KUMAHEBHERU lebekaseVeni Lesetsembiso, umnyaka bewucala nasekusikhatsi sekulima, nyalo lokunguSeptember nobe-October.

Bantfu bebakala budze benyanga basebentisa umjikeleto wenyeti (cycle of the moon), lokungemalanga langu-29 nobe langu-30. Budze bemnyaka bebukalwa ngelilanga. Nobe kunjalo, umnyaka lokalwe ngemjikeleto wenyeti bewumfishane kunalokalwe kusetjentiswa lilanga. Ngako kwadzingeka kutsi batfole indlela yekutsi letindlela letimbili tekubala tivumelane. Loku bakwenta ngekutsi bangete emalanga nobe inyanga, njenganakucala umnyaka. Ngekwenta kanjalo, lekhalenda beyitawuhambisana netikhatsi tekuhlanyela netekuvuna.

Nobe kunjalo, ngemalanga aMosi, Nkulunkulu watjela bantfu bakhe kutsi kubo umnyaka bewutawucala ngenyanga ya-Abibi nobe ngaNisani, lokusikhatsi sekucala kwebusika. (Eks. 12:2; 13:4) Umkhosi lebewuba khona ngalenyanga, bewufaka ekhatsi kuvunwa kwebhali.—Eks. 23:15, 16.

Ecwadzini yakhe letsi The History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus Christ (175 B.C.–A.D. 135), Emil Schürer losati utsi: “Bekulula kubona kutsi ingetwe yini inyanga kukhalenda nobe cha. LiPhasika lebekufanele ligutjwe nakugcwele inyeti ngaNisani (Nisani 14), bekufanele kutsi ngaso sonkhe sikhatsi libe ngemuva kwelilanga lapho khona busuku bebulingana nelilanga . . . Ngako nasekuyophela umnyaka, nakubonakala kutsi liPhasika litawuba ngaphambi kwalelilanga lapho khona busuku bebulingana nelilanga, emaJuda bekabese engeta inyanga ngaphambi kwaNisani.”

BoFakazi BaJehova basentisa lendlela nabancuma kutsi litawuba nini lilanga LeSidlo SeNkhosi Sakusihlwa, lesiba nakucala busika futsi lelivumelana naNisani 14 kukhalenda yemaHebheru. Emabandla aboFakazi lasemhlabeni wonkhe atjelwa kusenesikhatsi ngalelilanga. *

Kodvwa emaHebheru bekati njani kutsi inyanga icala nini futsi iphela nini? Lamuhla kungenteka uvele ubuke ikhalenda yakho leshicilelwe nobe uyibuke entfweni yakho yebuchwephesha. Kodvwa ngetikhatsi tekubhalwa kweliBhayibheli, bekungasimelula ngaleyondlela.

Ngemalanga aZamcolo, tinyanga betiba ngemalanga langu-30. (Gen. 7:11, 24; 8:3, 4) Ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi, kukhalenda yemaHebheru inyanga beyingahlali ingemalanga langu-30. KumaHebheru, inyanga beyicala nje nakubonakala inyeti lensha. Loko bekuba ngemuva kwemalanga langu-29 nobe langu-30 ngemuva kwekucala kwenyanga lephelile.

Ngalelinye lilanga, Davide naJonathani bakhuluma ngekucala kwenyanga lensha, batsi: “Kusasa ngumkhosi wekwetfwasa kwenyanga.” (1 Sam. 20:5, 18) Ngako kubonakala ngatsi ngesikhatsi sabo, tinyanga betibalwa kusenesikhatsi. Kodvwa ema-Israyeli bekati njani kutsi icala nini inyanga lensha? IMishnah, lokuyimitsetfo yemaJuda lebeyishiwo ngemlomo kanye nemasiko awo, kungasisita. Iyachaza kutsi ngemuva kwekubuya kwemaJuda ekutfuntjweni eBhabhulona, iNkantolo Lephakeme yemaJuda beyinesandla. Kuletinyanga letingu-7 lebekugutjwa ngato imikhosi, lenkantolo beyihlangana ngelilanga lesi-30 enyangeni. Lamadvodza bekufanele ancume kutsi inyanga lelandzelako itawucala nini. Bekancuma njani?

Emadvodza lebekabekwa etindzaweni letiphakeme eJerusalema bekabuka kuvela kwenyeti lensha esibhakabhakeni. Ngekushesha nje nakayibona, bekatjela lenkantolo. Lamadvodza nasekanebufakazi lobenele bekutsi inyeti lensha ibonakele, bekabese amemetela kucala kwenyanga lensha. Kodvwa bekwentiwa njani nangabe bekunemafu nobe inkhungu lokwenta lamadvodza angayiboni lenyeti lensha? Leyo nyanga beyibese iba nemalanga  langu-30, ngemuva kwaloko bese kucala inyanga lensha.

IMishnah iyachaza kutsi kuze kumenyetelwe kucala kwenyanga lensha, bekubaswa umlilo esicongweni seNtsaba Yemincumo, edvute neJerusalema. Bekubaswa umlilo kuletinye tindzawo letiphakeme ka-Israyeli, kuze bantfu bati ngekucala kwenyanga lensha. Ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi, kwabese kutfunyelwa titfunywa kutsi timemetele, ngako emaJuda lebekaseJerusalema nakuletinye tindzawo bekatjelwa ngekucala kwenyanga lensha. Ngako bonkhe bantfu bebagubha imikhosi ngesikhatsi lesifanako.

Mhlawumbe lelishadi lelikulomagazini lingakusita kutsi uticondze kahle tinyanga, imikhosi kanye netikhatsi temnyaka tangesikhatsi sema-Israyeli.