KUMAHEBHERE awayephila kwiLizwe Lesithembiso, unyaka wawuqala ngexesha lokulima nelokutyala, elinguSeptemba okanye uOktobha kwikhalenda yethu.

Abantu babesebenzisa umjikelo wenyanga ukuze babale iinyanga zonyaka ezineentsuku eziyi-29 okanye eziyi-30. Ubude bonyaka babebujonga elangeni. Kodwa unyaka obalwa ngomjikelo wenyanga mfutshane kunonyaka ojongwa elangeni. Ngoko kwakufuneka bafumane indlela yokwenza le minyaka ilingane. Le nto bayenza ngokufakela iintsuku okanye ngamany’ amaxesha inyanga, mhlawumbi ngaphambi kokuqala konyaka omtsha. Ngale ndlela, ikhalenda yabo yayitsho ihambisane namaxesha okulima nokutyala.

Ngexesha likaMoses, uThixo waxelela abantu bakhe ukuba unyaka wabo wenkonzo wawumele uqale ngenyanga enguAbhibhi okanye uNisan ngentwasahlobo, eba nguMatshi okanye uAprili kweli xesha lethu. (Eks. 12:2; 13:4) Itheko elalisibakho ngaloo nyanga lalinento yokwenza nokuvunwa kwerhasi.​—Eks. 23:15, 16.

Umphandi uEmil Schürer, kwincwadi yakhe ethi The History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus Christ, (175 B.C.–A.D. 135) uthi, “Kwakulula ukubona ukuba kumele kongezwe enye inyanga na kwikhalenda. IPasika kwakufuneka yenziwe ngentwasahlobo apho imini ilinganayo nobusuku. Yayisiba ngoNisan 14 ekupheleni kwemini xa inyanga iphelele . . . Ekupheleni konyaka, ukuba iPasika ibonakala iza kuba ngaphambi kolu suku, kwakusongezwa inyanga ye-13, ibe ngaphambi koNisan.”

AmaNgqina KaYehova asebenzisa le nkqubo xa efuna ukwazi usuku lweSidlo SeNkosi Sangokuhlwa, esiba ngentwasahlobo ngosuku olungqamana noNisan 14 ngokwekhalenda yamaHebhere. Kuye kuxelelwe amabandla akumhlaba wonke ukuba siza kuba nini, lungekabiphi ukufika olo suku. *

AmaHebhere ayesazi njani ukuba inyanga iza kuphela nini ize iqale nini elandelayo? Kulula kuthi kule mihla kuba sinekhalenda. Kodwa ngamaxesha okubhalwa kweBhayibhile, kwakungekho lula.

Ngexesha loMkhukula, iinyanga zaziba neentsuku eziyi-30. (Gen. 7:11, 24; 8:3,4) Emva kwawo, inyanga yayingahlali ineentsuku eziyi-30. Ngokwekhalenda yamaHebhere, inyanga yayiqala xa inyanga ethwasayo ibonakala esibhakabhakeni. Ngoko yayiba ziintsuku eziyi-29 okanye eziyi-30.

Ngeny’ imini xa uDavide noYonatan babethetha ngenyanga elandelayo bathi: “Ngomso kuthwasa inyanga.” (1 Sam. 20:5, 18) Ngoko kuyabonakala ukuba ngexesha labo iinyanga zazibalwa zingekabiphi ukufika. AmaSirayeli ayesazi njani ukuba iza kuqala nini inyanga entsha? IMishnah, incwadi enemithetho nezithethe zamaYuda ezazikade zidluliselwa ngomlomo iyasichazela. Ithi emva kokuba amaYuda ebuyile ekuthinjweni eBhabhiloni, qho ngosuku lwe-30 kwiinyanga eziyi-7 ekwakusenziwa ngazo amatheko, iNkundla Ephakamileyo yamaYuda yayidibana. Yayiba ngaloo madoda agqiba ngosuku eza kuqala ngalo inyanga elandelayo. Ayeyenza njani loo nto?

Kwakuthunyelwa amadoda ukuba aye kwiindawo eziphakamileyo ezikuyo yonke iYerusalem aye kujonga ukuba ayikaveli na inyanga ethwasayo esibhakabhakeni. Ayesithi akuyibona, akhawuleze aye kuxelela iNkundla Ephakamileyo. Xa amadoda ale nkundla efumene ubungqina obupheleleyo bokuba iboniwe inyanga ethwasayo, ayechaza ukuba iqalile inyanga entsha. Kodwa kwakusenziwani xa inyanga ethwasileyo ingabonakali  ngenxa yenkungu okanye amafu? Iintsuku zaloo nyanga zaziba yi-30 kuze kuqale elandelayo.

IMishnah ithi isaziso seNkundla Ephakamileyo sokuba inyanga iyaqala, sasisenziwa ngokubaswa komlilo kwiNtaba YeMinquma ekufutshane neYerusalem. Kwakubaswa imililo nakwezinye iindawo eziphakamileyo zakwaSirayeli. Ekuhambeni kwexesha, yayiba ngabantu abahamb’ ebechaza ukuba iqalile inyanga. Yayiba zezo ndlela ke amaYuda aseYerusalem, kwaSirayeli nakwezinye iindawo awayexelelwa ngazo ukuba inyanga iyaqala. Ngoko onke amaYuda ayetsho akwazi ukwenza amatheko amaxesha amisiweyo ngexesha elinye.

Le tshati ikunceda uzazi iinyanga, amatheko namaxesha onyaka awayekwikhalenda yamaHebhere ngexesha lamaSirayeli.