Y om T o v Sheni Yom Tov Sheni - Chidushei Torah@NDS

Yom Tov Sheni
16
messenger was able to reach within 10 days for Tishrei and 14 days
for Nissan. Another problem the use of messengers presented from
the security standpoint was their susceptibility to bribery. Such a
case was documented in the Talmud 23 . As a result, the sages gave
the messengers a written certificate from the Beit Din to prove their
authenticity to the towns they reached 24 .
Table 2 illustrates the similarities between using messengers and a
computer network communication.
Table 2 Comparison between Messenger and
Computer Network Communication Methods
Messenger Method of
Communication
Team of messengers dispatched
to notify Jewish communities of
new month.
The messengers use public
roads to reach only certain
communities.
Digital Computer Network
Communication
Several computers that are
nodes on VPN network.
The computers use a public
network to communicate
confidentially which is the basis
of a VPN.
Team arrives to give message. Computer 1 performs
handshaking with Computer 2
on network.
Team presents certified
document that they are indeed
from the Beit Din.
Local Beit Din accepts testimony
from agents.
Team continues to next
community.
Computer 2 validates the
digital certificate of Computer
1 and if the validation succeeds,
Computer 1 accepts the packet.
Computer 2 sends an
acknowledgment back to
Computer 1 to say that it
successfully received the packet.
Computer 2 forwards the data
packet to Computer 3.
:בכ הנשה שאר 23
:בכ הנשה שאר יריאמ 24