## Rosh Hashanah Daf 20a

###### Rosh Hashanah 20a:1
[Rosh Hashanah 20a:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/20a:1)

אֶלָּא אִי אָמְרַתְּ לְעוֹלָם חָסֵר, אַמַּאי מְחַלְּלִינַן? מִשּׁוּם דְּמִצְוָה לְקַדֵּשׁ עַל הָרְאִיָּיה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**But if you say** that the Adar immediately preceding Nisan is **always short, why should they desecrate** Shabbat? The court can calculate the time of the New Moon without witnesses. The Gemara answers: **Because it is a mitzva to sanctify** the New Moon **on the basis of** the testimony of witnesses who actually **saw** the new moon and not rely on calculations or established practices.


###### Rosh Hashanah 20a:2
[Rosh Hashanah 20a:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/20a:2)

אִיכָּא דְּאָמְרִי, אָמַר רַב נַחְמָן, אַף אֲנַן נָמֵי תְּנֵינָא: עַל שְׁנֵי חֳדָשִׁים מְחַלְּלִין אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת — עַל נִיסָן וְעַל תִּשְׁרִי. אִי אָמְרַתְּ בִּשְׁלָמָא לְעוֹלָם חָסֵר — מִשּׁוּם הָכִי מְחַלְּלִינַן, דְּמִצְוָה לְקַדֵּשׁ עַל הָרְאִיָּיה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Some say** that **Rav Naḥman said: We, too, learn** in a mishna: Witnesses who saw the new moon **may desecrate Shabbat** to establish the New Moon for **two months, for** the month of **Nisan and for** the month of **Tishrei. Granted, if you say** that the Adar immediately preceding Nisan is **always short, due to that** reason the witnesses **may desecrate** Shabbat, **because it is a mitzva to sanctify** the month **on the basis of** the testimony of witnesses who actually **saw** the new moon.


###### Rosh Hashanah 20a:3
[Rosh Hashanah 20a:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/20a:3)

אֶלָּא אִי אָמְרַתְּ זִמְנִין מָלֵא זִמְנִין חָסֵר — אַמַּאי מְחַלְּלִינַן? נְעַבְּרֵיהּ הָאִידָּנָא, וּנְקַדְּשֵׁיהּ לִמְחַר.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**But if you say** that the Adar immediately preceding Nisan **is sometimes full** and **sometimes short,** and there is no regularity to it, **why should** the witnesses **desecrate** Shabbat? Have the court **add** an extra day to the month **now,** since it can decide whether the thirtieth day or the thirty-first day is the beginning of the new month, **and** let the members of the court **sanctify the next day** as the New Moon.


###### Rosh Hashanah 20a:4
[Rosh Hashanah 20a:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/20a:4)

אִי דְּאִקְּלַע יוֹם שְׁלֹשִׁים בְּשַׁבָּת — הָכִי נָמֵי. הָכָא בְּמַאי עָסְקִינַן: דְּאִקְּלַע יוֹם שְׁלֹשִׁים וְאֶחָד בְּשַׁבָּת, דְּמִצְוָה לְקַדֵּשׁ עַל הָרְאִיָּיה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara rejects this argument: **If the thirtieth** of Adar **falls on Shabbat, this** is **indeed** what is done. The witnesses are not permitted to desecrate Shabbat. Rather, the month is made full and the next day is sanctified as the New Moon. **Here we are dealing with** a case where the **thirty-first** of Adar **falls on Shabbat,** and so the sanctification of the New Moon cannot be pushed off to the next day, as a month cannot be longer than thirty days. In that case, the witnesses may desecrate Shabbat **because it is a mitzva to sanctify** the month based **on** testimony of witnesses who actually **saw** the new moon.


