Rosh Hashanah 8

והרי יובלות רבי ישמעאל בנו של רבי יוחנן בן ברוקה היא

The Gemara asks further: But the New Year for the Jubilee depends upon a certain action, i.e., sounding the shofar, and nevertheless the tanna counts it. The Gemara answers: The mishna is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yishmael, son of Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Beroka, who said that the Jubilee Year begins on Rosh HaShana, even without the shofar blast.

ורב אשי אמר ארבע ראשי השנים הם שהן בארבע ראשי חדשים

The Gemara presents an alternative answer as to why the tanna did not include all the other New Years. Rav Ashi said: The tanna said that there are four New Years that fall on four New Moons. However, there are also other New Years that do not fall on New Moons.

באחד בשבט כבית שמאי הכי קאמר שלשה לדברי הכל באחד בשבט מחלוקת בית שמאי ובית הלל

The Gemara raises a question: Does Rav Ashi count the first of Shevat as one of the New Years; but the first of Shevat is a New Year only according to Beit Shammai, and by the time of Rav Ashi, the halakha was known to be in accordance with the opinion of Beit Hillel? The Gemara answers that this is what Rav Ashi is saying: There are three New Years that all agree occur on the first of the month, and the first of Shevat is subject to a dispute between Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel.

רבי אלעזר ורבי שמעון אומרים באחד בתשרי אמר רבי יוחנן ושניהם מקרא אחד דרשו שנאמר לבשו כרים הצאן ועמקים יעטפו בר יתרועעו אף ישירו רבי מאיר סבר אימתי לבשו כרים הצאן בזמן שעמקים יעטפו בר ואימתי עמקים יעטפו בר באדר מתעברות באדר ויולדות באב ראש השנה שלהן אלול

§ The mishna teaches that Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Shimon say: The New Year for animal tithes is on the first of Tishrei. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: And both of them, Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Elazar, expounded the same verse in different ways. As it is stated in the verse: “The flocks are clothed in the meadows, and the valleys are wrapped in grain; they shout for joy, they also sing” (Psalms 65:14). Rabbi Meir holds: When are the flocks clothed in the meadows, i.e., when do the rams impregnate the ewes and thereby clothe them? It is at the time when the valleys are wrapped in grain, i.e., when they are covered in grain. And when are the valleys wrapped in grain? It is in Adar. Therefore, the sheep conceive in Adar and give birth five months later in Av, and so it is fitting that their New Year is on the first of Elul, as most of the year’s lambs have been born by then.

רבי אלעזר ורבי שמעון אומרים אימתי לבשו כרים הצאן בזמן שיתרועעו אף ישירו אימתי שבלים אומרות שירה בניסן מתעברות בניסן ויולדות באלול ראש השנה שלהן תשרי

Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Shimon say: When are the flocks clothed in the meadows? At the time that the stalks of grain “shout for joy, and also sing.” When do the stalks break out in song, i.e., when are they full, so that they rustle in the wind and create the whispering sounds of song? It is in Nisan. Therefore, the sheep conceive in Nisan and give birth in Elul, and so it is fitting that their New Year is on the first of Tishrei.

ואידך נמי הא כתיב יתרועעו אף ישירו ההוא באפלתא דהויין בניסן ואידך נמי הכתיב ועמקים יעטפו בר ההוא בחרפייתא דאתיין מאדר

The Gemara asks: And according to the other tanna, Rabbi Meir, as well, isn’t it written: “They shout for joy, they also sing”? The Gemara answers: That is referring to late sheep, which were conceived after the usual time, in Nisan. The Gemara asks: According to the other opinion of Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Shimon as well, isn’t it written: “And the valleys wrapped in grain,” which is in Adar? The Gemara answers: That is referring to early sheep, which were conceived in Adar.

