More Discussions for this daf
1. Chizkiyahu's misdeeds 2. Why are fallen dates called Muktzeh? 3. Palm tree grafting
4. Anshei Yericho - Korchim Shema 5. Heart of Palm 6. Chizkiyahu and Ibur ha'Chodesh
7. Pe'ah and also Barley Flour 8. Shema Yisrael by the Shevatim
DAF DISCUSSIONS - PESACHIM 56

Joshua Danziger asks:

Hello Kollel!

In the gemara, King Chizkiyahu is mentioned as adding an Adar to make a leap year. How does this square with the rambam in Kiddush Hachodesh chapter 4 that the king shouldnt be part of the decision to declare a leap year?

Is it a question of different status for kings from beis david or not (like the mishna sanhedrin that kings dont judge/be judged even though David Hamelech did?)

Thank you!

Josh

The Kollel replies:

1) This question is asked by Shoshanim leDavid on the Mishnayos at the very end of this chapter. He writes that one cannot say that kings from Beis David possess a different status with regards to this issue, because Tosfos Sanhedrin 18b DH veHa Tnan writes that even kings of Beis David may not be in the Sanhedrin to judge capital cases.

2) Shoshanim leDavid answers that because of Chizkiyahu's towering stature in wisdom; there was no-one in Klal Yisrael greater than him; a Hora'as Sha'ah was made in order to enable him to be included temporarily in the Sanhedrin.

3) Shoshanim leDavid adds that one should not say that Shavna was greater than Chizkiyahu; as might be suggested by Sanhedrin 26a, that 13,000 listened to Shavna's droshos, whilst only 11,000 attended Chizkiya's droshos. Shavna was a Rasha; as the Gemara Sanhedrin tells us there; so he does not count.

Shavua Tov

Dovid Bloom

Follow-up reply:

1) This question is also asked by the Chida in his sefer Petach Ainayim, on Pesachim here. He cites his teacher in Yerushalayim, Rabbi Eliezer Sofino, who answered that Chizkiyahu lived before the time when the gezera was made (as stated in Sanhedrin 18b) that one may not seat a king in the Sanhedrin to add on a month.

2) Based on this answer, Megadim Chadashim Berachos 10b DH vA'A bMD'R reconciles another difficult statement in Midrash Rabah Shemot 15:20 (on the verse in Shemot 12:2 "this month is for you the head of the months") where we are told that when King Shlomo used to add another month to the year, he seated 7 elders in front of him. How could King Shlomo be on a Beit Din which performed Ibur Hashanah?! If we assert that the prohibition against seating a king on the Sanhedrin for these purposes was inaugarated only after the time if Shlomo and Chizkiyahu, everything fits into place.

KOL TUV

Dovid Bloom

Futher support for answer of Rav Eliezer Sofino:

1) Megadim Chadashim, that I cited in the previous answer, also cites the Radak in Divrei Hayamim 1:12:29, on the verse "And from the sons of Yisachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Yisrael should do".

Radak writes that Chazal [see Megilah 12b "Rabanan, who know times, who know how to add the extra month of the year" - DB] explains that this means that they know how to do Ibur Shanah and fix the months. Radak writes that the verse in Divrei Hayamim mentions the sons of Yisachar at that point; amongst the description of the reign of Dovid Hamelech; because the king had to consult them since the Ibur Hashanah and the fixing of the months was conducted by the king, as happened with King Chizkiyahu.

2) What is surprising is that Radak writes that adding the extra month was done by the king, since this appers to be contradicted by Sanhedrin 18b that a king may not be present at Ibur Hashanah. According to Rav Eliezer Sofino the riddle is solved since the Gemara Sanhedrin 18b refers to a later prohbition, after the time of Chizkiyahu and certainly after the time of David and Shlomo Hamelech.

3) I would like to add here the words of the Kuzari 2:64 who writes that one of the wonderful wisdoms of Israel was the Ibur. This was based on the wisdom received from the House of David. One learns from the Kuzari that a special wisdom was possessed by David Hamelech concerning how to regulate the calendar. I suggest that this is the reason why the Gemara Rosh Hashanah 25a tells us that Rebbi said to Rebbi Chiya that when they have performed Kidush Hachodesh, they should send a message to say "David Melech Yisrael is alive and well". This is because the mention of Dovid Hamelech reminds us of kidush hachodesh, since he was the expert.

4) At any rate, we can now understand that in the times of the earlier kings of David, it woiuld not make sense to exclude the king, because on the contrary the kings were the experts. It was only later, when the kingship declined, that kings were not allowed to be on the Sanhedrin.

Dovid Bloom