1 There are four new years: The first of Nisan is New Year for kings and festivals. The first of Elul is New Year for animal tithes – Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Shimon say: This is the first of Tishrei. The first of Tishrei is New Year for years, and Sabbatical years and Jubilees, and also for tree-planting and vegetables. The first of Shevat is New Year for trees – thus Beit Shammai. Beit Hillel say: This is the fifteenth.

2 There are four times when the world is judged: At Pesaḥ, for the crops; at Shavuot, for tree fruits; at Rosh HaShana, all who have come into this world pass before Him like sheep, as it is said, “He forms the hearts of all, and discerns all their deeds”; and at Sukkot they are judged for the water.

3 There are six months for which the messengers go out: for Nisan because of Pesaḥ, for Av because of the fast, for Elul because of Rosh HaShana, for Tishrei to set the festivals, for Kislev because of Ḥanukka, and for Adar because of Purim. When the Temple stood they would go out for Iyar also, because of Pesaḥ Katan.

4 There are two months for which one breaks Shabbat: for Nisan and for Tishrei. For on these the messengers would go out to Syria, and by these the dates of the festivals are set. When the Temple stood, they would break Shabbat for any month, to set the offerings.

5 Whether the new moon is clearly seen or not, one breaks Shabbat to testify. Rabbi Yose said, if it is clearly seen, one does not break Shabbat.

6 Once, more than forty pairs of witnesses passed by, and Rabbi Akiva stopped them when they came to Lod. Rabban Gamliel sent to tell him, “If you prevent the public coming, you mislead them for the future.”

7 If a father and son both see the new moon they should come; they cannot testify together, but if one becomes invalid, then the other one can join with somebody else. Rabbi Shimon says: A father and son and all other kin, are able to testify together to the moon. Rabbi Yose said: Once, Tuvia the doctor saw the new moon in Jerusalem, he and his son and his liberated slave. The priests accepted testimony from him and from his son, but declared his slave an invalid witness. And when they came to court, they took testimony from him and from his slave but declared his son invalid.

8 These are invalid witnesses: One who plays with dice, one who lends on interest, one who sends out pigeons, one who trades the produce of the Sabbatical year, and slaves. This is the rule: for any testimony women cannot give, these men too are invalid.

9 One who sees the new moon but cannot walk, he is taken on a donkey, or even on his bed. If there is danger they take sticks, and if the way is long, they take food, because for a distance a night and a day in length, one breaks Shabbat and goes to bear witness to the moon, as it is said: “These are the appointed times of the LORD… which you shall announce in their due seasons.”