הלכות קידוש החודש ב׳Sanctification of the New Month 2

Halacha 1א׳

אֵין כָּשֵׁר לְעֵדוּת הַחֹדֶשׁ אֶלָּא שְׁנֵי אֲנָשִׁים כְּשֵׁרִים הָרְאוּיִין לְהָעִיד בְּכָל דָּבָר וְדָבָר. אֲבָל נָשִׁים וַעֲבָדִים הֲרֵי הֵן כִּשְׁאָר פְּסוּלֵי עֵדוּת וְאֵין מְעִידִין. אָב וּבְנוֹ שֶׁרָאוּ אֶת הַיָּרֵחַ יֵלְכוּ לְבֵית דִּין לְהָעִיד. לֹא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁעֵדוּת הַחֹדֶשׁ כְּשֵׁרָה בִּקְרוֹבִים אֶלָּא שֶׁאִם יִמָּצֵא אֶחָד מֵהֶן פָּסוּל מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא גַּזְלָן וְכַיּוֹצֵא בּוֹ מִשְּׁאָר הַפַּסְלָנוּת יִצְטָרֵף הַשֵּׁנִי עִם אַחֵר וְיָעִידוּ. וְכָל הַפָּסוּל לְעֵדוּת מִדִּבְרֵי סוֹפְרִים אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא כָּשֵׁר מִן הַתּוֹרָה פָּסוּל לְעֵדוּת הַחֹדֶשׁ:

Only two kosher men who are suitable to testify about any single thing are valid for testimony of the month. But women and slaves are like all other invalid witnesses and can't testify. A father and son that saw the moon go to court to testify. Not because testimony of the month is valid with with relatives but rather so that if one of them is found to be invalid for being a thief or such like from the list of other invalid witnesses, the second can join with another and testify. And anyone who is invalid to testify by the words of the scribes, even though he is valid according to the Torah, is invalid for testimony of the month.

Halacha 2ב׳

דִּין תּוֹרָה שֶׁאֵין מְדַקְדְּקִין בְּעֵדוּת הַחֹדֶשׁ. שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ קִדְּשׁוּ אֶת הַחֹדֶשׁ עַל פִּי עֵדִים וְנִמְצְאוּ זוֹמְמִין בְּעֵדוּת זוֹ הֲרֵי זֶה מְקֻדָּשׁ. לְפִיכָךְ הָיוּ בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה מְקַבְּלִין עֵדוּת הַחֹדֶשׁ מִכָּל אָדָם מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁכָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּחֶזְקַת כַּשְׁרוּת עַד שֶׁיִּוָּדַע לְךָ שֶׁזֶּה פָּסוּל. מִשֶּׁקִּלְקְלוּ הַבַּיְתוֹסִים וְהָיוּ שׂוֹכְרִין אֲנָשִׁים לְהָעִיד שֶׁרָאוּ וְהֵם לֹא רָאוּ הִתְקִינוּ שֶׁלֹּא יְקַבְּלוּ בֵּית דִּין עֵדוּת הַחֹדֶשׁ אֶלָּא מֵעֵדִים שֶׁמַּכִּירִין בֵּית דִּין אוֹתָן שֶׁהֵם כְּשֵׁרִים וְשֶׁיִּהְיוּ דּוֹרְשִׁין וְחוֹקְרִים בָּעֵדוּת:

It is a law of the Torah that we are not meticulous with testimony of the month. For even if they sanctified the month via witnesses and they were found to be zomemin (witnesses who are known to have lied based on the testimony of other witnesses that proves that they couldn't have been able to witness what they claim to have seen) for this testimony, it is sanctified. As such, originally, they would accept testimony from every Israelite man, for every Israelite has a presumption that he is kosher until you know that he is invalid. From when the heretics corrupted and they'd hire men to testify that they'd seen and they hadn't seen, they amended that the court would only accept testimony of the month from witnesses that the court recognised were kosher and that they'd interrogate and investigate the testimony.

Halacha 3ג׳

לְפִיכָךְ אִם לֹא יִהְיוּ בֵּית דִּין יוֹדְעִים אֶת הָעֵדִים שֶׁרָאוּ אֶת הַיָּרֵחַ מְשַׁלְּחִין אַנְשֵׁי הָעִיר שֶׁנִּרְאָה בָּהּ עִם הָעֵדִים שֶׁרָאוּ עֵדִים אֲחֵרִים שֶׁמְּזַכִּין אוֹתָן לְבֵית דִּין וּמוֹדִיעִין אוֹתָן שֶׁאֵלּוּ כְּשֵׁרִים הֵם וְאַחַר כָּךְ מְקַבְּלִין מֵהֶם:

As such, if the court do not know the witnesses that saw the moon, the men of the city that it was seen in send with the witnesses that saw the moon other witnesses that justify them to the court and inform them that these are kosher and afterwards they are accepted.