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9 [1] THEN SHALT THOU MAKE PROCLAMATION WITH THE BLAST OF THE HORN. There is a difference of opinion as to whether the world was created in Nisan or in Tishri. There is no need to dwell on this, for the transmitters of the law ordained that we are to say in the Rosh Ha-Shanah prayer which they established for us, “This day marks the beginning of Your works, it is a memorial of the first day.” We also read in Scripture that the *shofar* is to be sounded in the Jubilee year in the month of Tishri at the beginning of the year. Furthermore, the Torah, in the portion commanding the people to gather to hear the Torah read states that the Torah is to be read on the festival of Sukkot. Scripture writes, *that they may hear, and that they may learn* (Deut. 31:12). It is not possible for this to take place after half a year has passed. Furthermore, Scripture states, *and the feast of ingathering, at the end of the year* (Ex. 23:16). Similarly, *and the feast of the ingathering at the turn of the year* (Ex. 34:22). The faithful proof is the Sabbatical year, regarding which it is written, *ye shall not sow* (v. 11). They start sowing in the month of Marcheshvan in the Land of Israel. If the beginning of the year started in Nisan, then they would not harvest that which they sowed in the sixth year and they would not sow, for it is the Sabbatical year. Since they will not harvest what they planted in the sixth year, they will not sow twice. However, Scripture states that they should not sow in the seventh year alone. Judah Ha-Parsi said that Israel employed a solar calendar. Now if this were so [then we do not know the exact time that a year begins] for, note, Moses did not explain the length of a complete year and so far the astronomers are unable to bring the length of a solar year to light. For example, the wise men of India add a fifth of an hour to the quarter of the day. Ptolemy and his friends say that 1/300 of the day is missing. This is close to that of the intercalated calendar. Those who came after him said one part of 106. Others said 110. Still others said 130. There are those who say 180. For there are those who calculate the year when the sun concludes a cycle around the constellations from a visible point. Others calculate it from a point on the sphere which inclines to the right and the left. We need tradition. Furthermore, the meaning of the word *chodesh* (month) contradicts the Persian. The Sadducees say that the Jewish religion is based on a lunar year. Note, there is no year at all to the moon. However, as the sun has no months, the calculators sought a number of months close to that of a solar year. They found them to be 12. The calculators sought a number of days for the month that would be close to the number of days into which a lunar month is divided. Our months are therefore lunar months and our years return at the end of a solar year. Our sages therefore transmitted to us a law given to Moses from Sinai that the Bet Din always made seven leap years in every cycle even though they used to establish every month by sighting the moon. The secret of the cycle is known from the science of the stars.
[2] The meaning of *shall ye make proclamation* is that they should sound the *shofar* in all the roads.
Version: Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004
Source: https://www.nli.org.il/he/books/NNL_ALEPH001102376/NLI
License: CC-BY-NC