Rosh Hashana 25

*Note that among other fascinating topics, Rosh Hashana 24 touches on 'graven images' and art; what it means to create likenesses of G-d's attendants.

Some highlights from today's daf:

• Accepting two witnesses report on the New Moon, Rabban Gamliel decreed Rabbi Yochanan, agreeing with Rabbi Dosa ben Horkinas in rejecting that account, to travel and pay money on "Yom Kippur"
• When he acquiesced, Gamliel kissed him as said something like: you are my teacher as you've taught me Torah in public, and you are my student as you have put my word above your own interpretation
• Rabbi Yehoshua notes that we have three unnamed judges in a Jewish court just like we had 70 unnamed judges in the first court of Moses and Aaron
• Since Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi told Rabbi Chiyya to sanctify the New Moon at Ein Tav, we have all repeated his 'sign' of sanctification: David, king of Israel, lives and endure
• Rabbi Akiva comforts Rabbi Yochanan according to the Gemara.  He explains a proof text suggesting that it is up to us together to set the date of the New Moon, even if we are wrong, G-d will accept this date.  Thus people are encouraged to interpret, even when our interpretations are wrong.
• The rabbis discuss which person is 'better' than others of their generation - this conversation is the extension of another reason to leave judges unnamed: we can't say, "oh, but when Moshe and Aaron were judges, they would have done things differently!"

Amud (b) begins Perek III with a new Mishna:

If the court and all Jews were interrogated, but did not say "Sanctified before nightfall [so that the 30th day passed and the new month is a full 30-day month].  If the court alone saw the new moon, two members of the court should stand and testify before the others, and they should say "Sanctified, sanctified".  If three people saw the new moon and they are part of a court, two should stand and seat their colleagues nest to the remaining person.  The two standing judges should testify before the three seated judges ant he the seated judges should say, "Sanctified, sanctified".  The procedure is necessary because an individual is not authorized  to declare a month alone.  A court of three is required.

The Gemara raises difficulties:

• Why all of the Jewish people and the court saw the New Moon?  The court is added to prove that the court is required to declare the New Moon.
• Why should it say that the witnesses are interrogated?  If witnesses were interrogated,but the court as no time to say "Sanctified" then the previous month is intercalated and rendered a full moth of 30 days
• Why interrogate if the previous month is already known to be full month of 30 days? To teach that the court cannot sanctify the month at night.
• Why not treat the sanctification of the month like monetary cases?  This is related to judgement, which can be done only during the day.

The daf ends with our rabbis discussing the importance of process being followed even if members of the court witness the New Moon themselves.  There must always be two witnesses, just as Moses and Aaron were told about the New Month together (Exodus 12:1-2).  As well, the court must be held to the highest standards for the sake of community trust.