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Text Excerpt
במאי קמיפלגי? בעיבור שנה, דתניא: כמה עיבור שנה — שלשים, רבן שמעון בן גמליאל אומר: חודש.
The Talmud asks: With regard to what principle do Rav Huna and Ulla disagree? The Talmud answers: They disagree about the length of the month added in the intercalation of the year, as it is taught in a baraita: How many days are added in the intercalation of the year? 30 days. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: A deficient month, i.e., one of 29 days. Rav Huna accepts the opinion of Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, whereas Ulla accepts the opinion of the first tanna.
מיתיבי: אין עצרת חלה אלא ביום הנף, ואין ראש השנה חלה אלא או ביום הנף או לאור עיבורו. בשלמא לעולא, דשמונה חסירין עבדינן, מעוברין לא עבדינן — משכחת לה.
The Talmud raises an objection to the opinion of Rav Huna from a baraita: The festival of Shavuot occurs only on the same day of the week as the day of waving the omer offering, i.e., the 16th of Nisan, which is the 2nd day of Passover. And Rosh HaShana also occurs only on the same day of the week as the day of waving the omer offering of the preceding year, or on the day of the week that occurs on the night after the waving, i.e., the 17th of Nisan, which is the 3rd day of Passover. Granted, according to the opinion of Ulla, who says that we may establish 8 deficient months in a year but we may not establish 8 full months in a year, you find that Rosh HaShana can occur on either of the two days mentioned in the baraita.
שניהן חסר — ביום הנף.
The Talmud elaborates: There are 6 ends of months between the omer offering and Rosh HaShana. In an ordinary year the months alternate in length, so these 6 months will comprise 3 full and 3 deficient months. If so, Rosh HaShana will occur on the same day of the week as the 3rd day of Passover. If a year has 8 deficient months, one of the two extra deficient months will presumably occur in the summer, between the day of waving and Rosh HaShana, which would mean that Rosh HaShana would occur one day earlier, on the same day of the week as the 2nd day of Passover, the day of the waving of the omer offering.