Jerusalem Talmud Rosh Hashanah 2:4

משנה: כֵּיצַד בּוֹדְקִין אֶת הָעֵדִים. זוּג שֶׁבָּא רִאשׁוֹן בּוֹדְקִין אוֹתוֹ רִאשׁוֹן. וּמַכְנִיסִין אֶת הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁבָּהֶן וְאוֹמְרִים לוֹ אֱמוֹר כֵּיצַד רָאִיתָ אֶת הַלְּבָנָה לִפְנֵי הַחַמָּה אוֹ לְאַחַר הַחַמָּה לִצְפוֹנָהּ אוֹ לִדְרוֹמָהּ כַּמָּה הָיָה גָבוֹהַּ וּלְאַיִין הָיָה נוֹטֶה וְכַמָּה הָיָה רָחָב. אִם אָמַר לִפְנֵי הַחַמָּה לֹא אַמַר כְּלוּם. הָיוּ מַכְנִיסִים אֶת הַשֵּׁנִי וּבוֹדְקִין אוֹתוֹ. נִמְצְאוּ דִבְרֵיהֶן מְכוּוָּנִין עֵדוּתָן קַייֶמֶת. וּשְׁאָר כָּל־הַזּוּגוֹת שׁוֹאֲלִין אוֹתָן רָאשֵׁי דְבָרִים לֹא שֶׁהֵן צְרִיכִין לָהֶן אֶלָּא כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יֵצְאוּ בְּפַחֵי נֶפֶשׁ בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁיְּהוּ רְגִילִים לָבֹא: MISHNAH: How does one check the witnesses? The couple who comes first one checks first. One brings the more senior in and tells him to say, how did you see the moon? Before the sun or behind the sun? To its North or its South? How high was it, to where did it point, and how wide was it? If he said, before the sun, he did not say anything⁷⁴As explained in the Halakhah, this refers to the concavity of the visible moon, which must point away from the sun..
One brings the second one in and examines him. If their words are found coherent, their testimony holds up. All other couples one asks main points, not that one needs them but that they should not leave dissatisfied so they would come in the future.

הלכה: אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. אֲפִילוּ טוֹעֶה שֶׁבַּטּוֹעִין אֵינוֹ טוֹעֶה בַדָּבָר הַזֶּה. לִפְנֵי הַחַמַּה לְאַחַר הַחַמָּה. לֹא צוֹרְכָא דִי לֹא פִּיגְמָתָהּ לִפְנֵי הַחַמָּה פִּיגְמָתָהּ לְאַחַר הַחַמָּה. תַּנֵּי בַּר קַפָּרָא תַרָתֵּיי. לִפְנֵי הַחַמָּה לְאַחַר הַחַמָּה. פִּיגְמָתָהּ לִפְנֵי הַחַמָּה פִּיגְמָתָהּ לְאַחַר הַחַמָּה. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. כָּתוּב הַמְשֵׁ֣ל וָפַ֣חַד עִמּ֑וֹ עוֹשֶׂה שָׁ֝ל֗וֹם בִּמְרוֹמָ‍ֽיו: מִימֶיהָ שֶׁלְחַמָּה לֹא רָאֲתָה פְגִימָתָהּ שֶׁלְלְבָנָה. HALAKHAH: Rebbi Joḥanan said, even the most error-prone person would not err in this matter, before the sun, after the sun⁷⁵Whether the moon was seen closer to the earth than the sun or farther away.? It only is needed for its concavity; the concavity towards the sun, or the concavity away from the sun⁷⁴As explained in the Halakhah, this refers to the concavity of the visible moon, which must point away from the sun.? Bar Qappara stated both: Before the sun or behind the sun, the concavity towards the sun or the concavity away from the sun? Rebbi Joḥanan said, it is written⁷⁶Job 25:2. Babli 23b. Deut. rabba 5(12).: Rule and fear are with Him, Who makes peace in His heights. During the existence of the sun it never saw the defect of the moon.

