Siman - Rosh Hashanah Daf 20
- Making Elul a מלא to separate Shabbos from Yom Tov
When Ullah came to Bavel from Eretz Yisroel, he announced that they made Elul full in Eretz Yisroel, and asked: ידעי חברין בבלאי מאי טיבותא עבדינן בהדייהו – Do our Babylonians friends recognize the favor that we did for them by making Elul full? The Gemara asks what the favor was, and Ulla answered that they did it in order to separate Shabbos from Yom Tov משום ירקיא – for the sake of keeping the vegetables fresh. Rashi explains that if Yom Tov falls either just prior to, or just after Shabbos, vegetables needed for the second of these two days will have to be picked before the first day. This will result in their wilting before they could be used. Rebbe Acha bar Chanina said that it was done משום מתיא – for the sake of burying the dead without delay. The Gemara asks why Ulla said this was beneficial for those in Bavel when these reasons apply equally to those in Eretz Yisroel, and answers that in Bavel the climate is hotter, since it is a low-lying country and it is harder to keep vegetables from wilting, and the dead from decomposing.
- It is not permitted to be mekadesh the new month early for communal needs
The Gemara challenges the entire premise that a month may be made full for communal needs, for Rabbah bar Shmuel taught a Baraisa that said that it could be thought that just as we are me’aber the year for a need, so too we can me’aber the chodesh for a need. The Torah therefore states: "החודש הזה לכם ראש חדשים" – This new moon shall be for you the beginning of the months. Hashem told Moshe, כזה ראה וקדש – Thus should you see the moon and sanctify the month. Rashi explains that this implies that as soon as the moon is sighted, the month must be sanctified. Rava said that there is no difficulty. In Ulla’s case we are discussing reasons to make the outgoing month, which was really חסר, full. That can be done for a communal need. This Baraisa should be read as follows: It could be thought that just as we are me’aber the year and the month for a need, כך מקדשין את החודש לצורך – so too we sanctify the new month for a need, meaning we declare the thirtieth day to be Rosh Chodesh even though the moon was not seen. The Torah therefore states, כזה ראה וקדש – Thus should you see the moon and then sanctify the month. This is in line with what Rebbe Yehoshua ben Levi said: מאיימין על העדים על החדש שנראה בזמנו לעברו – We intimidate the witnesses over a new moon that was sighted, in order to make the outgoing month full, but we may not do so over a new moon that was not sighted in its time in order to sanctify the incoming month on the thirtieth day.
- נולד קודם חצות או נולד אחר חצות
Shmuel said that he was able to establish the proper date for the entire Diaspora. Rashi explains that he claimed that he was an expert in astronomy and did not require the testimony of witnesses. When Abba, the father of Simlai, asked him if he knew the explanation of a matter that was taught in the Baraisa of the compilation entitled, סוד העיבור, that there is a difference whether נולד קודם חצות או נולד אחר חצות – the nolad is before or after chatzos, Shmuel replied that he did not. Abba responded that if Shmuel does not know this, perhaps there are other things he does not know. When Rebbe Zeira went up to Eretz Yisroel, he explained the Baraisa which Abba mentioned. מחשבין את תולדתו – We calculate the moon’s conjunction. נולד קודם חצות – If the נולד was before midday, certainly it could be sighted before shkiyah that day, since it takes six to eight hours for the new moon to be seen. If it occurred after midday, it is certain that it would not be sighted close to shkiyoh. Rashi explains that in the first six hours, the moon is still too small to be seen.
