## Arakhin Daf 9a

###### Arakhin 9a:1
[Arakhin 9a:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Arakhin/r/9a:1)

קָדֵים אָתֵי סֵיהֲרָא תְּלָתָא יוֹמֵי! הַשְׁתָּא נָמֵי קָא קָדֵים אָתֵי תְּרֵי יוֹמֵי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
then the new **moon** of Tishrei would **arrive three days before** Rosh HaShana. A lunar month is twenty-nine and a half days, and therefore a twelve-month period should have six full months of thirty days and six deficient months of twenty-nine days. If there were nine full months, this would cause subsequent months to start three days after the new moon. This in turn would lead people to deride the rabbinical court and accuse it of declaring the new month whenever it wanted, without regard for the astronomical facts. The Gemara explains its question: **Now, too,** when there are eight full months in one year, the new moon of Tishrei will **arrive two days before** Rosh HaShana, which will also cause people to disparage the court.


###### Arakhin 9a:2
[Arakhin 9a:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Arakhin/r/9a:2)

כִּדְאָמַר רַב מְשַׁרְשְׁיָא, כְּגוֹן שֶׁהָיְתָה שָׁנָה מְעוּבֶּרֶת, הָכָא נָמֵי כְּגוֹן שֶׁהָיְתָה שָׁנָה שֶׁלְּפָנֶיהָ מְעוּבֶּרֶת, וְעִיבּוּר שָׁנָה חוֹדֶשׁ. דַּל יַרְחָא מַלְיָא בַּהֲדֵי יַרְחָא חַסִּירָא, וְאַכַּתִּי חַד יוֹמָא! לָא אַדַּעְתַּיְיהוּ דְּאִינָשֵׁי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara answers: It is **as Rav Mesharshiyya says,** with regard to a different question: This is referring to a case **where** the year before **was a leap year. Here, too,** one can answer that it is a case **where the year before it was a leap** year, **and the extension** of the **year** was accomplished with an added **month** of twenty-nine days. Accordingly, **remove a full,** thirty-day **month** from the calculation of the current year **corresponding to the** extra **deficient,** twenty-nine-day **month** of the previous year, and the result is that only seven thirty-day months have an impact on the appearance of the new moon relative to the following Rosh HaShana. The Gemara asks: **But** even in a year with only seven thirty-day months the new moon would **still** precede Rosh HaShana by **one day.** The Gemara answers: **People do not pay attention** to a difference of one day, and therefore they will not deride the court.


###### Arakhin 9a:3
[Arakhin 9a:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Arakhin/r/9a:3)

עוּלָּא אָמַר: לֹא נִרְאָה לַחֲכָמִים לְחַסֵּר יָתֵר עַל שְׁמוֹנָה, וּמַאי טַעְמָא קָאָמַר — מָה טַעַם אֵין פּוֹחֲתִים מֵאַרְבָּעָה חֳדָשִׁים הַמְעוּבָּרִים בְּשָׁנָה — מִשּׁוּם דְּלֹא נִרְאָה לַחֲכָמִים לְחַסֵּר יָתֵר עַל שְׁמוֹנֶה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Until this point the Gemara has discussed Rav Huna’s interpretation of the mishna, that the statement: It did not seem appropriate to establish more than eight, means that the Sages did not wish to establish more than eight full months in one year. The Gemara presents an alternative opinion. **Ulla says:** The mishna means that **it did not seem** appropriate **to the Sages to establish more than eight deficient,** twenty-nine-day months. **And** the mishna **is saying what** the **reason** is for the previous statement in the mishna, as follows: **What is the reason** that **no fewer than four full,** thirty-day **months** may be established **during a year?** It is **because it did not seem** appropriate **to the Sages to establish more than eight deficient,** twenty-nine-day months, so that the shortest possible year would comprise four full months and eight deficient months.


###### Arakhin 9a:4
[Arakhin 9a:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Arakhin/r/9a:4)

מַאי שְׁנָא תִּשְׁעָה דְּלָא, דְּאִם כֵּן מְיַיתְּרָא סֵיהֲרָא תְּלָתָא יוֹמֵי, הַשְׁתָּא נָמֵי קָא מְיַיתְּרָא תְּרֵי יוֹמֵי!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **What is different** about **nine** deficient months, in **that** the Sages **did not** deem it appropriate to have so many deficient months in one year? Apparently, the Sages were concerned **that if so,** i.e., if there were nine deficient months, the new **moon** of Tishrei would appear **three days after** Rosh HaShana. But **now, too,** if there are eight deficient months in one year, the new moon will appear **two days after** Rosh HaShana.


###### Arakhin 9a:5
[Arakhin 9a:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Arakhin/r/9a:5)

כִּדְאָמַר רַב מְשַׁרְשְׁיָא, כְּגוֹן שֶׁהָיְתָה שָׁנָה מְעוּבֶּרֶת, הָכָא נָמֵי כְּגוֹן שֶׁהָיְתָה שָׁנָה שֶׁלְּפָנֶיהָ מְעוּבֶּרֶת, דַּל יַרְחָא חַסִּירָא בַּהֲדֵי יַרְחָא מַלְיָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara answers: It is **as Rav Mesharshiyya says** with regard to a different question: This is referring to a case **where** the year before **was a leap year. Here, too,** one can answer that it is a case **where the year before it was a leap** year, and the added month was a thirty-day month. Accordingly, **remove a deficient,** twenty-nine-day month from the calculation of the current year **corresponding to the** extra **full,** thirty-day **month** of the previous year, and the result is that only seven deficient months have an impact on the appearance of the new moon relative to the following Rosh HaShana.


###### Arakhin 9a:6
[Arakhin 9a:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Arakhin/r/9a:6)

וְאַכַּתִּי אִיכָּא חַד יוֹמָא, סָבְרִי: אִיתְחֲזוֹיֵי אִיתְחֲזִי וַאֲנַן לָאו אַדַּעְתִּין.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **But** even in a year with seven deficient months **there is still one day** between Rosh HaShana and the appearance of the new moon, and therefore people will deride the court. The Gemara answers: People will **assume** that the new moon **was sighted** by witnesses and reported to the court, and they will say: The new moon was visible yesterday **but we did not pay attention** and did not notice it.