Day #65–Rambam DAILY Sefer HaMitzvos

Hashem today is day number 65 of our daily study of the ramam severe Mitzvahs and in our daily study of the three chapters of mishna Torah we're in chapters 15 16 and 17 of the laws of the sanctification of the new moon uh I got news for you these laws consist of 18 I'm sorry 19 chapters in total but that means that tomorrow we're going to do chapters 18 and 19 God willing finish and start the first chapter of a new section of laws so what does that mean it means the same Mitzvah that we've been studying for the past several days we're going to study again today and we're going to study again tomorrow but we're also going to have a new Mitzvah tomorrow exciting okay so let's do it again positive commandment 153 you all know what it is we've done it so many times the mitzvah for the high court 2 establish the new moon this also includes adding leap years as necessary as we have discussed I want to add one more point that I have not mentioned explicitly perhaps I took for granted that it was understood when we say that there are these precise astronomical calculations which the rambam describes and teaches us how to calculate um that will predict where the new moon will appear and when it will appear what is the reason for these calculations since as mentioned the way they used to do it in the times of the high court was that they would receive eyewitnesses who had actually seen the appearance of the new moon so why are these calculations being made so the answer is the sages Knew by way of astronomical calculations exactly when and where the new moon would appear but they waited for Witnesses because that is the way that anything's established in a Jewish court but they would already know before the witnesses gave their testimony whether that testimony was indeed accurate and then based on that testimony they would sanctify the new moon okay we will see you God willing tomorrow