5775 - dbhbn ovrct 1 sxc hba cuy ouh ohkaurh ,racn ,kkfn A] ROSH CHODESH AND THE LUNAR CYCLE :vbv h Jsjk ofk tUv iIJt r oh Jsj Jt«r ofk vZv J s«j v :r«ntk oh rmn . rtC i«rv t k tu v J«n k t v r nt«Hu 1. c-t:ch ,una The moon orbits around the earth, each such orbit being what we call a month. The new month begins at the moment that the moon is totally invisible from earth since it is between the earth and the sun. As the moon moves around its orbit, more and more of it becomes visible to us (waxing) until the full moon, when the moon is positioned ‘behind’ the earth so that the sun is fully shining on it. The moon then moves further around and the part visible to us shrinks (waning) until the moon is again totally invisible and the cycle begins again. In halacha, the moment of the ‘rebirth’ of the moon is called the ‘molad’. 1 1. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBgma9NMBN4 for an animated demonstration of the cycles of the moon rev 5775 - dbhbn ovrct 2 sxc vga hahka hbau vmjnu ouh vga,u ohragn v,ujp vbck ka vausj iht :tct hct ,hcn hbkcuen lf :kthknd icr ovk rnt 2. ohekj vakau ohgcau /vf vbav atr • Chazal divided each hour into 1080 parts. On that basis, they calculated the length of one lunar orbit as 29.53059 daysdays. (Modern science calculates the average synodic month as 29.53058829.530588 daysdays!) So each new month should begin approximately 29½ days after the last Ubtmh vZ v Nk r«ntk uhbpk UF cTu ofCre C r Jt v , t o Txtn h F igh t rzk ofk vhvu ofPtn tmh r Jt sg oh nh J s«j sg 3. ohrmNn f:th rcsnc • The molad occurs in the middle of a day. Why do we not start the new month in the middle of a day? 'asjv ,t uaseha sg ohsgv ,t uarshau 'vtrh tk ut jrhv vtrh ot ugshu ucajha ihs ,hc kg vru,v in vag ,umn 4. /// ,usgunv iv ouh vzhtc ugsha hsf asj atr tuv ouh vzhtc ogv rta ,t ughsuhu ujkahu z vfkv t erp asujv aushe ,ufkv o"cnr • What are the 4 obligations of the Sanhedrin in relation to the fixing of Rosh Chodesh? vnursc ut anav iupmc vhv, ot vz asjc vtr,af vbckv ihgsuhu ovc ihcajn ihbhbdymtva ohfrsc ihcajn ihs ,hc 5. ot //// v,ut o,htr smhf o,ut ihesuc shgvk ohsgv utchafu 'ihyub vhbre hatr uhvh ifhvku vrme ut vcjr vhv, otu o,ut ihkcen iht ihbuufn ovhrcs utmnb tk otu o,ut ihkcen iucajc gsuba vnk ihbuufn ovhrcs utmnb s vfkv c erp asujv aushe ,ufkv o"cnr • What would happen in the absence of witness testimony? (i) Period 1 - Beacons tkafu 'iherhpc ibhrntsf 'ohaka ouhc ase,ba asjc tkt ,utuan ihthan uhv tk ihs ,hcu - har) ///// ,utuan ihthan uhv vbuatrc 6. (rcugn asjva ihgsuh kfv - ohaka ouh ka crgk ihthan uhv :cf vbav atr rev 5775 - dbhbn ovrct 3 sxc ohbuatrv ohthcb ,be,n iva vbav atr ka ohcuy ohnh hbac vsuh hcrk ohnfj ihsun 7. (d ruy tf ;s) y:d ihcurhg hnkaurh sunk, rcugn kukt ubhmn tk lkhtu trzg ,unhn 8. /u vmhc rcugn rst ubhmn tk ixhb if unf 9. sug yh v"s vma inhx j"ut ekj rzb hbct ,"ua • What does this say about the 1/2 day status of Rosh Hashana, Pesach and Succot at that time, even without the beacons? (ii) Period 2 - Messengers [oh,ufv] ukekean 'oheujrv ugsha hsf ohrvv hatrc ,utuan ihthan uhv asjv ,t ihasen ihs ,hc uhvaf vbuatrc 