###### Rosh Hashanah 20a:5
[Rosh Hashanah 20a:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/20a:5)

מֵתִיב רַב כָּהֲנָא: כְּשֶׁהַמִּקְדָּשׁ קַיָּים מְחַלְּלִין אַף עַל כּוּלָּן, מִפְּנֵי תַּקָּנַת הַקׇּרְבָּן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav Kahana raised an objection** from the continuation of the mishna, which teaches: **When the Temple was standing,** the witnesses **would desecrate** Shabbat **for** establishing the New Moon **even** for **all** the months, **in order to rectify the offering** of the New Moon, i.e., ensure that it is at the proper time.


###### Rosh Hashanah 20a:6
[Rosh Hashanah 20a:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/20a:6)

מִדְּכוּלְּהוּ לָאו מִשּׁוּם דְּמִצְוָה לְקַדֵּשׁ עַל הָרְאִיָּיה — נִיסָן וְתִשְׁרִי נָמֵי לָאו מִשּׁוּם דְּמִצְוָה לְקַדֵּשׁ עַל הָרְאִיָּיה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**From** the fact that the reason that the witnesses are permitted to desecrate Shabbat for **all** the other months is **not because it is a mitzva to sanctify** the month based **on** testimony of witnesses who **saw** the new moon, the implication is that with regard to **Nisan and Tishrei as well,** the witnesses are permitted to desecrate Shabbat for another reason and **not because it is a mitzva to sanctify** the month based **on** the testimony of witnesses who **saw** the new moon.


###### Rosh Hashanah 20a:7
[Rosh Hashanah 20a:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/20a:7)

אִי אָמְרַתְּ בִּשְׁלָמָא זִמְנִין מָלֵא וְזִמְנִין חָסֵר, מִשּׁוּם הָכִי מְחַלְּלִינַן. אֶלָּא אִי אָמְרַתְּ לְעוֹלָם חָסֵר, אַמַּאי מְחַלְּלִינַן? תְּיוּבְתָּא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Granted, if you say** that Adar **is sometimes full and sometimes short, due to that** reason the witnesses **may desecrate** Shabbat. **But if you say** that Adar **is always short, why should they desecrate** Shabbat? The court knows in advance when will be the New Moon of Nisan. The Gemara concludes: This is indeed **a conclusive refutation** to the proof brought by Rav Naḥman.


###### Rosh Hashanah 20a:8
[Rosh Hashanah 20a:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/20a:8)

כִּי אֲתָא עוּלָּא, אָמַר: עַבְּרוּהּ לֶאֱלוּל. אָמַר עוּלָּא: יָדְעִי חַבְרִין בַּבְלָאֵי מַאי טֵיבוּתָא עָבְדִינַן בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ It is related that **when Ulla came** from Eretz Yisrael to Babylonia, **he said:** This year **they added** an extra day to the month of **Elul. Ulla** continued and **said: Do our Babylonian colleagues understand what benefit we did for them?** We pushed off Rosh HaShana for a day, so that the Festival would not occur adjacent to Shabbat.


###### Rosh Hashanah 20a:9
[Rosh Hashanah 20a:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/20a:9)

מַאי טֵיבוּתָא? עוּלָּא אָמַר: מִשּׁוּם יַרְקַיָּא. רַבִּי אַחָא בַּר חֲנִינָא אָמַר: מִשּׁוּם מִתַיָּא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **What** is the **benefit** in having a weekday between Shabbat and a Festival? **Ulla said: Due to the vegetables** that would not be picked for two days and those picked beforehand that would no longer be fresh. **Rabbi Aḥa bar Ḥanina said: Due to the dead** who would not be buried for two days and consequently would begin to decompose.


