ראש השנה א׳:ב׳ - א׳:ג׳

בארבעה פרקים – in the year

בפסח על התבואה – For since the Torah stated (Leviticus 23:10) bring before me the Omer on Passover in order that I may bless you [with] grain in the fields, and from this we know that on Passover, grain is judged.

ובעצרת על פירות האילן – As the Torah stated (Leviticus 23:17), bring before me two loaves on Atzeret/Shavuot, in order that I may bless you [with] the fruits of the trees, and wheat is called a tree by the All-Merciful , as it is written (Genesis 2:9): “And the tree of knowledge of good and bad,” according to the one who said that the tree that the First Man ate was wheat.

כבני מרון – like rebels (after surrender brought before a court martial – see Talmud Rosh Hashanah 18a) - like these lambs which we remove through a small opening one after another to tithe them, and two cannot exit at the same time.

היוצר יחד לבם – This is how it should be understood: The Creator and that is the Holy One, blessed be He, sees the uniting of their hearts and understands all of their deeds, and even though they pass before Him one by one, nevertheless, all are reviewed with one glance (Rosh Hashanah 18a).

ובחג נידונין על המים – since the Torah states (Leviticus 23:37; Numbers 29:24, 33,37): pour before me water on the Festival [of Sukkot].

שלוחין יוצאין – When the Jewish court sanctified the New Moon, they send out and announce to the Diaspora the day which they sanctified it (i.e., the beginning of the new month), if it is on the thirtieth day and the previous month was missing [a day], [or] on the thirty-first day and the previous month was full. And the messengers of the Jewish court do not violate either the Sabbath or the Festivals.

ועל אב מפני התענית – since troubles were doubled more than on the rest of the Fast Days.

ועל אלול מפני ר"ה – We announce when [the month of ] Elul ‘begins] and we make Rosh Hashanah on the thirtieth day of Elul in the Diaspora, since in most years, Elul is not a leap month, and even though there was a doubt in their hands lest the Jewish Court make it a leap month, it is impossible for them to know [definitely], and perforce we go after the majority of years, for if they did not know when [Elul] begins, they did not know when its thirtieth day.

ועל תשרי מפני תקנת המועדות – for after the Jewish court had sanctified Tishrei, the messengers went out on the day afterwards and went until the place where they were able to arrive until the Holiday (i.e., Sukkot) and they would announce to them if the Jewish court had made Elul a leap month or not, in order that they would not have scruples about [if they were celebrating] Yom Kippur and Sukkot [at the proper time].

פסח קטן – The Second Passover (14 Iyar)