We mentioned how Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai outwitted the other Sages regarding the shofar. The Talmud continues with his other innovations.He established two new laws to remember Jerusalem: waving the lulav and eating the new grain (chadash.) As a result, the possibility of the Temple being rebuilt any day or night was expressed in applicable laws. We discussed these in the Tractate Sukkah here. This is in the class of essential teachings, which are repeated in several places in the Talmud.
He also re-established accepting New Moon witnesses any time of the day. Initially, this is how the law was, but in the time of the Temple, they changed this so that the order of the sacrifices would not accidentally go awry. Now that there was no Temple, this precaution was unnecessary, and Rabbi Yochanan repealed the law. This, incidentally, agrees with the rule that even if the original reason for the law goes away, it still needs a Court ruling to be repealed.
Art: New York Harbor In Moonlight by Edward Moran
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