ויקרא, פרק כ״ג, פסוק ד׳

Following the detailed laws of the sacrifices, the focus shifts to the schedule of the festivals. This transition is necessary because each festival requires specific sacrifices, which become completely invalid if offered at the wrong time [תולדות יצחק, בכור שור]. The primary approach among commentators highlights a profound distinction between the holiness of the Sabbath and the holiness of the festivals. While the Sabbath was permanently established by God in a fixed weekly cycle, the festivals depend on the lunar cycle and the changing seasons. Therefore, the responsibility of determining their exact dates was entrusted to humanity and the rabbinic court [ספורנו, ביאור יש״ר]. Even though these are God's appointed times, He granted the Israelites the authority to define exactly when they occur [רבנו בחיי, שטיינזלץ], carrying a promise of eternal relevance that ensures they will never be abolished [רבנו בחיי].

An earlier passage also discusses declaring the festivals, prompting commentators to address the apparent repetition. The accepted approach is that the previous mention refers to the process of declaring a leap year—adjusting the calendar so the months align properly with the agricultural seasons—while the current focus is on sanctifying the new month by determining the precise day it begins [רש״י, מזרחי, שפתי חכמים, גור אריה, מלבי״ם]. These holy occasions are established strictly through the court's decisions [נתינה לגר]. The extent of this earthly authority is absolute. Commentators agree that the power to fix the festival dates rests entirely in the hands of the earthly court, and their ruling is legally binding even if they make an unintentional mistake, are deceived by false witnesses, or are forced to act under duress [ספורנו, רבנו בחיי, תורה תמימה, רלב״ג, פרדס יוסף].

By declaring the timing of the festivals, the court is not merely acknowledging an existing astronomical fact; they are actively creating reality. Through their declaration, they bestow the day with its significance and infuse it with a holiness that did not previously exist [מלבי״ם, אם למקרא]. When the earthly court convenes to sanctify the new month, the heavenly court actually pauses and waits for their decision. God Himself agrees to and validates the decree established by human beings below [רבנו בחיי, צאינה וראינה, פרדס יוסף].

Historically, this unique authority was granted exclusively to the sages residing in the Land of Israel, where the new month was sanctified based on actual eyewitness sightings of the new moon [רבנו בחיי, צאינה וראינה]. Later, due to the exile and the severe danger posed by oppressive government decrees, the practice of visual sighting was suspended. The court then instituted a pre-calculated calendar to be used until the Sanhedrin is restored in the Messianic era [אבן עזרא, חומש קה״ת]. The obligation to sanctify the month at its proper time remains exceptionally strict. In fact, witnesses who observe the new moon are permitted to violate Sabbath travel restrictions to reach the court and deliver their testimony on time [תורה תמימה, רלב״ג, רש ר הירש]. Yet, despite the immense power delegated to the earthly court, they remain bound by the framework of reality. Their declarations are only valid when made at the appropriate time and in alignment with the natural lunar cycle; they do not have the permission to simply invent a new month out of their own imagination [העמק דבר].