Rosh Hashanah 47

גירי קא משדייא:

He is shooting arrows [at those who do not worship him].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The rainbow in this case having the appearance of a bow bent by the sun against the earth.');">¹</span> HOW HIGH WAS IT AND IN WHICH DIRECTION WAS IT INCLINED.

כמה היה גבוה ולאין היה נוטה כו': תנא חדא לצפונה דבריו קיימין לדרומה לא אמר כלום והתניא איפכא לדרומה דבריו קיימין לצפונה לא אמר כלום

One Tanna taught: [If he says], To the north, his evidence is accepted; [if he says], To the south, his evidence is rejected.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Reading this sentence in its present context, we must suppose it to mean, 'if he says, (it was inclined) to the north' etc. This is very difficult to understand, and it is much more natural to suppose that the words to be supplied are 'that he saw it', and that this sentence is to be connected with the words in the Mishnah TO THE NORTH OF IT OR TO THE SOUTH. So apparently it is taken by Rashi. V. Maharsha, ad loc.');">²</span> But it has been taught to the opposite effect: '[If he says], To the south, his evidence is accepted; [if he says], To the north, his evidence is rejected'? - There is no contradiction; one statement speaks of the dry season,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'the days of the sun': the summer months.');">³</span>

לא קשיא כאן בימות החמה כאן בימות הגשמים

the other of the rainy season.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The new moon always appears due west. Hence in the summer months when the sun sets in the north-west it is south of the sun, and similarly in the winter months north of the sun.');">⁴</span> The Rabbis taught: If one<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Apparently this means here, one of a pair of witnesses.');">⁵</span>

ת"ר אחד אומר גבוה ב' מרדעות ואחד אומר ג' עדותן קיימת אחד אומר ג' ואחד אומר ה' עדותן בטילה אבל מצטרפין לעדות אחרת

says that it was two ox-loads high<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., above the horizon.');">⁶</span> and the other three,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the preceding paragraph related to the inclination of the moon, it obviously should have followed this paragraph, which is another reason for transferring the last Mishnah heading to the beginning of this paragraph. V. n. 1.');">⁷</span>

ת"ר ראינוהו במים ראינוהו בעששית ראינוהו בעבים אין מעידין עליו חציו במים חציו בעבים חציו בעששית אין מעידין עליו

their evidence is accepted. If one, however, says that it was three and the other five, their evidence is nullified, only each of them can be joined with another witness.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Who gives the same version as he does.');">⁸</span>

השתא כולו אמרת לא חציו מבעיא אלא ה"ק חציו במים חציו ברקיע חציו בעבים חציו ברקיע חציו בעששית חציו ברקיע אין מעידין

Our Rabbis taught: '[If they say], We saw it in water, we saw it in a mirror, we saw it through the clouds, they are not allowed to testify concerning it. [If they say], We saw half of it in water, half of it through the clouds, half of it in a mirror, they are not allowed to testify concerning it'.

ת"ר ראינוהו ושוב לא ראינוהו אין מעידין עליו כל הכי חזו לה ואזלי

Since you disallow them [when they see] the whole, can there be any question [when they see] only half? - In fact the statement should run as follows: '[If they say they saw] half of it in water and half in the sky, half of it through the clouds and h in the sky, half of it in a mirror and half in the sky, they are not allowed to testify.' Our Rabbis taught: [If they say], We saw it [once], but did not see it again, they are not allowed to testif concerning it.

אמר אביי ה"ק ראינוהו מאלינו ושבנו לראותו מדעתנו ולא ראינוהו אין מעידין עליו מאי טעמא אימור כוביתא דעיבא בעלמא הוא דחזי:

[Why so? ] Are they to go on seeing it the whole time? - Abaye replied: What is meant is this. [If they say], We saw it by chance,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'of ourselves'.');">⁹</span>

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> ראש ב"ד אומר מקודש וכל העם עונין אחריו מקודש מקודש בין שנראה בזמנו בין שלא נראה בזמנו מקדשין אותו

but when we came to look for it deliberately<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., with the object of testifying.');">¹⁰</span> we could not see it, they are not allowed to testify concerning it.

ר"א בר' צדוק אומר אם לא נראה בזמנו אין מקדשין אותו שכבר קידשוהו שמים:

What is the reason? Because I might say, they saw only a circular disc in the clouds.

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> ראש ב"ד וכו': מנהני מילי א"ר חייא בר גמדא א"ר יוסי בן שאול אמר רבי אמר קרא (ויקרא כג, מד) וידבר משה את מועדי ה' מכאן שראש ב"ד אומר מקודש:

<big><b>MISHNAH: </b></big>THE HEAD OF THE BETH DIN SAYS, SANCTIFIED', AND ALL THE PEOPLE REPEAT AFTER HIM, SANCTIFIED, SANCTIFIED. WHETHER THE NEW MOON IS SEEN AT ITS PROPER TIME<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., on the thirtieth day.');">¹¹</span>

וכל העם עונין אחריו מקודש מקודש מנלן אמר רב פפא אמר קרא (ויקרא כג, ב) אשר תקראו אותם קרי ביה אתם ר"נ בר יצחק אמר (ויקרא כג, ב) אלה הם מועדי הם יאמרו מועדי

OR NOT AT ITS PROPER TIME, IN EITHER CASE [THE NEW MOON] IS SANCTIFIED.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On the thirtieth or the thirty-first day, as the case may be.');">¹²</span> R'ELEAZAR B. ZADOK, HOWEVER, SAYS THAT IF IT IS NOT SEEN AS ITS PROPER TIME [THE NEW MOON] IS NOT [FORMALLY] SANCTIFIED, BECAUSE HEAVEN HAS ALREADY SANCTIFIED IT.