###### Rosh Hashanah 20a:10
[Rosh Hashanah 20a:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/20a:10)

מַאי בֵּינַיְיהוּ? אִיכָּא בֵּינַיְיהוּ: יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים שֶׁחָל לִהְיוֹת אַחַר הַשַּׁבָּת. מַאן דְּאָמַר מִשּׁוּם מִתַיָּא — מְעַבְּרִינַן. וּמַאן דְּאָמַר מִשּׁוּם יַרְקַיָּא, לְאֵימַת קָא בָּעֵי לְהוּ — לְאוּרְתָּא, לְאוּרְתָּא טָרַח וּמַיְיתֵי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **What is** the practical difference **between** these two concerns? The Gemara answers: The practical difference **between them** is in the case where **Yom Kippur occurs** directly **after Shabbat.** According to **the one who said** that the reason is **due to the dead** that would go unburied for two days, the court **adds** an extra day to Elul so that Yom Kippur will not occur on Sunday. **But** according to **the one who said** that the reason is **due to the vegetables** that would not be fresh, there is no need to add an extra day to Elul. **When would he require** the vegetables? Only **in the evening** following Yom Kippur; and if Yom Kippur falls on Sunday, he can go out **in the evening** after the fast **and bring** fresh vegetables.


###### Rosh Hashanah 20a:11
[Rosh Hashanah 20a:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/20a:11)

וּלְמַאן דְּאָמַר מִשּׁוּם יַרְקַיָּא, לְעַבְּרֵיהּ מִשּׁוּם מִתַיָּא! אֶלָּא: אִיכָּא בֵּינַיְיהוּ יוֹם טוֹב הַסָּמוּךְ לַשַּׁבָּת בֵּין מִלְּפָנֶיהָ בֵּין מִלְּאַחֲרֶיהָ. מַאן דְּאָמַר מִשּׁוּם יַרְקַיָּא — מְעַבְּרִינַן, וּמַאן דְּאָמַר מִשּׁוּם מִתַיָּא — אֶפְשָׁר בְּעַמְמֵי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **But according to the one who says** that the reason is **due to vegetables,** the court **should** still **make** Elul **full due to the dead,** as this is also an important consideration. **Rather,** the practical difference **between them** is with regard to the case where **the Festival** of Rosh HaShana **occurs adjacent to Shabbat, either before it or after it.** According to **the one who said** that the reason is **due to the vegetables** that would wither, the court **adds** an extra day to Elul. **But** according to **the one who said** that the reason is **due to the dead** that would go unburied, there is no reason to make Elul full, because on a Festival **it is possible** to arrange that the dead be buried **by gentiles.**


###### Rosh Hashanah 20a:12
[Rosh Hashanah 20a:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/20a:12)

וּלְמַאן דְּאָמַר מִשּׁוּם מִתַיָּא, לְעַבְּרֵיהּ מִשּׁוּם יַרְקַיָּא! אֶפְשָׁר בְּחַמִּימֵי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **But according to the one who said** that the reason is **due to the dead,** the court **should** still **add** an extra day to Elul **due to the vegetables.** The Gemara answers: According to him this is not an important consideration, **because it is possible** to soak the withered vegetables **in hot water** and thereby restore their freshness.


###### Rosh Hashanah 20a:13
[Rosh Hashanah 20a:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/20a:13)

אִי הָכִי: מַאי שְׁנָא לְדִידַן, אֲפִילּוּ לְדִידְהוּ נָמֵי! לְדִידַן חֲבִיל לַן עָלְמָא, לְדִידְהוּ לָא חֲבִיל לְהוּ עָלְמָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **If so, what is different** about those who live in Babylonia and those who live in Eretz Yisrael? Why did Ulla specifically say that adding an extra day to Elul was beneficial **to us,** in Babylonia; it was beneficial **to them as well.** The Gemara answers: **For us** in Babylonia the weather **is** very **hot,** and so vegetables wither and corpses decompose quickly. But **for them** in Eretz Yisrael, the weather **is not** as **hot,** and vegetables and corpses can be kept for two days.


