בִזְמַן שֶׁעוֹשִׂין עַל הָרְאִיָּה הָיוּ מְחַשְּׁבִין וְיוֹדְעִין שָׁעָה שֶׁיִּתְקַבֵּץ בּוֹ הַיָּרֵחַ עִם הַחַמָּה בְּדִקְדּוּק הַרְבֵּה כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁהָאִיצְטַגְנִינִין עוֹשִׂין. כְּדֵי לֵידַע אִם יֵרָאֶה הַיָּרֵחַ אוֹ לֹא יֵרָאֶה. וּתְחִלַּת אוֹתוֹ הַחֶשְׁבּוֹן הוּא הַחֶשְׁבּוֹן שֶׁמְּחַשְּׁבִין אוֹתוֹ בְּקֵרוּב וְיוֹדְעִין שְׁעַת קִבּוּצָם בְּלֹא דִּקְדּוּק אֶלָּא בְּמַהֲלָכָם הָאֶמְצָעִי הוּא הַנִּקְרָא מוֹלָד. וְעִקְּרֵי הַחֶשְׁבּוֹן שֶׁמְּחַשְּׁבִין בִּזְמַן שֶׁאֵין שָׁם בֵּית דִּין שֶׁיִּקְבְּעוּ בּוֹ עַל הָרְאִיָּה וְהוּא חֶשְׁבּוֹן שֶׁאָנוּ מְחַשְּׁבִין הַיּוֹם הוּא הַנִּקְרָא עִבּוּר:
When [the new moon] was sanctified [based on the testimony of witnesses regarding] the sighting of the moon, the court would calculate the time of the conjunction of the sun and the moon in an exact manner, as the astronomers do. [This enabled them] to know whether or not the moon would be sighted. The first level of these calculations represent approximations of the time of the conjunction, and their accuracy is not great. This approximation of the time of the conjunction is calculated according to the mean rates of movements. The time of the conjunction as calculated in this manner is referred to as the molad. The essentials of the calculations that are used when a court to sanctify [the new moon based on the testimony of witnesses of] the sighting [of the moon] does not exist - i.e., the calculations we use today - are referred to as ibbur. To explain:
