## Sanhedrin Daf 12b

###### Sanhedrin 12b:1
[Sanhedrin 12b:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sanhedrin/r/12b:1)

כִּי אָכְלוּ אֶת הַפֶּסַח בְּלֹא כַכָּתוּב כִּי הִתְפַּלֵּל חִזְקִיָּהוּ עֲלֵיהֶם לֵאמֹר ה׳ הַטּוֹב יְכַפֵּר בְּעַד״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**yet they ate the Paschal lamb not as is written. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying: May the good Lord pardon** everyone who sets his heart to seek God…though he not be cleansed according to the purification that pertains to sacred items” (II Chronicles 30:18–19).


###### Sanhedrin 12b:2
[Sanhedrin 12b:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sanhedrin/r/12b:2)

רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר: אִם מִפְּנֵי הַטּוּמְאָה עִיבְּרוּהָ, מְעוּבֶּרֶת. אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי מָה בִּיקֵּשׁ רַחֲמִים עַל עַצְמוֹ? שֶׁאֵין מְעַבְּרִין אֶלָּא אֲדָר, וְהוּא עִיבֵּר נִיסָן בְּנִיסָן. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן: מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִשִּׂיא אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לַעֲשׂוֹת פֶּסַח שֵׁנִי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rabbi Shimon says: If** the court **intercalated** the year **due to ritual impurity,** it is indeed **intercalated. But** if ritual impurity is ultimately a legitimate reason for intercalating the year, **for what** reason **did** Hezekiah **request compassion for himself? Because** the court may **intercalate only** the month of **Adar, and he intercalated** the month of **Nisan during** the month of **Nisan** itself. **Rabbi Shimon ben Yehuda says in the name of Rabbi Shimon:** The incident did not involve the intercalation of the year; rather he appealed for mercy **because** he **encouraged the Jewish people** to bypass the standard first *Pesaḥ* and instead **to perform the second *Pesaḥ*.**


###### Sanhedrin 12b:3
[Sanhedrin 12b:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sanhedrin/r/12b:3)

אָמַר מָר: רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: מְעַבְּרִין. אַלְמָא, אִית לֵיהּ לְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה: טוּמְאָה דְּחוּיָה הִיא בְּצִיבּוּר.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Having quoted the *Tosefta* in its entirety, the Gemara now clarifies several of its details. **The Master said** above: **Rabbi Yehuda says:** The court may **intercalate** the year due to ritual impurity, in order to delay the Paschal offerings, so that the people can perform them in a state of purity. **Apparently, Rabbi Yehuda holds** that the prohibition against performing the Temple service in a state of **ritual impurity is** merely **overridden** in cases involving **the public.** Although the offerings may be brought when most of the public is in a state of impurity, this course of action is not ideally permitted; one must attempt to find another way to perform the offerings in purity.


###### Sanhedrin 12b:4
[Sanhedrin 12b:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sanhedrin/r/12b:4)

וְהָא תַּנְיָא: צִיץ, בֵּין שֶׁיֶּשְׁנוֹ עַל מִצְחוֹ וּבֵין שֶׁאֵינוֹ עַל מִצְחוֹ – מְרַצֶּה, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: עוֹדוֹ עַל מִצְחוֹ – מְרַצֶּה, אֵין עוֹדוֹ עַל מִצְחוֹ – אֵינוֹ מְרַצֶּה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **But isn’t it taught** in a *baraita*: **The frontplate effects acceptance whether it is on the forehead of** the High Priest **or whether it is not on the forehead of** the High Priest; this is **the statement of Rabbi Shimon. Rabbi Yehuda says: As long as it is on his forehead it effects acceptance;** if **it is no longer on his forehead it does not effect acceptance.**


###### Sanhedrin 12b:5
[Sanhedrin 12b:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sanhedrin/r/12b:5)

אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן: כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל בְּיוֹם הַכִּיפּוּרִים יוֹכִיחַ, שֶׁאֵינוֹ עַל מִצְחוֹ וּמְרַצֶּה. אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי יְהוּדָה: הַנַּח לְיוֹם הַכִּיפּוּרִים, שֶׁטּוּמְאָה הוּתְּרָה בְּצִיבּוּר.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rabbi Shimon said to** Rabbi Yehuda: The case of the **High Priest on Yom Kippur** can **prove** that your statement is incorrect, **as** on Yom Kippur the frontplate is **not on the forehead of** the High Priest during the time that he wears only linen garments, **and** it still **effects acceptance. Rabbi Yehuda said to him: Leave** aside the case of the High Priest **on Yom Kippur, as** since the Temple service consists wholly of public offerings the atonement of the frontplate is unnecessary. Even without the frontplate, performing the Temple service in a state of **impurity** is **permitted in** cases involving **the public.** If Rabbi Yehuda holds that it is readily permitted to perform Temple service in the instance of public impurity, then why would he sanction intercalating the year in order to give the public more time to become ritually pure?


###### Sanhedrin 12b:6
[Sanhedrin 12b:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sanhedrin/r/12b:6)

וְלִיטַעְמָיךְ, תִּיקְשֵׁי לָךְ הִיא גּוּפַהּ: רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר מְעַבְּרִין, וְאָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה: מַעֲשֶׂה בְּחִזְקִיָּה מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה שֶׁעִיבֵּר אֶת הַשָּׁנָה מִפְּנֵי הַטּוּמְאָה, וּבִיקֵּשׁ רַחֲמִים עַל עַצְמוֹ? אֶלָּא, חַסּוֹרֵי מְחַסְּרָא וְהָכִי קָתָנֵי: אֵין מְעַבְּרִין אֶת הַשָּׁנָה מִפְּנֵי הַטּוּמְאָה, וְאִם עִיבְּרוּהָ – מְעוּבֶּרֶת. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: אֵינָהּ מְעוּבֶּרֶת. וְאָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה וְכוּ׳.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara rejects the question concerning the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda: **And according to your reasoning,** the *Tosefta* **itself should pose a difficulty for you.** The *Tosefta* states: **Rabbi Yehuda says:** The court may **intercalate** the year due to impurity. **And Rabbi Yehuda said:** There was **an incident involving Hezekiah, king of Judea, who intercalated the year due to ritual impurity, and** afterward he **requested compassion for himself.** Why would he request compassion after having made a legitimate decision? **Rather,** it must be concluded that the *Tosefta* **is incomplete and this** is what **it is teaching:** The court **does not intercalate the year due to impurity, but if** the court **intercalated it, it is intercalated. Rabbi Yehuda says:** Even if the court intercalated it, **it is not intercalated. And** to prove his point, **Rabbi Yehuda said** that there was an incident involving Hezekiah, who intercalated the year due to impurity and subsequently appealed for mercy.


###### Sanhedrin 12b:7
[Sanhedrin 12b:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sanhedrin/r/12b:7)

אִי הָכִי, רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר: אִם מִפְּנֵי הַטּוּמְאָה עִיבְּרוּהָ – מְעוּבֶּרֶת. הַיְינוּ תַּנָּא קַמָּא? אָמַר רָבָא: לְכַתְּחִלָּה אִיכָּא בֵּינַיְיהוּ. תַּנְיָא נָמֵי הָכִי: אֵין מְעַבְּרִין אֶת הַשָּׁנָה מִפְּנֵי הַטּוּמְאָה לְכַתְּחִילָּה. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר: מְעַבְּרִין. אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי מָה בִּקֵּשׁ רַחֲמִים עַל עַצְמוֹ? שֶׁאֵין מְעַבְּרִין אֶלָּא אֲדָר, וְהוּא עִיבֵּר נִיסָן בְּנִיסָן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **If that is so,** meaning if this is the correct way to understand the *Tosefta*, then the next statement in the *Tosefta* cannot be reconciled: **Rabbi Shimon says: If** they **intercalated** the year **due to ritual impurity,** it is indeed **intercalated.** According to this explanation, **this is** identical to the opinion of **the first *tanna*,** who also says that the intercalation is effective. **Rava said:** The difference **between** these two opinions is whether the year may be intercalated due to impurity ***ab initio*.** According to the first *tanna*, although the intercalation is valid after the fact, impurity is not an appropriate reason to intercalate the year. Rabbi Shimon holds that it is an appropriate reason. **This is also taught** in a *baraita*: The court **may not intercalate the year due to impurity *ab initio*. Rabbi Shimon says:** The court **may intercalate** the year due to impurity, even *ab initio*. **Rather,** according to this opinion, **for what** reason did Hezekiah **request compassion for himself? Because** the court may **intercalate only Adar, but he intercalated Nisan during Nisan.**