###### Rosh Hashanah 20a:14
[Rosh Hashanah 20a:14](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/20a:14)

אִינִי?! וְהָתָנֵי רַבָּה בַּר שְׁמוּאֵל: יָכוֹל כְּשֵׁם שֶׁמְּעַבְּרִין אֶת הַשָּׁנָה לְצוֹרֶךְ, כָּךְ מְעַבְּרִין אֶת הַחֹדֶשׁ לְצוֹרֶךְ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם רֹאשׁ חֳדָשִׁים״ — כָּזֶה רְאֵה וְקַדֵּשׁ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ It was taught above that for various reasons a month can have an extra day added, even if the new moon was seen on the night before the thirtieth. The Gemara challenges this assumption: **Is that so? But didn’t Rabba bar Shmuel teach** in a *baraita*: One **might** have thought **that just as** the court **adds** an extra month to **a year for** some pressing communal **need, so too,** the court **adds** an extra day to **a month for** some similar **need.** Therefore, **the verse states: “This month shall be to you the beginning of months”** (Exodus 12:2). This teaches that when there is a moon **like this, see** it **and sanctify** the month. When the new moon is seen, the month must be sanctified without delay.


###### Rosh Hashanah 20a:15
[Rosh Hashanah 20a:15](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/20a:15)

אָמַר רָבָא, לָא קַשְׁיָא: כָּאן לְעַבְּרוֹ, כָּאן לְקַדְּשׁוֹ. וְהָכִי קָאָמַר: יָכוֹל כְּשֵׁם שֶׁמְּעַבְּרִין אֶת הַשָּׁנָה וְאֶת הַחֹדֶשׁ לְצוֹרֶךְ, כָּךְ מְקַדְּשִׁין אֶת הַחֹדֶשׁ לְצוֹרֶךְ — תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם״ — כָּזֶה רְאֵה וְקַדֵּשׁ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rava said: This** is **not difficult: Here** it is speaking of **adding** an extra day to the month, although the new moon was seen on the thirtieth, which is permitted; whereas **there** it is speaking of **sanctifying** the month on the thirtieth, although the new moon was not yet seen, which is prohibited. **And this is what** the *baraita* **is saying:** One **might** have thought **that just as** the court **adds to a year or a month for** some pressing communal **need, so too, a month can be sanctified** early on the thirtieth even without seeing the new moon. Therefore, **the verse states: “This month shall be to you the beginning of months,”** which teaches: Only when the moon appears **like this, see** it **and sanctify** the month, but not before.


###### Rosh Hashanah 20a:16
[Rosh Hashanah 20a:16](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/20a:16)

וְכִי הָא דְּאָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: מְאַיְּימִין עַל הָעֵדִים עַל הַחֹדֶשׁ שֶׁנִּרְאָה בִּזְמַנּוֹ — לְעַבְּרוֹ, וְאֵין מְאַיְּימִין עַל הָעֵדִים עַל הַחֹדֶשׁ שֶׁלֹּא נִרְאָה בִּזְמַנּוֹ — לְקַדְּשׁוֹ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara comments that this is **like that which Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said:** The court **may intimidate witnesses** through rigorous and confusing examination, so that they will give inadmissible testimony **about the** new **moon that was seen at its** due **time,** the thirtieth of the month. This is so that the court **can add** an extra day to **it,** and the New Moon will be sanctified on the thirty-first day. **But** the court **may not intimidate witnesses** into giving testimony **about the new moon that was not seen on its** due **time, in order to sanctify** the New Moon early, on the thirtieth.