תַּנֵּי רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי. לְפִי שֶׁהָרָקִיעַ שֶׁל מַיִם וְהַכּוֹכָבִים שֶׁל אֵשׁ וְהֵן דָּרִים זֶֶה עִם זֶה וְאֵינָן מַזִּיקִין זֶה אֶת זֶה. לְפִיכָךְ עוֹשֶׂה שָׁ֝ל֗וֹם בִּמְרוֹמָ‍ֽיו. אָמַר רִבִּי אָבוּן. הַמַּלְאָךְ עַצְמוֹ חֶצְיוֹ מַיִם וְחֶצְיוֹ אֵשׁ וְאִית בֵּיהּ חָמֵשׁ גַּפִּין. וּגְוִיָּת֣וֹ כְתַרְשִׁ֗ישׁ וּפָנָ֞יו כְּמַרְאֵ֤ה בָרָק֙ וְעֵינָיו֙ כְּלַפִּ֣ידֵי אֵ֔שׁ וגו׳. אָמַר רִבִּי לֵוִי. לְעוֹלָם לֵית מַזָּל חֲמִי מַה דְקוֹמוֹי. אֶלָּא כּוּלְּהוֹן סָ‍ֽלְקִין כְּאִילֵּין דְּסָ‍ֽלְקִין בְּסוּלְמָא הָפִיךְ. שְׁלשׁ מֵאוֹת וְשִׁשִּׁים וְחָמֵשׁ חֲלוֹנוֹת בָּרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שֶׁיִּשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהֶן הָעוֹלָם. מֵאָה וּשְׁמוֹנִים וּשְׁתַּיִם בַּמִּזְרָח וּמֵאָה וּשְׁמוֹנִים וּשְׁתַּיִם בַּמַּעֲרָב וְאַחַת בְּאֶמְצָעוֹ שֶׁלְרָקִיעַ שֶׁמִּמֶּנּוּ יָצָא מִתְּחִילַּת מַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית. מַה שֶׁחַמָּה מְהַלֶּכֶת לִשְׁלשִׁים יוֹם הַלְּבָנָה מְהַלֶּכֶת לִשְׁנֵי יָמִים וּמֶחֱצָה. מַה שֶׁחַמָּה מְהַלֶּכֶת בִשְׁנֵי חֳדָשִׁים הַלְּבָנָה מְהַלֶּכֶת לַחֲמִשָּׁה יָמִים. מַה שֶׁחַמָּה מְהַלֶּכֶת לִשְׁלֹשָׁה חֳדָשִׁים הַלְּבָנָה מְהַלֶּכֶת לִשִׁבְעָה יָמִים וּמֶחֱצָה. מַה שֶׁחַמָּה מְהַלֶּכֶת לְשִׁשָּׁה חֳדָשִׁים הַלְּבָנָה מְהַלֶּכֶת לַחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר יוֹם. מַה שֶׁחַמָּה הוֹלֶכֶת לִשְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חוֹדֶשׁ הַלְּבָנָה מְהַלֶּכֶת לִשְׁלשִׁים. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹנָה. לֵית כָּאן שִׁיעוּרָא אֶלָּא אֲפִילוּ פָּרָא מִיכֵּן. ⁷⁷Cf. Num. rabba 12(10), Deut. rabba 5(12). Rebbi Simeon ben Yoḥai stated: Since the sky is made of water and the stars of fire and they dwell one with the other without damaging one another, therefore He makes peace in His heights. Rebbi Abun said, the angel himself is half water and half fire and composed of five kinds: His body is like chrysolite, and his face like the looks of lightning, and his eyes like torches of fire⁷⁸Dan. 10:6. The verse continues: and his arms and legs like shining brass, and the sound of his voice like the sound of a multitude., etc. Rebbi Levi said, a constellation⁷⁹Of the Zodiac. never sees what precedes it; but all of them rise like those who rise on an inverted ladder. The Holy One, praise to Him, created 365 windows for use in the world⁸⁰For the sun to use during the year., 182 in the East, 182 in the West, and one in the middle of the sky from where it appeared first at the creation. What the sun covers in thirty days, the moon covers in two and a half days⁸¹This is the approximate difference between the sidereal (or nodal) and synodic months.. What the sun covers in two months, the moon covers in five days. What the sun covers in three months, the moon covers in seven and a half days. What the sun covers in six months, the moon covers in fifteen days. What the sun covers in twelve months, the moon covers in thirty. Rebbi Jonah said, this is not the measure; it could be less⁸²Greek παρά, cf. E. Guggenheimer, H. Guggenheimer, Notes on the Talmudic vocabulary, 12–15. Leshonenu 39 (1975), 62–69. (Hebrew). than this⁸³Since the (average) difference between sidereal and synodic months is only 2 d 5 h, and even between nodal and synodic months it only is 2d 7h..

