KUMAHEBHERU ebewaseNarheni yesiThembiso, umnyaka bewuthoma nakulungiswa ihlabathi nokuvunwa ebekwenzeka eenyangeni nje esizazi ngokuthi nguSeptemba/Oktoba.

Abantu bebabala ubude benyanga kuye ngomzombelezo wenyanga esikhanyisi. Ubude benyanga bebuba malanga ama-29 namkha ama-30. Ubude bomnyaka bebabubala ngelanga. Inyanga ebeyibalwa ngokuya komzombelezo wenyanga esikhanyisi, beyiyifitjhani khulu nayimadaniswa nomnyaka ebewubalwa ngelanga. Yeke bebatlhoga indlela yokwenza iindlela ezimbili zokubalezi zikhambisane. Lokhu bebakwenza ngokungezelela amalanga ambalwa namkha ngokungezelela inyanga, mhlamunye ngaphambi kokuthoma komnyaka. Indlela le beyenza ikhalenda ikhambisane nesikhathi sokutjalwa kunye nokuvunwa kwekoroyi.

Ngesikhathi sakaMosi, uZimu watjela abantu ukuthi, umnyaka wekolo bewuzokuthoma ngenyanga ka-Abibi namkha uNisani, etwasahlobo. (Eks. 12:2; 13:4) Umnyanya ebewenziwa ngenyanga le bewuhlanganisa ukuvunwa kwebhali.—Eks. 23:15, 16.

Isazi igama laso elingu-Emil Schürer satlola encwadinaso ethi, The History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus Christ, (175 B.C.–A.D. 135). “Bekubulula ukukhetha bona sizokusebenzisa muphi umthetho. Isidlo sePhasika besigidingwa lokha inyanga nayigcweleko ngoNisani (14 Nisani), bekufuze kwenzeke ngemva kwelanga etwasahlobo namkha lokha ilanga nobusuku kulingana ngobude . . . Nangabe bekubonakala nasele kuyokuphela umnyaka ukuthi iPhasika lizokuba ngaphambi kwe-vernal equinox, bekungezelelwa inyanga yinye [yesi 13] ngaphambi kwakaNisani.”

AboFakazi bakaJehova basebenzisa indlela le yokubala nabazakufumana ilanga elinqophileko leSidlo seKosi saNtambama, eliba setwasahlobo begodu likhambisana noNisani 14 wekhalenda yamaHebheru. Amabandla ephasini loke aziswa ngelangeli kusesenesikhathi. *

AmaHebheru bewazi njani ukuthi inyanga sele iphelile begodu sele kuzokuthoma enye? Namhlanjesi kubulula ukwazi ngombana siqala ikhalenda namkha siqala ufunjathwako. Ngeenkhathi zeBhayibheli bekungasibulula njenganamhlanjesi.

Ngesikhathi somThwalela, bekukholelwa ukuthi iinyanga zinamalanga ama-30 ubude. (Gen. 7:11, 24; 8:3, 4) Ngokwekhalenda yamaHebheru, bekungenzeki bona zoke iinyanga zibe namalanga ama-30. Ngokwekhalenda yamaHebheru, inyanga beyithoma lokha nasele kubonakala inyanga esikhanyini etja. Lokho bekutjho ukuthi izokuba namalanga ama-29 namkha ama-30 ngemva kokuthoma kwenyanga edlulileko.

Kobunye ubujamo, uDavida noJonathana lokha nabakhuluma ngokuthoma kwenyanga etja, bathi: “Kusasa lilanga lomgidi wokuthwasa kwenyezi.” (1 Sam. 20:5, 18) Kubonakala ngasuthi ngekhulu lesi-11 B.C.E., iinyanga bezibalelwa phambili. Yeke, um-Israyeli ongakafundi bekazokukghona njani ukubona ukuthi inyanga etja izokuthoma nini? IMishnah, okukubuthelelwa komthetho nezamasiko wamaJuda, isinikela imininingwana. Iveza ukuthi ngemva kobana amaJuda abuye ekuthunjweni eBhabhiloni, iSanhedirini (ikhotho ephakemeko) ngiyo ebeyibandakanyekileko. Eenyangeni ezilikhomba ebekugidingwa ngazo iminyanya, ikhotho beyihlangana ngelanga lama-30 enyangeni. Amadoda la bekufuze bakhethe bona inyanga elandelako izokuthoma nini. Bebakuqunta njani lokho?

Bekubekwa amadoda eendaweni eziphezulu kiyo yoke iJerusalema bona aqale umkayi ebusuku ukwenzela ukuthi abone ukuvela kwenyanga etja. Nayivelako, msinyana bebatjela iSanhedrini. Amadoda la nawabona ukuthi anobufakazi obaneleko bokuthi inyanga etja ivelile, bazokwenza isaziso sokuthoma kwenyanga  etja. Kuthiwani nange amafu namkha ikungu kubakhandela bona bangakuboni ukuvela kwenyanga etja? Inyanga abakiyo ngesikhatheso bekuzokuthiwa inamalanga ama-30, ngemva kwalokho bekuzokuthoma inyanga etja.

IMishnah ihlathulula ukuthi isiqunto seSanhedrini besikhitjhwa ngokuthi kusetjenziswe umlilo phezulu eNtabeni yama-Oliva, hlanu kweJerusalema. Kwezinye iindawo eziphezulu kwa-Israyeli, bekusetjenziswa umlilo bona kumenyezelwe iindabezi. Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi, kwasetjenziswa iinthunywa. AmaJuda ebewaseJerusalema, kwa-Israyeli nakiwo woke umphakathi bebatjelwa ngokuthoma kwenyanga etja. Boke bebagidinga iminyanya ngesikhathi esifanako.

Itjhadi elikhambisana nesihlokwesi lingakusiza khulu bona uzwisise ukuthi iinyanga zekhalenda yamaHebheru, iminyanya kunye neekhathi zomnyaka bezihlelwe njani.