###### Rosh Hashanah 20a:17
[Rosh Hashanah 20a:17](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/20a:17)

אִינִי?! וְהָא שְׁלַח לֵיהּ רַבִּי יְהוּדָה נְשִׂיאָה לְרַבִּי אַמֵּי: הֱווּ יוֹדְעִין שֶׁכׇּל יָמָיו שֶׁל רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן הָיָה מְלַמְּדֵנוּ: מְאַיְּימִין עַל הָעֵדִים עַל הַחֹדֶשׁ שֶׁלֹּא נִרְאָה בִּזְמַנּוֹ — לְקַדְּשׁוֹ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא רָאוּהוּ, יֹאמְרוּ ״רָאִינוּ״!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **Is that so? But didn’t Rabbi Yehuda Nesia,** who was the *Nasi* of the Sanhedrin, **send** a message **to Rabbi Ami: Be aware that all the days of Rabbi Yoḥanan he would teach us** that **witnesses may be intimidated** into giving testimony **about the** new **moon that was not seen in its** due **time.** This was done **in order that** the new month **may be sanctified** early, already on the thirtieth. **Although** the witnesses **did not see** the moon, **they may say: We saw it.**


###### Rosh Hashanah 20a:18
[Rosh Hashanah 20a:18](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/20a:18)

אָמַר אַבָּיֵי, לָא קַשְׁיָא: הָא בְּנִיסָן וְתִשְׁרִי, הָא בִּשְׁאָר יַרְחֵי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Abaye said: This** is **not difficult: This** ruling **is referring to Nisan and Tishrei,** which may be sanctified early in order to set the Festivals that occur in those months; **that** ruling is referring to **the other months,** which may not be sanctified early, even for some other pressing need.


###### Rosh Hashanah 20a:19
[Rosh Hashanah 20a:19](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/20a:19)

רָבָא אָמַר: הָא דְּתָנֵי רַבָּה בַּר שְׁמוּאֵל — אֲחֵרִים הִיא. דְּתַנְיָא, אֲחֵרִים אוֹמְרִים: אֵין בֵּין עֲצֶרֶת לַעֲצֶרֶת וְאֵין בֵּין רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה לָרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה אֶלָּא אַרְבָּעָה יָמִים בִּלְבַד. וְאִם הָיְתָה שָׁנָה מְעוּבֶּרֶת — חֲמִשָּׁה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rava said: That which Rabba bar Shmuel taught,** that the court may not lengthen or shorten the months for reason of communal need, follows the opinion of ***Aḥerim*, as it is taught** in a *baraita*: ***Aḥerim* say: The** difference **between** the festival of ***Shavuot*** of one year and the festival of ***Shavuot*** of the following year, **and** similarly, **between Rosh HaShana** of one year and **Rosh HaShana** of the following year, **is only four days** of the week. There are 354 days in a lunar year, which are divided into twelve alternating months, six months that are thirty days long and six months that are twenty-nine days long. Therefore, every year is fifty weeks and four days long. **And if it was a leap year,** in which case the year is comprised of 383 days, or fifty-four weeks and five days, there is a difference of **five** days between them.


###### Rosh Hashanah 20a:20
[Rosh Hashanah 20a:20](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/20a:20)

רַב דִּימִי מִנְּהַרְדְּעָא מַתְנֵי אִיפְּכָא: מְאַיְּימִין עַל הָעֵדִים עַל הַחֹדֶשׁ שֶׁלֹּא נִרְאָה בִּזְמַנּוֹ — לְקַדְּשׁוֹ, וְאֵין מְאַיְּימִין עַל הָעֵדִים עַל הַחֹדֶשׁ שֶׁנִּרְאָה בִּזְמַנּוֹ — לְעַבְּרוֹ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav Dimi from Neharde’a taught** the *baraita* in **the opposite** manner: The court **may intimidate the witnesses** into giving testimony **about the new moon that was not seen in its** due **time in order that** the new month **may be sanctified** early, already on the thirtieth. **But** the court **may not intimidate witnesses** so that they do not give acceptable testimony **about the** new **moon that was seen in its** due **time,** in order **to add** an extra day to the old month, so that the New Moon is sanctified on the thirty-first.


###### Rosh Hashanah 20a:21
[Rosh Hashanah 20a:21](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/20a:21)

מַאי טַעְמָא —

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **What is the reason** for Rav Dimi’s opinion? Intimidating witnesses into testifying about something that they did not see is worse than intimidating them to withhold testimony about something that they did see.