Sanhedrin 12b

סנהדרין י״ב ע״ב

Learn Sanhedrin 12b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Adding a leap month because of טומאה and on the thirtieth of אדר: חזקיהו's mistake, the opinions of רבי יהודה and רבי שמעון, and the seasons as a reason to add a month

Overview

This amud finishes the ברייתא about חזקיהו, who added a leap month because the people were טמא and then prayed for forgiveness. רבי שמעון says such a leap year counts. In his view חזקיהו's mistake was adding a second ניסן during ניסן, or, in another version, leading the people to keep פסח שני. The גמרא first infers that רבי יהודה holds טומאה is only 'pushed aside' for the public. A ברייתא about the ציץ shows him saying it is fully permitted. The גמרא solves this by filling in missing words in the ברייתא: רבי יהודה actually holds that a leap year made for טומאה does not count, and רבי שמעון allows it even לכתחילה. It explains that חזקיהו added the month on the thirtieth of אדר, a day that שמואל says may already count as ניסן. רב אשי explains the פסח שני version through a doubt about whether women count toward the majority. The amud then discusses what happens if a court adds the month on that thirtieth day, where רבא and רב נחמן disagree. It begins a new rule from שמואל about adding a month because of the seasons.

Opening lines

The steps (32)

1. ProofThe פסוק about חזקיהו's prayer ends
2. Questionרבי שמעון: the leap year counts, so why did חזקיהו pray?
3. ResponseOnly אדר may be doubled, and he added ניסן during ניסן
4. ResponseAnother version: he led the people to keep פסח שני
5. Statementרבי יהודה seems to hold impurity is only pushed aside for the public
6. ChallengeChallenge from the dispute about the ציץ
7. Proofרבי שמעון brings proof from the כהן גדול on יום הכיפורים
8. Rejectionרבי יהודה says יום הכיפורים is different because טומאה is permitted for the public
9. ChallengeThe earlier ברייתא contradicts itself anyway
10. ResolutionThe ברייתא is missing words: רבי יהודה says the leap year is not valid
11. ChallengeNow רבי שמעון seems to say the same as the תנא קמא
12. Resolutionרבא: They argue about doing it from the start
13. ProofA ברייתא supports רבא, and it explains חזקיהו's mistake
14. ChallengeHow could חזקיהו add a second ניסן? The תורה says only one month is ניסן
15. Resolutionחזקיהו made שמואל's mistake: he added the month on the thirtieth of אדר
16. ResolutionWhy חזקיהו thought he could add the month on that day
17. ProofA ברייתא supports שמואל
18. Statementרבי שמעון's other reason for חזקיהו's prayer
19. QuestionWhat was the situation?
20. Responseרב אשי: half impure, half pure, and the women decide
21. ResponseHow חזקיהו changed his mind about the women
22. StatementBack to שמואל's rule itself
23. QuestionWhat if they did add the month on that day?
24. Responseעולא: do not declare the new month that day
25. QuestionWhat if they declared the new month anyway?
26. Responseרבא: the added month is cancelled
27. Responseרב נחמן: both count
28. Challengeרבא's challenge: a late leap month could make people careless about חמץ
29. Resolutionרב נחמן: people know a leap year depends on calculation
30. Statementשמואל: add a month only if the season would be short by most of a month
31. QuestionHow much is "most of a month"?
32. ResponseSixteen days, according to רבי יהודה