מקודש מקודש תרי זימני למה לי דכתיב מקראי קודש:

<big><b>GEMARA: </b></big>THE HEAD OF THE BETH DIN etc. What is the Scriptural warrant for this? - R'Hiyya B'Gamda said in the name of R'Jose B'Saul, who had it from Rabbi: The Scripture says, And Moses declared the appointed seasons of the Lord;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXIII, 44. o,ut');">¹³</span> from this we learn that the head of the Beth din says, 'sanctified'.

ר"א בר' צדוק אומר אם לא נראה בזמנו אין מקדשין אותו: תניא פלימו אומר בזמנו אין מקדשין אותו שלא בזמנו מקדשין אותו

AND ALL THE PEOPLE REPEAT AFTER HIM, 'SANCTIFIED, SANCTIFIED'. Whence do we learn this? - R'Papa said: Scripture says, which ye shall proclaim [them].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 4. Heb. .');">¹⁴</span>

ר"א [בר"ש] אומר בין כך ובין כך אין מקדשין אותו שנאמר (ויקרא כה, י) וקדשתם את שנת החמשים שנים אתה מקדש ואי אתה מקדש חדשים א"ר יהודה אמר שמואל הלכה כר' אלעזר בר' צדוק

[For otham] read attem.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'you', implying that the public should join in the proclamation.');">¹⁵</span> R'Nahman B'Isaac said, [we learn it from here]: Even these [hem] are my appointed seasons;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 2. ov');">¹⁶</span>

אמר אביי אף אנן נמי תנינא ראוהו בית דין וכל ישראל נחקרו העדים ולא הספיקו לומר מקודש עד שחשיכה הרי זה מעובר מעובר אין מקודש לא

[which implies], they shall say, my seasons.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The word 'they', being superfluous. htren');">¹⁷</span> SANCTIFIED, SANCTIFIED: why twice? - Because it is written, holy convocations.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. The Hebrew word is , 'callings' or 'proclaimings', the plural implying at least two.');">¹⁸</span>

מעובר איצטריכא ליה ס"ד אמינא הואיל וראוהו בית דין וכל ישראל איפרסמא ולא ליעברוה קמ"ל:

R'ELEAZAR B. ZADOK SAYS THAT IF IT IS NOT SEEN AT ITS PROPER TIME IT IS NOT SANCTIFIED. It has been taught: Polemo says: If seen at its time is is not sanctified,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since there is no need to impress its sanctity on the public.');">¹⁹</span>

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> דמות צורות לבנה היו לו לרבן גמליאל בטבלא ובכותל בעלייתו שבהן מראה את ההדיוטות ואומר הכזה ראית או כזה:

if seen out of its time it is sanctifi R'Eleazar B'Simeon says: in either case it is not sanctified, since it says, And ye shall sanctify the fiftiet year,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXV, 10.');">²⁰</span> which shows that you are to sanctify years, but are not to sanctify months.

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> ומי שרי והכתיב (שמות כ, כג) לא תעשון אתי לא תעשון כדמות שמשיי

Rab Judah said in the name of Samuel: The halachah is as laid down by R'Eleazar B'Zadok. Abaye said: We have also learnt to the same effect: 'If the Beth din and all Israel saw it,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On the thirtieth day.');">²¹</span>

אמר אביי לא אסרה תורה אלא שמשין שאפשר לעשות כמותן כדתניא לא יעשה אדם בית תבנית היכל אכסדרה תבנית אולם חצר כנגד עזרה שלחן כנגד שלחן מנורה כנגד מנורה אבל עושה

and if the witnesses had been tested, but they had no time to say 'sanctified' before it grew dark, the month is prolonged', which implies that it is prolonged<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., New Moon is not declared till the thirty-first day.');">²²</span> but that [the new month] is not sanctified [later in the day]. [This is not conclusive, since] there was a special reason for mentioning the prolonging. You might think that since the Beth din and all Israel saw it [the new moon] everyone knew that it had appeared and therefore the month should not be prolonged. Therefore we are told [that this is not so]. <big><b>MISHNAH: </b></big>R'GAMALIEL USED TO HAVE A DIAGRAM OF PHASES OF THE MOON ON A TABLET [HUNG] ON THE WALL OF HIS UPPER CHAMBER, AND HE USED TO SHOW THEM TO THE UNLEARNED AND SAY, DID IT LOOK LIKE THIS OR THIS? <big><b>GEMARA: </b></big>Is this allowed, seeing that it is written, Ye shall not make with me,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XX, 20.');">²³</span> which we interpret, 'Ye shall not make the likeness of my attendants'? - Abaye replied: The Torah forbade only those attendants of which it is possible to make copies,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'like them'. Out of the same or other materials.');">²⁴</span> as it has been taught: A man may not make a house in the form of the Temple, or an exedra in the form of the Temple hall,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ulam, the hall leading to the interior of the Temple, v. Mid. IV, 7. All exedra had only three sides, but since the fourth side of the Temple hall had a very wide entrance it is not counted. V. Tosaf. a.l.');">²⁵</span> or a court corresponding to the Temple court, or a table corresponding to the [sacred] table or a candlestick corresponding to the [sacred] candlestick, but he may make one