בשלמא לרבי מאיר כדכתיב לבשו כרים הצאן בזמן שעמקים יעטפו בר ואיכא נמי יתרועעו אף ישירו אלא לרבי אלעזר ורבי שמעון איפכא מיבעי ליה לבשו כרים הצאן בזמן שיתרועעו אף ישירו ואיכא נמי דעמקים יעטפו בר

The Gemara asks further: Granted, according to the opinion of Rabbi Meir, the verse can be understood as it is written: “The flocks are clothed in the meadows” at the time when “the valleys are wrapped in grain.” But there are also some that do not conceive until as late as when “they shout for joy, they also sing.” But according to the opinion of Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Shimon, it should have been written in the reverse order: “The flocks are clothed in the meadows” at the time when “they shout for joy, they also sing,” but there are also some that conceive earlier, when “the valleys are wrapped in grain.” If so, according to them, the words in the verse were not written in their proper order.

אלא אמר רבא דכולי עלמא לבשו כרים הצאן בזמן שעמקים יעטפו בר באדר והכא בהאי קרא קמיפלגי עשר תעשר בשני מעשרות הכתוב מדבר אחד מעשר בהמה ואחד מעשר דגן

Rather, Rava said that the dispute must be explained as follows: Everyone is of the opinion that “the flocks are clothed in the meadows,” i.e., the sheep conceive, primarily at the time when “the valleys are wrapped in grain,” in the month of Adar. But here they disagree about the meaning of the following verse: “You shall tithe a tithe from all the increase of your seed that the field brings forth year by year. And you shall eat before the Lord your God, in the place which He shall choose to place His name there, the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herds, and of your flocks; that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always” (Deuteronomy 14:22–23). The verse speaks here about two tithes, one being the animal tithe and the other the grain tithe.

רבי מאיר סבר מקיש מעשר בהמה למעשר דגן מה מעשר דגן סמוך לגמרו עישורו אף מעשר בהמה סמוך לגמרו עישורו ורבי אלעזר ורבי שמעון סברי מקיש מעשר בהמה למעשר דגן מה מעשר דגן ראש השנה שלו תשרי אף מעשר בהמה ראש השנה שלו תשרי

They disagree about the following: Rabbi Meir holds that the verse juxtaposes the animal tithe to the grain tithe. Just as the grain tithe is set aside close to the grain’s completion, after it dries out in the field, so too, the animal tithe is set aside close to its completion, after the animals are born. Just as the grain is completed in Elul and is set aside the following month, which is Tishrei, so too, the animals are born in Av and therefore must be set aside in the following month, which is Elul. On the other hand, Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Shimon hold: The verse juxtaposes the animal tithe to the grain tithe. Just as in the case of the grain tithe, its New Year is in Tishrei, so too, in the case of the animal tithe, its New Year is in Tishrei.

באחד בתשרי ראש השנה לשנים למאי הלכתא אמר רב פפא לשטרות דתנן שטרי חוב המוקדמין פסולין והמאוחרין כשירין

§ It is taught in the mishna: On the first of Tishrei is the New Year for counting years. The Gemara asks: With regard to which halakha is this stated? Rav Pappa said: It is stated for determining the validity of documents, as we learned in a mishna: Antedated promissory notes, which bear a date that is earlier than the date when the loan actually took place, are invalid. But postdated promissory notes, which bear a date that is later than the date when the loan actually took place, are valid. Therefore, it is essential to know the date on which the new year begins in order to determine whether or not a particular promissory note is valid.

והתנן באחד בניסן ראש השנה למלכים ואמרינן למאי הלכתא ואמר רב חסדא לשטרות

The Gemara asks: But didn’t we already learn in the mishna: On the first of Nisan is the New Year for kings; and we say about this: For what halakha is this stated? And Rav Ḥisda said: It is for determining the validity of documents. Therefore, the new year for documents begins in Nisan and not in Tishrei.

לא קשיא כאן למלכי ישראל כאן למלכי אומות העולם

The Gemara answers: This is not difficult; here, where the document is dated according to the reign of the Jewish kings, the year begins in Nisan; and there, where the document is dated to the reign of the gentile kings of the nations of the world, the year begins in Tishrei.

