated in a discourse]: R'Simai testified in the name of Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi concerning the two Adars that if they [the Beth din] desired they could make both of them full, and if they desired they could make both of them, defective, and if they desired they could make one full and the other defective; and such was their custom in the Diaspora. In the name of our teacher,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rab.');">¹⁴</span> however, they said: One is always to be full and the next defective, unless you have been informed that New Moon has been fixed at its proper time'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., that the Beth din is Jerusalem fixed the New Moon of Adar II on the thirtieth day of the first Adar, the thirtieth day always being regarded as the 'proper time' of New Moon.');">¹⁵</span> They sent [from Palestine] to Mar 'Ukba to say: The Adar which precedes Nisan is always defective. R'Nahman raised an objection [from the following]: 'For the fixing of two New Moons the Sabbath may be profaned,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By the watchers for the new moon, who are allowed to exceed the two thousand cubit limit in order to report their observation to the Beth din in Jerusalem. V. infra 23b.');">¹⁶</span> for those of Nisan and of Tishri'. Now if you say that [the Adar before Nisan] is sometimes full and sometimes defective, I can understand how occasions arise for profaning the Sabbath