###### Sanhedrin 12b:8
[Sanhedrin 12b:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sanhedrin/r/12b:8)

אָמַר מָר: שֶׁאֵין מְעַבְּרִין אֶלָּא אֲדָר, וְהוּא עִיבֵּר נִיסָן בְּנִיסָן. וְלֵית לֵיהּ לְחִזְקִיָּה ״הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם״ – זֶה נִיסָן, וְאֵין אַחֵר נִיסָן! טְעָה בְּדִשְׁמוּאֵל, דְּאָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל: אֵין מְעַבְּרִין אֶת הַשָּׁנָה בְּיוֹם שְׁלֹשִׁים שֶׁל אֲדָר, הוֹאִיל וְרָאוּי לְקוֹבְעוֹ נִיסָן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**The Master said** above: Hezekiah requested compassion **because** the court, when intercalating the year, may **intercalate only Adar, and he intercalated Nisan during Nisan.** How could Hezekiah act in this way? **But doesn’t Hezekiah accept** the following interpretive tradition: The verse states: **“This month shall be for you** the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you” (Exodus 12:2). This teaches that **this** month is **Nisan, and another** month **cannot be Nisan.** Therefore, the court cannot add another month of Nisan. The Gemara answers: Hezekiah **erred with regard to** the *halakha* that would later be expounded **by Shmuel. As Shmuel says:** The court **may not intercalate the year on the thirtieth day of Adar, since** although it is part of Adar, it is **fit to establish it** as the first day of **Nisan.** As the day that may be assigned as the New Moon of Nisan, it has the same status as does Nisan, and the year may not be intercalated then.


###### Sanhedrin 12b:9
[Sanhedrin 12b:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sanhedrin/r/12b:9)

וְאִיהוּ סָבַר: ״הוֹאִיל וְרָאוּי״ לָא אָמְרִינַן. תַּנְיָא נָמֵי הָכִי: אֵין מְעַבְּרִין אֶת הַשָּׁנָה בְּיוֹם שְׁלֹשִׁים שֶׁל אֲדָר, הוֹאִיל וְרָאוּי לְקוֹבְעוֹ נִיסָן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And** Hezekiah **held: We do not say** the principle: **Since it is fit.** Since it was technically still Adar, he initially thought it was permitted to intercalate the year on that day. The Gemara notes: **This** opinion **is also taught** in a *baraita*: The court **may not intercalate the year on the thirtieth day of Adar, since it is fit to establish it** as the first day of **Nisan.**


###### Sanhedrin 12b:10
[Sanhedrin 12b:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sanhedrin/r/12b:10)

רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן: מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִשִּׂיא אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לַעֲשׂוֹת פֶּסַח שֵׁנִי. הֵיכִי דָּמֵי? אָמַר רַב אָשֵׁי: כְּגוֹן שֶׁהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מֶחֱצָה טְמֵאִים, מֶחֱצָה טְהוֹרִים, וְנָשִׁים מַשְׁלִימוֹת לַטְּהוֹרִים וְעוֹדְפוֹת עֲלֵיהֶם.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara further analyzes the *Tosefta* quoted above: **Rabbi Shimon ben Yehuda says in the name of Rabbi Shimon:** Hezekiah requested compassion **because** he **encouraged the Jewish people to perform the second *Pesaḥ*. What are the circumstances,** such that Hezekiah acted in this unusual manner and later regretted his decision? **Rav Ashi said:** It was a case **where half the Jewish people were impure** and **half** were **pure. And the women** among them **completed** the ranks **of the pure and** the combined total then **exceeded** the impure ones. A majority of the men were impure, but as most of the women were pure, if they were included in the tally the majority of the public was then pure. Hezekiah was unsure whether the women should be counted, as he was unsure if they are obligated to bring the Paschal offering.


###### Sanhedrin 12b:11
[Sanhedrin 12b:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sanhedrin/r/12b:11)

מֵעִיקָּרָא סְבַר: נָשִׁים בָּרִאשׁוֹן חוֹבָה, דְּהָווּ מִיעוּטָן טְמֵאִים, וּמִיעוּטָן מִידְּחוּ לְפֶסַח שֵׁנִי. וּלְבַסּוֹף סְבַר: נָשִׁים בָּרִאשׁוֹן רְשׁוּת, דְּהָווּ לְהוּ טְמֵאִים רוּבָּא, וְרוּבָּא לָא מִדְּחוּ לְפֶסַח שֵׁנִי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Initially,** he **thought women** have **an obligation** to participate **in the first** *Pesaḥ* on the fourteenth of Nisan, **so the minority of** Jews **are impure and** the **minority** should be **deferred to the second *Pesaḥ*.** Therefore, he deferred most of the men, as they were ritually impure, to bypass the first *Pesaḥ*. **In the end,** he **thought women** are **permitted** but not obligated to participate **in the first** *Pesaḥ*. **So** when counting only the men, **the impure were the majority** of those obligated to bring the offering, **and the majority is not deferred to the second *Pesaḥ*.** Instead, they should have sacrificed the offering on the first *Pesaḥ* despite their impurity. Consequently, having deferred the majority when they should not have been deferred, he regretted his decision.


