Babylonian Talmud

Rodkinson 1918 — source 4, scan section 32

was not permissible (to fast on them) because they were days of joy, but since the Temple fell it is allowed because they are "NEW YEAR." 35 days of mourning. One rule says that they are abrogated, but another rule says they are not abrogated. There is a question here caused by one rule contradicting the othei. In the latter case it refers to the Feasts of Dedication and Esther (which are never to be abrogated), and in the former case to all other (minor feast) days. " For Elul on account of New Years Day, and for Tishri on account of appointing the order of the [remaining) festivals.'' Since (the messengers) were sent out on account of Elul, why need they go again on account of Tishri ? Shall we say because (the Beth Din) desired to proclaim Elul an intercalary month ? (That cannot be) for did not R. Hanina bar Kahana say in the name of Rabh : Since the time of Ezra we have not discovered that Elul was an intercalary month ? We have not discovered it, because it was not necessary (to make it so). But if it should be necessary, shall we make it an intercalary month? This avouM disturb the position of New Year's Day. It is better that the position of New Year's Day alone should be disturbed than that all the holidays should be disarranged. And it seems to be so, for the Mishna says that the messengers were sent for Tishri on account of appointing the order of the festivals. ^' And for Kislev on account of Hanuka, and, for Adar on account of the Feast of Esther.'' But the Mishna does not say if it be a leap year, that the messengers were sent out in the second Adar on account of Purim. From this we learn that the Mishna is not in accordance with Rabbi of the following Bo- raitha: Rabbi says: " In a leap year messengers are sent out also in the second Adar on account of the Feast of Esther." When Ula came (from Palestine) he said : They have made Elul an intercalary month, and he also said: " Do my Babylo- nian comrades know the benefit we have gained through it ? " Because of what is this a benefit ? " Because of herbs," * said Ula. R. A'ha bar Hanina, however, said: " Because of dead bodies. "t What difference is there between them? They * By adding an intercalary day to Elul, the holiday (New Year or Atonement Day) was prevented from falling on Friday or Sunday, the intention being to separate the holiday by an intervening day from the Sabbath. Thus, herbs that were to be eaten fresh, and other foods, would not spoil, as they might, if kept from Thursday till after the Sabbath, f A similar practice was followed with regard to the keeping of a dead body over the Day of Atonement and a Sabbath. Since it was impossible to keep the dead body two days, the Sabbath and the Atonement Day were separated by the means of the intercalated day. 36 THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD. differ concerning a holiday that falls immediately before or after the Sabbath (on the sixth or first day of the week). According to the one who says " because of herbs " wemay add an inter- calary day, but (it is not necessary) according to him who says " because of dead bodies," for we can employ non-Jews (to bury the dead for us on the holidays). If this is the case, why is this a benefit only for us (in Babylon); is it not also to the advan- tage of them (in Palestine) ? Our climate is very hot, but theirs is not. Is this really so ? Did not Rabba bar Samuel teach : One might suppose that as we intercalate the year when necessary, so we intercalate the month when necessary ? Therefore it is writ- ten [Ex. xii. 2] : " This month shall be unto you the first of the months," which means as soon as you see (the new moon) as on this occasion, you must consecrate the month (whether or not it is necessary to intercalate it). (How, then, could they inter- calate Elul, which had always only twenty-nine days ?) To intercalate it (when necessary) was permitted, but to consecrate it was not permitted, and Rabba's words should read : One might suppose that as it is permitted to intercalate the year and the month when necessary, so we may consecrate the month when necessary. Therefore it is written [Ex. xii. 2]: "This month shall be unto you," etc., which means only when the moon is seen as on this occasion, may you consecrate it. Samuel said : " I can arrange the calendar for the whole cap- tivity." Abba, the father of R. Simlai, said to him: "Does the master know that which a certain Boraitha teaches concern- ing the secret of the intercalary day; viz., whether the new moon appears before or after midday ? " Answered he, " No." " Then, master," said he, " if thou dost not know this, there may be other things which thou dost not know." When R. Zera went (to Palestine) he sent back word to his comrade (say- ing) : The evening and the morning (following) must both be- long to the month {i.e., when the old moon has still been seen after dark on the twenty-ninth day of the month, the thirtieth evening and following day belong to the closing month). And this is what Abba, the father of R. Simlai, meant : We calculate only the beginning of the new moon; if it began before midday, it is certain that it was seen close upon the setting of the sun, but if it did not begin before midday, it is certain that it did not appear close upon the setting of the sun. What difference does it make (in practice)? Answered R. Ashi, '* to refute witnesses." "NEW YEAR." 37 R. Zera said in the name of R. Na'hman, in every case of doubt (about the holidays), we post-date, but never ante-date.* Does this mean to say that (in a case of doubt concerning the exact day on which Tabernacles begins) we observe the fifteenth and sixteenth, but not the fourteenth. Let us keep the four- teenth also. Perhaps Abh and Elul have each only twenty-nine days ? Nay, if two consecutive months should each have twenty-nine days, this would be announced. Levi went to Babylon on the eleventh of Tishri. Said he: " Sweet is the food of Babylon on the great Day (of Atonement now being held) in Palestine." They said to him, " Go and testify." Answered he, " I have not heard from the Beth Din the words, ' It is consecrated ' (and therefore I cannot testify)." R. Johanan proclaimed: In everyplace that the messengers sent in Nissan reached, but that the messengers sent in Tishri cannot reach, they must observe two days for the holidays ; and they make this restriction for Nissan lest people would do in Tishri as in Nissan. f Rabha used to fast two days for the Day of Atonement.:}: Once it happened that he was right (because the Day of Atonement fell one day later in Palestine than in Babylon). R, Na'hman was once fasting on the Day of Atone- ment, and in the evening a certain man came and said to him, " To-morrow will be the Day of Atonement in Palestine." He