(Mishnah): How would they check the witnesses? The first pair that came would be checked first. They would bring in the more senior witness and say to him - Tell us how you saw the moon - was it before the sun or after the sun? To its north or to its south? How high was it? Which way was it leaning? How wide was it?

If he said that it was before the sun, his testimony is not valid.

They would then bring in the second witness and check him. If their declarations matched, their testimony is valid.

They would ask all of the other pairs about the main points. They did not do this because they needed the testimony; rather, they did not wish to upset the witnesses so that they would be willing to come with testimony in the future.

(Gemara - question): R. Yochanan - even the most foolish person would not make a mistake in whether the moon was before or after the sun.

Answer: Actually, they asked him whether the moon's concavity was towards or away from the sun.

Beraisa (Bar Kafra): They asked them two questions - whether it was before the sun and whether its concavity was towards the sun. (This shows that they certainly did ask them whether it was before the sun.)

R. Yochanan: The Pasuk states (Iyov 25, 2) "The dominion and fear is with Him, He makes peace in His exaltedness''. The sun has never seen the concavity of the moon. (This is the meaning of Hash-m making peace.)

Beraisa - R. Shimon bar Yochai: Since the firmament is made from water and the stars are made from fire and they co-exist without damaging each other. Therefore, the Pasuk praises Hash-m as "He makes peace in His exaltedness''.

R. Avun: The angel itself is comprised of half water and half fire and it has five appearances, as the Pasuk states (Daniel 10, 6), "His body was like Tarshish, his face appeared like lightening and his eyes were like flaming torches etc.''

R. Levi: In truth, the constellation cannot see what is in front of it. Rather, they are positioned in the heavens facing backwards like a person who is climbing up a ladder backwards (who cannot see the person in front of him).

The Holy One created 365 windows to serve the world. 182 are to the east and 182 are to the west. There is one in the middle which is the point from which the sun came when the universe was created.

The distance that the sun travels in 30 days is travelled by the moon in 2 1/2 days.

The distance that the sun travels in 2 months is travelled by the moon in 5 days.

The distance that the sun travels in 3 months is travelled by the moon in 7 1/2 days.

The distance that the sun travels in 6 months is travelled by the moon in 15 days.

The distance that the sun travels in 12 months is travelled by the moon in 30 days.

R. Yona: That is not the correct measurement; rather, the moon travels it in less than time (as the lunar cycle actually renews itself in just over 29 1/2 days).

Beraisa: A witness may not testify if he saw the moon through glass or water.

R. Chiya bar Ba: If they saw it coming out from behind one cloud and moving behind another, they may testify from this.

It is like the case of R. Chanina, who went to Ein Tav to join the Beis Din in order to declare the New Moon. The air was misty there. He said about himself, "The air of this Elder is so thick that the moon is not visible and the New Moon cannot be declared''. The Holy One pierced a hole in the cloud like a sieve and the moon became visible.

R. Chiya the Great walked for 4 Mil to the light of the 'old' moon. R. Avun (saw the old moon in the morning of the 29th) and threw stones at it. He said, "Do not embarrass the Beis Din by not renewing yourself today, because according to their calculations, the month should be 29 days. This evening, we must see you renewed, but we still see you now.'' Immediately, the moon ceased to be visible.

The Mishnah had taught: To its north...to its south?

Beraisa #1: If he said 'to its north', his testimony is accepted.

Beraisa #2: If he said 'to its south', his testimony is accepted.

Beraisa #1 refers to the time between Teves (winter) and Tamuz (summer).

Beraisa #2 refers to the time between Tamuz (summer) and Teves (winter).

The Mishnah had taught: How high was it? If one witness says that it was the height of an ox goad and the other witness says that it was the height of two ox goads -

Beraisa #1 - their testimony is accepted.

Beraisa #2 - their testimony is not accepted.

Beraisa #1 refers to when the witnesses were standing at different heights.

Beraisa #2 refers to when they were standing at the same height.

The Mishnah had taught: How wide was it? The width of a barley kernel or more than that. If the witness testified that he saw it before the sun, his testimony is worthless.

(Mishnah): The Head of the Beis Din says "Sanctified!'' and all of the people respond, "Sanctified! Sanctified!''. They would do this whether it was seen on the 30th or 31st day.

R. Elazar bei R. Tzadok: If it was seen on the 31st day it is not declared by Beis Din as it has already been sanctified for heaven.

(Gemara - Beraisa - R. Shimon ben Yochai): The Pasuk states (Vayikra 25, 10), "You shall sanctify the 50th year'' - one may only sanctify (Yovel) years but not months.

Question (Mishnah): The Head of the Beis Din says "Sanctified''?

Answer: It means that that they sustain it.

Beraisa: When sanctifying the new moon, we begin with the more senior person.

