Sanhedrin - Daf 12
- We are not מעבר the year before Rosh Hashanah
A Baraisa states: אין מעברין את השנה לפני ראש השנה – we do not extend the year before Rosh Hashanah; if they did, it is ineffective. If an extension would be announced so early, it may be forgotten by Adar Sheni, leading people to eat חמץ on the actual Pesach. In cases of urgent need (where they may not find qualified judges, or a foreign power may later prevent them), they can be מעבר the year immediately after Rosh Hashanah. Regardless, only Adar may be added. This is challenged from an incident in which a coded message was sent to Rava, during a time of persecution, informing him that the year was extended “during the month in which Aharon HaKohen died,” which is Av!? The Gemara answers: חשובי מחשבי – we may calculate before Rosh Hashanah if a leap year should be declared, but גלויי לא מגלו – we do not reveal the decision to do so until after Rosh Hashanah.
- Machlokes about being מעבר the year because of tumah (Chizkiyah’s mistake)
A Baraisa states: אין מעברין את השנה מפני הטומאה – we do not extend the year because of tumah of a majority of Jews at the time of the korban pesach. The Baraisa is eventually emended so that this Tanna adds that if the year was extended, it is effective. Rebbe Yehudah holds that although someone tamei may not bring korbanos, טומאה הותרה בציבור – tumah is permitted for the community, i.e., when a communal korban must be brought, and most Jews are tamei. Since it is permitted outright (and not "דחויה" – pushed aside), there is no need to be מעבר the year, and he holds it is ineffective if they did so. Rebbe Shimon holds, according to the Gemara’s emendation, that they may be מעבר the year if most Jews are tamei (he holds tumah is דחויה בציבור, and should be avoided by extending the year so people can become tahor). Rebbe Yehudah supported his position from the incident in which King Chizkiyah extended the year because of tumah, וביקש רחמים על עצמו – and he begged Hashem to have mercy on him when he realized his error, because communal tumah is הותרה for korban pesach, and the year should not have been extended.
- Second explanation of Chizkiyah’s mistake: being מעבר the year on the thirtieth day of Adar
Rebbe Shimon, who holds Beis Din can be מעבר the year if most Jews are tamei before the korban pesach, must explain Chizkiyah’s error differently: only another Adar may be added, and he added another Nissan during Nissan. The Gemara objects that surely Chizkiyah agreed that "החדש הזה לכם" – and this month shall be for you, teaches: זה ניסן ואין אחר ניסן – after this month is declared Nissan, no other month can be declared Nissan!? Therefore, the Gemara explains that his error was about Shmuel’s ruling, that we cannot extend the year on the thirtieth day of Adar, הואיל וראוי לקובעו ניסן – since it is able to be designated as Nissan. Chizkiyah was מעבר the year on the thirtieth of Adar, because he did not hold of Shmuel’s ruling, but later retracted. Rebbe Shimon ben Yehudah quotes Rebbe Shimon explaining Chizkiyah’s error in a third way, unrelated to עיבור שנה. Rather, most men were tamei, and most women were tahor, so that if they were taken into account, the overall majority of people would be tahor. He originally counted the women, because he held they were obligated in korban pesach (and the tamei minority had to wait until Pesach Sheni), but later retracted.
