Pisqa’ 127398H:172; JN1:313. 1. “Take care to observe the month of Aviv” (Dt.16:1)— observe [the moon] for a month prior to Aviv, so that Aviv falls at its proper time [in the spring].399The biblical month of Aviv is “the first month” of the year (Ex. 12:2), and corresponds to the rabbinic month of Nisan, which in the rabbinic liturgical calendar constitutes the seventh month. Cf. Mechilta Ishmael, paskha’, 2.
Is it possible to say that if a [lunar] year is short [of the solar year] by fourteen or fifteen days. you may add [to the month preceding Aviv] fourteen or fifteen days [enabling calendrical calculation to match the season]? The Teaching states: “The month” (Dt.16:1)— not a day more or less [than a month].
Is it possible to say that if a year is short by forty or fifty days, you may add to the months preceding Aviv forty or fifty days [enabling the calendar to match the season]? The Teaching states: “The month” (Dt.16:1)— not a day more or less [than a month].400//T. San. 2:7-8. Cf. Mechilta Shimon, ed. Nelson, p.37. For other parallels throughout the tannaitic corpus, see F:185, n. 8.
2. “Take care to observe the month of Aviv” (Dt.16:1). Scripture recalls the festival calendar in three contexts: in the Priestly Guide401The Biblical book of Leviticus. (Lv.23:1-44), for the sake of teaching their sequence;
5
בְּחוּמַשׁ הַפְּקוּדִים מִפְּנֵי קָרְבָּן,
in the Book of Appointees402I.e., Numbers. (Nu.9:1-14), for the sake of teaching sacrificial procedure;
6
בְּמִשְׁנֵה תוֹרָה מִפְּנֵי הָעִבּוּר.
in the Repetition of the Torah (Dt.16:1-17),403I.e., Deuteronomy. for the sake of teaching the rules of intercalation.
This teaches you that Moses heard the festival calendar from Sinai, recited it to Israel, and repeated it as needed at a time appropriate to the celebration.404// Sifre Nu., 66.
Another word: He recited the legal traditions of Passover in time for Passover, the legal traditions of the Closure-festival405That is, `Atzeret, also known commonly as Shavuot, “the Feast of Weeks.”in time for the Closure-festival, And the legal traditions of the Feast [of Huts] in time for the Feast.406// T. Meg. 4:5. On this basis they taught: Moses warned Israel to repeat the topic [of the upcoming festival], and to expound upon it.407F: 185, n.12, noting the absence of 126.3 from many parallels in mss, regards the text of 127.2 as a copyist’s addition.
(דברים טז א) שָׁמוֹר אֶת חֹדֶשׁ הָאָבִיב, שָׁמוֹר אֶת הַחֹדֶשׁ סָמוּךְ לָאָבִיב, מִפְּנֵי אָבִיב שֶׁיְּהֵא בִּזְמַנּוֹ.
Pisqa’ 127398H:172; JN1:313.
1. “Take care to observe the month of Aviv” (Dt.16:1)—
observe [the moon] for a month prior to Aviv,
so that Aviv falls at its proper time [in the spring]. 399The biblical month of Aviv is “the first month” of the year (Ex. 12:2), and corresponds to the rabbinic month of Nisan, which in the rabbinic liturgical calendar constitutes the seventh month. Cf. Mechilta Ishmael, paskha’, 2.
יָכוֹל אִם הָיְתָה שָׁנָה חֲסֵרָה אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר יוֹם אוֹ חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר יוֹם, אַתָּה נוֹתֵן לָהּ אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר יוֹם אוֹ חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר יוֹם? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: חֹדֶשׁ – לֹא פָּחוֹת וְלֹא יָתֵר.
Is it possible to say that
if a [lunar] year is short [of the solar year] by fourteen or fifteen days.
you may add [to the month preceding Aviv]
fourteen or fifteen days
[enabling calendrical calculation to match the season]?
The Teaching states:
“The month” (Dt.16:1)—
not a day more or less [than a month].
יָכוֹל אִם הָיְתָה שָׁנָה חֲסֵרָה אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם אוֹ חֲמִשִּׁים יוֹם, אַתָּה נוֹתֵן לָהּ אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם אוֹ חֲמִשִּׁים יוֹם? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: חֹדֶשׁ – לֹא פָחוֹת וְלֹא יָתֵר.
Is it possible to say that
if a year is short by forty or fifty days,
you may add to the months preceding Aviv
forty or fifty days
[enabling the calendar to match the season]?
The Teaching states:
“The month” (Dt.16:1)—
not a day more or less [than a month]. 400//T. San. 2:7-8. Cf. Mechilta Shimon, ed. Nelson, p.37. For other parallels throughout the tannaitic corpus, see F:185, n. 8.
שָׁמוֹר אֶת חֹדֶשׁ הָאָבִיב, בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה מְקוֹמוֹת מַזְכִּיר פָּרָשַׁת מוֹעֲדוֹת: בְּתוֹרַת כֹּהֲנִים מִפְּנֵי סִדְרָן,
2. “Take care to observe the month of Aviv” (Dt.16:1).
Scripture recalls the festival calendar in three contexts:
in the Priestly Guide401The Biblical book of Leviticus. (Lv.23:1-44),
for the sake of teaching their sequence;
בְּחוּמַשׁ הַפְּקוּדִים מִפְּנֵי קָרְבָּן,
in the Book of Appointees402I.e., Numbers. (Nu.9:1-14),
for the sake of teaching sacrificial procedure;
בְּמִשְׁנֵה תוֹרָה מִפְּנֵי הָעִבּוּר.
in the Repetition of the Torah (Dt.16:1-17),403I.e., Deuteronomy.
for the sake of teaching the rules of intercalation.
לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁשָּׁמַע מֹשֶׁה פָּרָשַׁת מוֹעֲדוֹת וַאֲמָרָהּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְחָזַר וּשְׁנָאָהּ לָהֶם בִּשְׁעַת מַעֲשֶׂה.
This teaches you that Moses heard the festival calendar
from Sinai, recited it to Israel,
and repeated it as needed
at a time appropriate to the celebration.404// Sifre Nu., 66.
דָּבָר אַחֵר: אָמַר לָהֶם הִלְכוֹת הַפֶּסַח בַּפֶּסַח, הִלְכוֹת עֲצֶרֶת בַּעֲצֶרֶת, הִלְכוֹת חַג בֶּחָג. מִכָּן אָמְרוּ: מֹשֶׁה הִזְהִיר אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לִהְיוֹת שׁוֹנִים בָּעִנְיָן וְדוֹרְשִׁים בּוֹ.
Another word:
He recited the legal traditions of
Passover in time for Passover,
the legal traditions of
the Closure-festival405That is, `Atzeret, also known commonly as Shavuot, “the Feast of Weeks.” in time for the Closure-festival,
And the legal traditions of
the Feast [of Huts] in time for the Feast.406// T. Meg. 4:5.
On this basis they taught:
Moses warned Israel to repeat
the topic [of the upcoming festival],
and to expound upon it.407F: 185, n.12, noting the absence of 126.3 from many parallels in mss, regards the text of 127.2 as a copyist’s addition.