אלא הא דאמר רב חסדא לא שנו אלא למלכי ישראל אבל למלכי אומות העולם מתשרי מנינן רב חסדא מתניתין אתא לאשמועינן

The Gemara asks: But that which Rav Ḥisda said in explanation of the mishna, that they taught that the New Year for kings is in Nisan only with regard to the Jewish kings, but as for the gentile kings of the nations of the world we count from Tishrei, did Rav Ḥisda come to teach us what was already taught in the mishna itself?

לא רב חסדא קראי אתא לאשמועינן

The Gemara answers: No, Rav Ḥisda came to teach us the meaning of certain biblical verses, i.e., that they should not be understood as was suggested at the beginning of this chapter but as teaching that the New Year for gentile kings is in Tishrei.

ואיבעית אימא רב חסדא כרבי זירא מתני לה דרבי זירא אמר לתקופה ורבי אליעזר היא דאמר בתשרי נברא העולם

And if you wish, say that Rav Ḥisda teaches the mishna as did Rabbi Zeira, and he maintains that when it says that the first of Tishrei is the New Year for years, it is not referring to documents, as Rabbi Zeira said: The first of Tishrei is the New Year for years with regard to calculating the cycles of the sun and the moon. And this is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Eliezer, who said: The world was created in the month of Tishrei, and all the calculations with regard to the sun and the moon are based on when they were created.

רב נחמן בר יצחק אמר לדין דכתיב מראשית השנה ועד אחרית שנה מראשית השנה נידון מה יהא בסופה

§ Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: When the mishna says that the first of Tishrei is the New Year for years, it is with regard to judgment, as on that day God judges the world for the whole year, as it is written: “A land that the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year until the end of the year” (Deuteronomy 11:12); from the beginning of the year judgment is passed as to what will happen at the end of the year.

ממאי דתשרי הוא דכתיב תקעו בחדש שופר בכסה ליום חגנו איזהו חג

The Gemara raises a question: From where is it known that the day of judgment is in Tishrei? As it is written: “Blow a shofar at the New Moon, at the covered time for our Festival day” (Psalms 81:4). Which is the Festival day

שהחדש מתכסה בו הוי אומר זה ראש השנה וכתיב כי חק לישראל הוא משפט לאלהי יעקב

on which the moon is covered, i.e., hidden? You must say that this is Rosh HaShana, which is the only Festival that occurs at the beginning of a month, when the moon cannot be seen. And it is written in the next verse: “For this is a statute for Israel, a judgment of the God of Jacob” (Psalms 81:5), implying that this is the day of judgment.

תנו רבנן כי חק לישראל הוא משפט לאלהי יעקב מלמד שאין בית דין של מעלה נכנסין לדין אלא אם כן קידשו בית דין של מטה את החדש

With regard to this same verse, the Sages taught in a baraita: “For this is a statute for Israel, a judgment of the God of Jacob”; this teaches that the heavenly court does not assemble for judgment until the earthly court has sanctified the month, once the Sanhedrin has declared that day as Rosh HaShana.

תניא אידך כי חק לישראל הוא אין לי אלא לישראל לאומות העולם מנין תלמוד לומר משפט לאלהי יעקב אם כן מה תלמוד לומר כי חק לישראל מלמד שישראל נכנסין תחילה לדין

It is taught in another baraita: The verse states: “For this is a statute for Israel.” From here I have derived only that this is the day of judgment for the Jewish people; from where do I derive that it is also the day of judgment for the gentile nations of the world? Therefore, the verse states: “A judgment for the God of Jacob,” Who rules over the entire world. If so, what is the meaning when the verse states: “A statute for Israel”? This teaches that the Jewish people enter for judgment first.