10. ihkkjn ibht ukt ohjukau 'ohcrk ihghsunu ihtmuh ohjuka uvha ubhe,v ogv ,t ,ugyvk hsf ,utuan ihthan uhva 2[ohbhnv] sckc uasek tkt unhhek ,cav ,t ihkkjn ihta ,ca rnuk lhrm ihtu cuy ouh ,t j vfkv d erp asujv aushe ,ufkv o"cnr • Note that in Nissan and Tishrei there were only around 11 days to inform the people before the start of Pesach/Succot (less days in Tishrei than in Nissan) • When did this switch to messengers take place? The Yerushalmi says that Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi abolished the beacons in the late 2C ,utuanv ,t kyhc hcr ?,utuanv ,t kyhc hn 11. t"vq t ruy jb ;s c erp vbav atr ,fxn (vhmbu) hnkaurh sunk, ihghdn ohjukav ihta oheujrv ,unuenu 'vru,c cu,ff sjt cuy ouh ,usgunv ,t ihaug uhv ihghdn ihjukav uhva ouen kf 12. tuv ouh vzht asj atr ihs ,hc uc ugcea ouh ohgsuh obhta hpk epxv hbpn ohnh hba ihaug uhv ovhkt th vfkv d erp asujv aushe ,ufkv o"cnr • Note that given sources 8 and 9 above, even where the second day was kept as a safek, the presumption was that the first day was the true Yom Tov min haTorah htsuca ,ujp ut ohnh vanj lkvn okaurh ihcu ubhc ouen vhvh ot smhf 'ouenv ,chrec vhhuk, sjt cuy ouh ,hhag iht 13. 'vz ouenk ihtmuh ohjukav uhva ubk rnth hna 'sjt cuy ouh ihaug vz ouen habta ihrnut iht 'ihjuka ivk ughdha rapt iva ohktrah oa ucah iucajv kg gucek urzja rjtu ktrah oa uhv tka hbpn vz ouenk ihtmuh ohjukav uhv tk tna ihgbun ohudv uhva hbpn ut 'vban hnfj hnhc khkdu vsuvh ihc vhva lrsf lrsc ourhj vhva hbpn ut 'ohnh hba ,uagk ihchhj /ivhbhc rucgk ihjukav ,t y vfkv v erp asujv aushe ,ufkv o"cnr • Nevertheless some hold that when the new moon was announced by messenger, there were places even in Eretz Yisrael that had to keep YT2 since the messengers did not reach them 3. hra, uyt ixhb vrhzd 'hnuh hr, uscghk - hra, hjuka uyn tku ixhb hjuka uyns tfhv kf :ibjuh hcr zhrfn 14. /tf vbav atr 2. Some mefarshim explain this intervention by the ‘heretics’ as part of the strategy of the Beitusim to ensure Pesach fell on Shabbat so that the Omer would be brought on a Sunday. (w,cav ,rjnnw) 3. See also note 24 below rev 5775 - dbhbn ovrct 4 sxc • Why was it that the messenger sometimes reached more places in Nissan than in Tishrei • How does this impact on 2nd day Shavuot? vkud vkufk hbue,k tbkhfh :ktuna rnt 15. :f vbav atr rnt - ?htn rcsnc /,eukjnv hubha hbpn - tbshcg tk cuahhc tjrhs tghcec ibhgshs `ibt iudf :tct hcrk trpx cr vhk rnt 16. r,un - rcsnc 'ruxt - cuahhc :hnt cr rnt hfv 'vhk :tb ohjxp :trhz hcr rnt ///// /vzc vruxt vzc vskub :rnt hxt cru 'vzc ,r,un vzc vskub :rnt cr ',uhkd ka ohcuy ohnh hba 'rn,t 17. :ib,s /trc,xn crs vh,uf :hhct rnt /hnuh hr, ibhscg teu tjrhs tghcec ibhgsh tbshtvs 'trc,xn hxt crs vh,uf uyns tfhvu 'tnuh sj ibhscg oh,uf ukyc ukhtu /ihtmuh ihjuka uvha ubhe,v oh,ufv ukekean ',utuan ihthan uhv vbuatrc tnuh sj ibhscg ihjuka :s vmhc • It seems clear that at this stage in the historical development, some individual Chachamim were keeping one day based on their own calculations (although not in a Jewish community, where this could lead to machloket) Shmuel was a 1st generation Amora in Bavel - c. 220 