Scholarship on Letter: T-S 13K2 + Bodl. MS Heb. d 74/29

T-S 13K2 3r + Bodl. MS Heb. d 74/29r

1. … from where it stops, it starts. And from which place does it stop? From

   Tuesday noon. Open

2. your eyes, colleagues, and see these tremendous contrivements. And let

   him not say that the Four

3. Gates only include a minority of days and hours, only four (week)days—

   because whoever says this,

4. says it without knowledge and understanding. For the world rests on these

   (Gates) alone, and the correct dating of

5. the festivals depends only on them. And his third argument, in which he

   said ‘641

6. on its day, 642 the next day’, has no root in the words of the Sages, and even

   the one who originally contrived this (argument)

7. and wrote it did not know his right hand from his left regarding the secret

   of the calendar, because he said that if Nisan is born

8. on Sunday, Tuesday, or Thursday and Tishri on Tuesday, Thursday, or

   Sabbath until six hours, it is not postponed, (and if it is born) after six

   hours,

9. it is postponed—and he did not notice that when Nisan is born on

   Sunday, Tuesday, or Thursday before six hours,

10. the corresponding Tishri on Tuesday, Thursday or Sabbath will be after six

    hours, because there are between them two (week)days,

1. four hours, [and] 438 parts, so that when Nisan is born at four hours of the

   day, Tishri

2. will be born at eight hours 438 parts; and if we postpone Nisan because of

   Tishri, this contradicts his rule

3. that Nisan before noon is not postponed; and if we do not postpone Tishri

   because of Nisan,

4. this contradicts his rule that Tishri after noon is postponed. And if {will [nb: scribe begins misplaced text here] be a full

5. hour plus 256 parts, and so 589 will be a full hour [and] 150 parts, and so all

   of them

6. by adding 641. And the intelligent will understand (Dan. 12:10). As to the

   second [argument], in which he said that the calculation

7. of the 4 Gates only covers 4 [week]days alone and a minority of hours and

   parts,

8. his discourse demonstrates that he has not gone past, as it were, the

   entrance of this art. For the calculation of the 4

9. Gates includes all the [week]days, and among them some [week]days are

   mentioned two or three

10. times—but whoever is wise, let him understand these (Hosea 14:10). And

    behold, I shall explain this briefly.

11. ["If any Tishri in whose year there is an inter]calation is born before 491

    [parts] of the

T-S 13K2 3v +  Bodl. MS Heb. d 74/29v

1. ninth hour of Friday day, [the months are] defective. And if it is born after

   that, they are full." For when you

2. add 5 days, 21 hours, [and] 589 parts, [the molad] will reach the end of

   the 6th [hour] of Thursday day. Behold, you have learnt

3. that it mentions Thursday day, and it says: "if it exceeds six hours, it is

   postponed." And furthermore,

4. it is said: "and if there is no intercalation in this or in the following year,

   and it is born before 408 parts of the 1st

5. 5 hour of Friday night, they are defective; and if it is born afterwards, they

   are full." For when you add

6. twice 4 days, 8 hours, (and) 876 parts for two years, it will reach the end of

7. six hours on Saturday day. Behold, you have learnt that it mentions the day

   of Sabbath, and it says: "after

8. six hours, it is postponed." And furthermore, it is said: "and if there is an

   intercalation in the following year, and it is born

9. before 204 parts of the 10th hour of Friday night, they are defective. And if

   it is born after that,

10. they are full." For when you add 4 days, 8 hours, [and] 876 parts,

11. it will reach the end of six hours on Tuesday day. Behold, you have learnt

    that it mentions Tuesday day,

12. and it says: "after six hours, it is postponed." And you have already men-

    tioned Monday—

13. we have explained this in the first argument—so it is plain that it has

    mentioned all the [week]days. And the other

14. Gates repeat the [week]days: for the limit of 491 [parts] which is on Sunday

    nights

15. repeats the mention of [the limit of] six hours on Sabbath day; and the

    limit of 204 which is on Sunday

16. nights repeats the mention of six hours on Thursday; and the limit of 589

    which is on Monday

17. repeats the mention of six hours of six hours on Tuesday of the previous

    year. And similarly, the limit of

18. 204 which is on Tuesday nights and the limit of 695 which is on Wednes-

    day nights repeat a third time the mention