Another matter: “That has God near it” – Rabbi Yoḥanan said: When the ministering angels gather before the Holy One blessed be He, saying: ‘When is Rosh HaShana and when is Yom Kippur,’ the Holy One blessed be He says to them: ‘Why are you asking Me? Let us, I and you, go to the earthly court.’ From where is this derived? As it is written: “That has God near [kerovim]27Plural it” – it is not written here [of God]: “Who has a nation near [Him]” but rather [it is written of Israel]: “That has God near it” – He and His entire entourage.28The fact that God is described as close to Israel rather than the other way around indicates that, to a certain extent, Israel is primary.
The midrash interprets this to refer to the fact that it is Israel who determines when the new month occurs, and, consequently, when the holidays occur (but see Maharzu, who suggests a textual emendation to this passage). Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘Until you became My nation – “the appointed times of the Lord” (Leviticus 23:2).29It was God who determined the calendar. From then on – “that you shall proclaim them”’ (Leviticus 23:2).