How the Holy One Taught Moses to Sanctify the New Moon

Rabbi Simlai, and it is also taught in the name of Rabbi Shmuel: any new moon that is not born before six hours [of the day], the eye has no power to see it that evening. Rabbi Shmuel bar Yeva said, Rabbi Acha said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Rabbi Nachman: in the year that Israel went out [of Egypt], the months of the calendar year and the months of the solar season were equal. Rabbi Chiyya bar Ba said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: the Holy One, blessed be He, wrapped Himself in a tallit fringed with tzitzit, and set Moses on one side and Aaron on the other, and called to Michael and Gabriel and made them like witnesses who come to testify about the new moon, and said to them: in what manner did you see the moon? Before the sun or after the sun? To its north or to its south? How high was it, and which way did it incline? How wide was the crescent? He said to them: in the same order that you see it, so shall My children sanctify the leap year below, by means of an elder, and by means of witnesses, and by means of a fringed tallit.