Rumors had flown around for years about Mrs. Goldman, the 6th grade literature teacher who was fabled to have a book report/week ratio of more than 1. Joshua Schapiro, entering middle school, was justifiably scared on that September day when Summer Vacation ended. He walked into the classroom, looked at the seating chart on the wall, and plopped down into a chair near the back row.
Immediately, a sheet was passed around, with the class's reading schedule on it. It wasn't as bad as he feared- only twenty or so books instead of forty- but the load was more than anything Joshua had had before in his life.
The due date for the first book report was September 16th. Joshua, by complete accident, forgot to print his report out, and so he came empty-handed to the teacher's desk. He was expecting to be reprimanded, but Mrs. Goldman merely said, "Make sure it doesn't happen again." The next day, Joshua turned in the report. He got an A minus.
Unfortunately for Joshua, on September 24th, the next due date, he once again did not have his report. The teacher, shockingly, did not yell at him or even speak harshly. Instead, Mrs. Goldman merely repeated her line: "Make sure it doesn't happen again."
Joshua soon realized that he could get away with bringing in his book reports late. Accordingly, he would always give in his reports late; and though the teacher repeated her warning over and over, it fell on deaf ears.
At the parent-teacher conferences, Mr. and Mrs. Schapiro were informed of their son's recalcitrant behavior. They relayed the message to Joshua, who nodded and agreed, but in practice did not change his ways.
Finally, after eighteen late book reports, the principal got wind of the story. He called Mrs. Goldman in to his office for a talk.
"I believe that there is a student who deliberately turns in his assignments late," the principal began.
"Yes."
"You have warned him over and over again that he must turn in his work on time."
"Yes."
"You have tried talking to his parents, and the problem remains unsolved."
"Yes."
"And yet you continue to accept his work, although he spites it?"
"Yes. His writing is good quality."
"But why? Why do you subsidize his belief that he can slack off in class and nothing will happen?"
Mrs. Goldman laughed.
"With all due respect, you're forgetting something. I get to give Joshua a report card."
The above story is an allegory to the holidays, with this matchup:
Mrs. Goldman-- Hashem.
Joshua Schapiro-- Beit Din/Bnei Yisrael.
Book Report-- Holidays.
The following sources are its base:
[Scripture] states, "You... you... you... (Leviticus 23:2)-" 'you' three times: even if you are accidentally mistaken, even if you are purposely mistaken, even if you are off, [these are still my dates of the holidays, according to your calculations].
Note: This gemara, it would seem, is talking about the word 'Otam' , 'them (ie. the holidays)', and changing the vowelization to 'Atem', 'you'. I will outline, however, the prefix taf (which changes a word from the actio to a command to others to do the action). Wherever it comes up in regard to the declarations of these being G-d's festivals, the word 'Otam' is also present, and so nothing is lost.
(ב) דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם מוֹעֲדֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־תִּקְרְא֥וּ אֹתָ֖ם מִקְרָאֵ֣י קֹ֑דֶשׁ אֵ֥לֶּה הֵ֖ם מוֹעֲדָֽי׃ (ג) שֵׁ֣שֶׁת יָמִים֮ תֵּעָשֶׂ֣ה מְלָאכָה֒ וּבַיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י שַׁבַּ֤ת שַׁבָּתוֹן֙ מִקְרָא־קֹ֔דֶשׁ כָּל־מְלָאכָ֖ה לֹ֣א תַעֲשׂ֑וּ שַׁבָּ֥ת הִוא֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה בְּכֹ֖ל מֽוֹשְׁבֹתֵיכֶֽם׃ (פ) (ד) אֵ֚לֶּה מוֹעֲדֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה מִקְרָאֵ֖י קֹ֑דֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר־תִּקְרְא֥וּ אֹתָ֖ם בְּמוֹעֲדָֽם׃ (ה) בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הָרִאשׁ֗וֹן בְּאַרְבָּעָ֥ה עָשָׂ֛ר לַחֹ֖דֶשׁ בֵּ֣ין הָעַרְבָּ֑יִם פֶּ֖סַח לַיהוָֽה׃
(2) Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: The appointed seasons of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are My appointed seasons. (3) Six days shall work be done; but on the seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of work; it is a sabbath unto the LORD in all your dwellings. (4) These are the appointed seasons of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their appointed season. (5) In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at dusk, is the LORD’S passover.
(לז) אֵ֚לֶּה מוֹעֲדֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־תִּקְרְא֥וּ אֹתָ֖ם מִקְרָאֵ֣י קֹ֑דֶשׁ לְהַקְרִ֨יב אִשֶּׁ֜ה לַיהוָ֗ה עֹלָ֧ה וּמִנְחָ֛ה זֶ֥בַח וּנְסָכִ֖ים דְּבַר־י֥וֹם בְּיוֹמֽוֹ׃
(37) These are the appointed seasons of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to bring an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt-offering, and a meal-offering, a sacrifice, and drink-offerings, each on its own day;
We see this thinking applied in practical Halakha:
(ז) ראש בית דין אומר: מקדש, וכל העם עונין אחריו: מקדש מקדש. בין שנראה בזמנו בית שלא נראה בזמנו, מקדשין אותו. רבי אלעזר ברבי צדוק אומר: אם לא נראה בזמנו, אין מקדשין אותו, שכבר קדשוהו שמים.
(7) The head of the court [then] said, "[The new month is] consecrated" and all the people answered after him, "Consecrated, consecrated." Whether [the new moon] had been seen at its time [meaning, on the first of the two possible days] or whether it had not been seen at its time, we consecrate it. Rabbi Eliezer bar Tsadok, said, "If it had not been seen at its time, it was not consecrated, because it had already been consecrated by the Heavens [on the second day]."
The Tanna Kamma ('First Teacher', ie. Nameless Opinion), which is generally the majority opinion, states that even if it is obvious when Rosh Chodesh will be (for lack of alternatives), the Beit Din still ceremonially consecrates the date.