CE Rav Safra, R’ Abba, R’ Zeira and Abaye were 3rd generation Amoraim living c.330 CE /utk ot ohaka ouhc vtrb ot ohsnk ubt u,sku, ihcajna iucaj hsh kg - tjrhs tghcec ik ohe 18. tfhrt tnuh sjf lfkv 'epx tkc ukhptu 'i,uagk oheujrv ktrah kg ohnfj ,be,n tuv guce ej :tnkt - hnuh hr, ibhscgu /uvbhua /,uhkdv ovhkg ourhnjv epxv ,dtsn tkt ej ubhta - trc,xn crs vh,uf vbe,c ovhkg ougce tk :vbhn gna 'tnuh sj hscg - cuy ouh osue ihjuka uyns tfhv 'hnb tbshtvu 't,fus kfc - tnuh sj hscgu /,urusk oa h"ar • Rashi learns that the machloket between R’ Zeira and Abaye was whether there was yet at their time (early 4C) a takana to keep a fixed YT2 even if there was no safek. R’ Zeira understands that there WAS such a takana. Abaye (apparently) understands that there was not (iii) Period 3 - A fixed decree of second day Yom Tov urzds ihbnz 'ofhshc ofh,uct dvbnc urvzv :o,n ujkas ouan - ?hnuh hr, ibhscg tngy htn tjrhs tghcec ibhgshs t,avu 19. hkueketk h,tu tsna :s vmhc • These words follow immediately after the Gemara in source 16. Are they a continuation of Abaye’s shitta, giving the reason why he holds that there was YT2, even though there was effectively no doubt for many people in his time? tknu tkn rxj ,uagku hkuekek h,tu tnuh sj hnb uscg,u ofn ruchgv sux jf,ahu 'vru,c uexg,h tka - vrzd ,ufknv hrzds 20. jxpc .nj ukft,u 'rxj • YT2 is binding even when we know the exact times for the new moon rev 5775 - dbhbn ovrct 5 sxc ot whsnk ubt u,sku, ihcajna iucaj h"g k"zu wfa vrutfk lrumk tka lrut tuv h"ar iuak - tjrhs tghcec whthec tbshtvs 21. crs wh,uuf hhct rnt v"ptu wwufu hnuh hr, whscgu whthec ubtw rnt rcf z"r tv vrutfk d"gmu //// /k"fg utk ot whaka ouhc vtrb hnhcs /wufu rtau v"s wd vban vfuxs s"p y"h, ihhg o,n ujkas htv hf ubhbht z"rs tghcec hthehcs s"gkbv f"g ///// /trc,xn ufnxa ,ubhbdymt iucaj h"pg oh,gv hgsuh ucr ovv ohnhc rcf n"n vkudk whjuka ujkau h"tc whfunx s"c uasea h"pgt z"r n"n hvbu r,tu r,t kfc oh,gv hgsuh urzp,bu v"ugc j", urzp,b rcfu /asujv ause ,ufkvc o"cnr a"nf ihrsvbxv od uhkg ktnau ihnh ohyub obht tcurs tcuru tcurs iuhf n"n /// ohsg h"pg s"c ,ghce h"pg t"f tuvv iucajv h"pg whsgun gucek ruxt whthec tbshtv z"rs ubhhvu tnuh hr, hscg v"ptu hpy ;hsg tcur htv b"v //// /curv kg lunxk ohkufh vkudv hbc whv iucajvn vz ,tu /k"bf u,buufu tk ot ohaka ouhc vtrb ot ohsnk ubt u,sku, whcajn ubta iucaj h"g h"ar iuak ubhhvu /hnuh hr, whscgu u,ghhxu iurjtv thabv kkv tca rjt /tuv h,hrjt t,khn urvzv o,n ujkau whthecs tbshtv lt ///// trc,xn crs wh,uuf hhct vjs ih,gnac v"zrv wfu ubnzca kusdv s"cc ,sgunv kf asheu /okug ,unh ;ux sg ,usgunv juk ubk gceu ohtruntv hnh ;uxc /tfhk tyughn whpt epx oua rtab tku whjuka whjkuau asujv whasena okugc s"c oua ihtu sguv ,hcf okugv kf vagb v,gna ///// o,n ujka v"ptu :s vmhc rpux o,j The Chatam Sofer learns that the continuing words of the Gemara wo,n ujka //// tghcec ibhgshs t,avuw are not part of the statement of Abaye but rather a NEW question asked by the Stam of the Gemara concerning the period after the establishment of the fixed calendar ,ufhnxv vtraf 'ausev ubhcr ka ubc ic vthab vsuvh hcr ka ubc ktrahc vhva iurjt thabv iezv kkv sng hrv 22.