Rosh Hashanah

— If two [successive] months1 are declared short, the thing becomes known. Levi once arrived in Babylon on the eleventh of Tishri.2 He said [to the people there]: How good and sweet is the dish of the Babylonians on the great day of the West.3 They said to him, Testify [that this is the tenth day].4 He replied: I did not [personally] hear the Beth din [in Jerusalem proclaim] ‘sanctified’.5 R. Johanan issued a proclamation: ‘In all those places which can be reached by the messengers sent out in Nisan but not by those sent out in Tishri,6 two days should be kept [on Passover],7 Nisan being included so that there should be no mistake as to Tishri’. 8 R. Aibu b. Nagri and R. Hiyya b. Abba once arrived at a certain place which had been reached by the messengers sent out in Nisan but not by those sent out in Tishri, and though the inhabitants kept only one day [of Passover] they did not reprove them. When R. Johanan heard this he was annoyed and said to them: Did I not tell you that in places which have been reached by the messengers sent out in Nisan but not by those sent out in Tishri they should keep two days, Nisan being included so that no mistake should be made in Tishri? Rabbah was accustomed to fast two days [on the Day of Atonement].9 Once he was found to be right.10 R. Nahman had once fasted the whole of the Day of Atonement, when in the evening a man came and told him, To-morrow is the great day in the West. He said to him, Whence are you? He replied, From Damharia.11 ‘Blood will be his latter end’12 he ejaculated, applying to himself the verse, Swift were our pursuers.13 R. Huna b. Abin sent an instruction to Raba: When you see that the cycle of Tebeth14 extends to the sixteenth of Nisan,15 declare that year16 a leap year and have no scruples,17 since it is written, Observe the month [hodesh] of Abib,18 which signifies, See to it that the Abib of the cycle19 should commence in the earlier half [hodesh]20 of Nisan. R. Nahman said to those who were going to sea: As you will not know when New Moon is fixed, [I will tell you what to do]. When you see the moon ceases shining with daylight,21 clear away leaven [for Passover]. When does it so shine? On the fifteenth [of the month]. But we clear away leaven on the fourteenth? — For them, as they had a clear view,22 the moon commenced to shine into the day from the fourteenth. principles of fixed calendar, defective, and if Shebat’ which follows Tebeth, Ab and Tammuz were also to be defective, it would have become known to the Diaspora before the advent of the festivals. in Palestine by one day. He either came from near the frontier or just before nightfall, before they had broken their fast (v. Tosaf. s.v. huk ). sources that this was only ten days before, v. infra 21b. [MS.M.: ‘(proclaim)’, ‘prolonged’ rcugn instead of asuen ]. Passover than the messengers sent out in Tishri would be able to travel by Tabernacles, because the latter would lose two days on New Year and the Day of Atonement, when it was forbidden to travel. by the Beth din in Jerusalem. proclaimed. that day the corn begins to ripen by the effects of the sun (Rashi). V. Sanh., Sonc. ed., p. 60 notes.