R. Chiya/ Rav Ada: The Mishnah also teaches this - 'the Head of the Beis Din says "Sanctified''.'

Beraisa: When declaring a leap year we begin (to listen to the opinions of the judges) from the side. (Since the decision depends on the opinion of the judges, if we would begin with the most senior person, the opinions of the other judges would be influenced by this.)

R. Zevida: In the House of the Nasi ('president') the procedure is different - when declaring a leap year, they begin with the most senior judge.

R. Chiya bar Maraya/ R. Yona/ R. Ba bar R. Chiya quoting R. Yochanan: When sanctifying the new moon we begin with the most senior judge; when declaring a leap year we begin from the side.

R. Yochanan once came into the Beis Din (of Rebbi) and he was the most junior judge.

They told him: Declare that this year is consecrated as a leap year. He said, "This year is consecrated as a leap year.''

R. Yonasan: Look at the language that the blacksmith's son (R. Yochanan) taught us - if it said "in its leap year'', I would say that it refers to the 11 days each year that the solar calendar extends longer than the lunar calendar. Rather, it refers to the 30 days that the Chachamim added to make a leap year.

R. Yaakov bar Acha/R. Yasa quoting R. Yochanan: For declaring a leap year, the order is according to who was appointed first; for sanctifying the new moon, it follows the regular order of the Beis Din.

In a regular sitting of Beis Din, the more senior judges enter first - as we find that R. Chanina would begin the proceedings and R. Yochanan and R. Shimon ben Lakish would conclude them.

R. Ba bar Avda would open the proceedings and R. Chiya, R. Yasa and R. Imi would conclude them.

R. Chagai would open the proceedings and R. Yona and R. Yosa would conclude them.

(Rav) Kahana was appointed before R. Yaakov bar Acha but R. Yakov B''A would enter first to declare a leap year. Kahana said - R. Yaakov B''A was the one who said that we follow the proper order, and he himself is not following it!

R. Chiya bar Ba was standing in prayer. Rav Kahana came and stood behind him to pray.

After R. Chiya finished his prayers, he waited in order not to walk in front of Rav Kahana.

After Rav Kahana finished, R. Chiya said to him - is it your custom to trouble those who are greater than you?

R. Kahana replies: Rebbi, I come from the House of Eli about which the Pasuk states (Shmuel 1, 3, 14), "...that the sin of the House of Eli will never be atoned for with a sacrifice or meal offering''. It will not be atoned for with sacrifice or meal offering but it will be atoned for with prayer. (This is why Rav Kahana prayed for a long time.)

R. Chiya prayed for Rav Kahana and he lived until he was old and his nails turned red like those of a baby.

One elder preceded R. Shimon ben Lakish in entering to declare a leap year. They removed him from the room through the door from which he entered. (Some explain this to mean that he died there.)

Question: Did R''SBL not hear the statement of R. Krispa quoting R. Yochanan - it once happened, that three cattle herders declared a leap year. (If so, even an elderly ignoramus can precede a Sage to declare it)...

One herder said - If the earth is warm enough that the wheat seeds planted early and late will grow, it is the month of Adar; otherwise, it is still the month of Shevat.

Another herder said - If the winter weather has subsided enough that when a strong eastern wind blows and a person blows air from his mouth, his breath warms the wind, it is Adar; otherwise it is still Shevat.

The other herder said - In Adar, an ox will die in its herd from the cold and it will rub itself in the afternoon in the shade of a fig tree (as at night it is very cold and in the daytime it is hot).

The three herders concluded - We see that none of these indicators are present this year; therefore we must declare it a leap year. The year was declared as a leap year based on their words.

Question (R. Chalbo): Did the Beis Din agree with them? Did R. Zeira not say that they only declare a leap year when all opinions recommend it for the same reasons?

Answer: Since they agreed with each other's opinions, it is considered that they all gave the same reason.

Question: Was R''SBL so particular about his own honor (see earlier (p))?

Answer: He was concerned for the statement of R. Elazar who said - the Pasuk states (Yechezkel 13, 9), "My hand will be against the prophets who see empty visions and those who divine falsely; they will not be in the counsel of My people...'' - this refers to the assembly of Sages to declare a leap year.

The Pasuk continues... "and they shall not be written in the record of the House of Israel'' - this refers to gathering to make a full month.

"...and to the soil of Israel they shall not enter'' - this refers to the land of Israel.

R. Elazar: When I came here (to Eretz Yisrael), one of these three curses from Hash-m did not apply to me. When I was ordained, I said that two do not apply to me. When I came to be part of the declaration of a leap year, all three curses did not apply to me.

R. Ba bar Zavda quoting Rav: The reasoning of R. Elazar bei R. Tzadok is that since the Heavenly Beis Din see that the Beis Din here is not sanctifying the new moon, they sanctify it.