###### Sanhedrin 12b:12
[Sanhedrin 12b:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sanhedrin/r/12b:12)

גּוּפָא, אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל: אֵין מְעַבְּרִין אֶת הַשָּׁנָה בְּיוֹם שְׁלֹשִׁים שֶׁל אֲדָר, הוֹאִיל וְרָאוּי לְקוֹבְעוֹ נִיסָן. עִיבְּרוּהָ, מַאי? אָמַר עוּלָּא: אֵין מְקַדְּשִׁין אֶת הַחֹדֶשׁ. קִידְּשׁוּ, מַאי? אָמַר רָבָא: בָּטֵל הָעִיבּוּר. רַב נַחְמָן אָמַר: מְעוּבָּר וּמְקוּדָּשׁ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ With regard to the question of intercalating the year on the thirtieth of Adar, the Gemara discusses **the** matter **itself. Shmuel says:** The court **may not intercalate the year on the thirtieth day of Adar,** although it is part of Adar, **since** it is **fit to establish** the day as the first of **Nisan.** If **they intercalated** the year on that day, after the fact, **what** is the *halakha*? **Ulla says:** The intercalation is effective and the court **does not sanctify the month** on that day, so that the intercalation will have been performed in Adar. The Gemara asks: If another court **sanctified** the month, **what** is the *halakha*? **Rava says: The intercalation is void,** as it turns out that the intercalation was performed in Nisan. **Rav Naḥman** disagrees and **says:** The year is **intercalated and** the month is also **sanctified,** because each court has performed an independently valid function.


###### Sanhedrin 12b:13
[Sanhedrin 12b:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sanhedrin/r/12b:13)

אֲמַר לֵיהּ רָבָא לְרַב נַחְמָן: מִכְּדֵי מִפּוּרַיָּא לְפִיסְחָא תְּלָתִין יוֹמִין הֲווֹ, וּמִפּוּרַיָּא דָּרְשִׁינַן בְּהִלְכוֹת הַפֶּסַח, דְּתַנְיָא: שׁוֹאֲלִין בְּהִלְכוֹת הַפֶּסַח קוֹדֶם לְפֶסַח שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם. רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר: שְׁתֵּי שַׁבָּתוֹת. וְכִי מָטֵי רֵישׁ יַרְחָא מְרַחֲקִין לֵיהּ? אָתֵי לְזַלְזוֹלֵי בְּחָמֵץ!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rava said to Rav Naḥman: Now, from Purim to Passover is thirty days, and from** the time of **Purim, we teach** the community **the *halakhot* of Passover. As it is taught** in a *baraita*: The people **ask** questions **with regard to the *halakhot* of Passover** beginning **thirty days before Passover. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says:** They ask **two weeks** before Passover. If so, even during Adar, people know that Passover is approaching. **And when the New Moon comes,** if the court will **distance** the Passover holiday another month by adding another Adar at so late a date, then the people will **come to treat the** Passover prohibitions of **leavened bread lightly,** believing that the stated time of Passover is incorrect because the Sages decided the dates capriciously.


###### Sanhedrin 12b:14
[Sanhedrin 12b:14](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sanhedrin/r/12b:14)

אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מִידָּע יָדְיעִי דְּשַׁתָּא מְעַבַּרְתָּא בְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא תַּלְיָא מִילְּתָא. אָמְרִי: חוּשְׁבָּנָא הוּא דְּלָא סְלֵיק לְהוּ לְרַבָּנַן עַד הַשְׁתָּא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Rav Naḥman **said to** Rava: The masses **know that the intercalated year** is **a matter dependent upon the calculation,** which is determined by a complex process. Therefore **they say: It is the calculation that did not** conclusively **emerge for the Sages until now,** and they will therefore understand when the true date of Passover is.


###### Sanhedrin 12b:15
[Sanhedrin 12b:15](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sanhedrin/r/12b:15)

אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל: אֵין מְעַבְּרִין אֶת הַשָּׁנָה אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן הָיְתָה תְּקוּפָה חֲסֵירָה רוּבֹּה שֶׁל חוֹדֶשׁ. וְכַמָּה רוּבֹּה שֶׁל חוֹדֶשׁ? שִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר יוֹם; דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ With regard to intercalation on the basis of the season, **Rav Yehuda says** that **Shmuel says:** The court **intercalates the year only if the season** of Tammuz, i.e., the summer, **was lacking** its completion for **most of the month** of Tishrei, meaning that the summer season had begun so late in the calendar that the autumnal equinox would occur only after most of the month of Tishrei has passed. Since the festival of *Sukkot*, beginning on the fifteenth of Tishrei, must fall after the autumnal equinox, a month is added to the previous year, therefore causing the summer season to end and the autumn to begin at an earlier point on the Jewish calendar. This allows *Sukkot* to begin after the autumnal equinox, within the season of Tishrei. **And how much is: Most of the month? Sixteen days;** this is **the statement of Rabbi Yehuda.**