תַּנֵּי. נִרְאֶה בְאַשָּׁשׁ וּבַמַּיִם אֵין מֵעִידִין עָלָיו. אָמַר רִבִּי חִייָה בַּר בָּא. רְאוּ אוֹתוֹ יוֹצֵא מֵעָנָן זֶה וְנִכְנַס לְתוֹךְ עָנָן אַחֵר מֵעִידִין עָלָיו. כְּהָדָא רִבִּי חֲנִנָה אֲזַל לְעֵין טָב לְמִימְנָא וַהֲוָה אֲוִירְא מְעונָן. אָמַר. כְּדוֹן אָ‍ֽמְרִין. מַה נְטִיל אֲוִירָא דָהֵן סַבָּא. וְהִקְדִּיחַ לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוךְ הוּא כְכַבָּרָה וְנִרְאֶה מִתּוֹכָהּ. רִבִּי חִייָה רַבָּה הִילֵּךְ לְאוֹרוֹ שֶׁלְיָשָׁן אַרְבָּעַת מִיל. רִבִּי אָבוּן מַשְׁדֵּי עֲלוֹי צְרָרִין וַאֲמַר לָהּ. לָא תַבְהִית בְּנֵי מָרִיךְ. בְּרַמְשָׁא אֲנָן בְּעַייָן תִיתְחֲמִי מִיכָא וְאַתְּ מִיתְחֲמִי מִיכָא. מִיַּד אִיתְבַּלַּע מִן קוֹמוֹי. It was stated: If it was seen in a glass or in the water one may not testify about it⁸⁴Only direct observation of the new moon can be counted. Babli 24a, Tosephta 1:17.. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said, if one saw it exiting from one cloud and entering another cloud one testifies about it⁸⁵There is no minimum time when it must be visible.. As the following. Rebbi Ḥanina went to Eintab⁸⁶The place where one declared the new moon. to be counted⁸⁷For the first time after he was appointed to the calendar panel. and the air was cloudy. He said, now they will say, how bad is the air for this elder. The Holy, praise to Him, drilled for him⁸⁸Through the clouds. like a sieve and it was seen through it. The elder Rebbi Ḥiyya went by the light of the old one four mil⁸⁹On the day one expected to see the new moon.. Rebbi Abun threw pebbles on it and told it, do not frighten your master’s children; in the evening we need that you be seen on that side and you are seen from this side⁹⁰Since the new month starts at the moment the moon as seen from the earth is behind the sun it is clear that the new moon must be seen on the other side from that where the old moon was seen.. Immediately it disappeared from before him.

לִצְפוֹנָהּ לִדְרוֹמָהּ. אִית תַּנָּיֵי תַנֵּי. לִצְפוֹנָהּ דְּבָרָיו קַייָמִין. אִית תַּנָּיֵי תַנֵּי. לִדְרוֹמָהּ דְּבָרָיו קַייָמִין. מָאן דְּאָמַר לִצְפוֹנָהּ דְּבָרָיו קַייָמִין. מִן טֵבֵת וְעַד תַּמּוּז. מָאן דְּאָמַר לִדְרוֹמָהּ דְּבָרָיו קַייָמִין. מִן תַּמּוּז וְעַד טֵבֵת. “To its North or its South?” There are Tannaim who state, “to its North” his words are accepted. There are Tannaim who state, “to its South” his words are accepted. He who said, “to its North” his words are accepted, from Ṭevet to Tamuz; he who said, “to its South” his words are accepted, from Tamuz to Ṭevet⁹¹The Babli 24a makes the changeover at the equinoxes, not the solstices. Ptolemy’s solar and lunar tables make such general statements unnecessary..

כַּמָּה הָיָה גָבוֹהַּ. זֶה אוֹמֵר. מְלֹא מַרְדֵּעַ אֶחָד. וְזֶה אוֹמֵר. מְלֹא שְׁנֵי מַרְדְּעִים. אִית תַּנָּיֵי תַנֵּי. דִּבְרֵיהֶן קַייָמִין. וְאִית תַּנָּיֵי תַנֵּי. אֵין דִּבְרֵיהֶן קַייָמִין. מָאַן דָּאָמַר דִּבְרֵיהֶן קַייָמִין. בְּהִינּוּן דַּהֲווֹן קַייָמִין חַד מִלְעֵיל וְחַד מִלְרַע. מָאַן דָּאָמַר אֵין דִּבְרֵיהֶן קַייָמִין. בְּהִינּוּן דַּהֲווֹן קַייָמִין שָׁווִי. “How high was it?” One says, one ox goad, but the other says, two ox⁹²Babli 24a, Babli version also in Tosephta 1:17. goads. There are Tannaim who state, their statements are coherent, and there are Tannaim who state, their statements are incoherent. He who says, their statements are coherent, if one was standing above and one was standing below. But he who says, their statements are incoherent, if they were standing on equal elevations.

כַּמָּה הָיָה רָחָב. כִּשְׂעוֹרָה וְיוֹתֵר מִכְּשְׂעוֹרָה. “How wide was it? A barley corn’s width or less than a barley corn?

וְאִם אָמַר לִפְנֵי הַחַמָּה לֹא אַמַר כְּלוּם. “If he said, before the sun, he did not say anything⁷⁴As explained in the Halakhah, this refers to the concavity of the visible moon, which must point away from the sun..