כדרב חסדא דאמר רב חסדא מלך וציבור מלך נכנס תחילה לדין שנאמר משפט עבדו ומשפט עמו

The Gemara notes: This is in accordance with the opinion of Rav Ḥisda, as Rav Ḥisda said: When a king and a community are brought before God for judgment, the king is brought in for judgment first, as it is stated: “And let these my words, with which I have made supplication before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, that He make the judgment of His servant and the judgment of His people Israel at all times” (I Kings 8:59). This verse is from King Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the Temple, and he is referring to himself a servant of God.

מאי טעמא אי בעית אימא לאו אורח ארעא למיקם מלכא אבראי ואיבעית אימא מקמי דליפוש חרון אף

What is the reason that the king is brought in first? If you wish, say that it is not proper conduct for the king to stand outside and wait for the trial of his subjects to come to an end. And if you wish, say instead that the king is brought in first so that he may be judged before God’s anger intensifies due to the sins of the community, and he may thereby be saved from overly harsh judgment.

ולשמיטין מנלן דכתיב ובשנה השביעית שבת שבתון יהיה לארץ וגמר שנה שנה מתשרי דכתיב מראשית השנה

§ The mishna teaches: The first of Tishrei is also the New Year for calculating Sabbatical Years. The Gemara asks: From where do we derive this? As it is written: “But in the seventh year shall be a Shabbat of solemn rest for the land” (Leviticus 25:4), and we learn by way of a verbal analogy between one instance of the word “year” and another instance of the word “year” that the year begins for this purpose from Tishrei, as it is written: “From the beginning of the year” (Deuteronomy 11:12). The latter verse is referring to the year that begins at the onset of the rainy season, i.e., Tishrei.

ולגמור שנה שנה מניסן דכתיב ראשון הוא לכם לחדשי השנה דנין שנה שאין עמה חדשים משנה שאין עמה חדשים ואין דנין שנה שאין עמה חדשים משנה שיש עמה חדשים

The Gemara raises a difficulty: But let us learn by way of a verbal analogy between one instance of the word “year” and another instance of the word “year” and conclude that for this purpose the year begins from Nisan, as it is written: “It shall be the first month of the year to you” (Exodus 12:2), and there the reference is to Nisan. The Gemara answers: The Sages derive the meaning of the word “year” that appears in the verse about the Sabbatical Year, where months are not mentioned with it, from the word “year” that appears in the verse in Deuteronomy above, where months are also not mentioned with it. And they do not derive the meaning of the word “year” where months are not mentioned with it from the word “year” that appears in the verse where months are mentioned with it, i.e., “It shall be the first month of the year for you.”

וליובלות יובלות באחד בתשרי הוא יובלות בעשרה בתשרי הוא דכתיב ביום הכפורים תעבירו שופר

§ The mishna teaches: The first of Tishrei is also the New Year for Jubilee Years. The Gemara asks: Is the New Year for Jubilee Years on the first of Tishrei? Isn’t the New Year for Jubilee Years on the tenth of Tishrei, Yom Kippur? As it is written: “Then shall you cause the shofar to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, on Yom Kippur shall you sound the shofar throughout all your land. And you shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants; it shall be a Jubilee for you” (Leviticus 25:9–10).

הא מני רבי ישמעאל בנו של רבי יוחנן בן ברוקא היא דתניא וקדשתם את שנת החמשים שנה מה תלמוד לומר לפי שנאמר ביום הכפורים יכול לא תהא מתקדשת אלא מיום הכפורים ואילך תלמוד לומר וקדשתם את שנת החמשים מלמד שמתקדשת והולכת מתחילתה

The Gemara answers: In accordance with whose opinion is this mishna? It is the opinion of Rabbi Yishmael, son of Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Beroka, as it is taught in a baraita: What is the meaning when the verse states: “And you shall hallow the fiftieth year”? Since it is stated that the shofar is blown “on Yom Kippur,” one might have thought that the year is sanctified only from Yom Kippur and onward. Therefore, the verse states: “And you shall hallow the fiftieth year,” which teaches that the year is sanctified from its beginning onward, from the first of Tishrei, when the year begins.

מכאן אמר רבי ישמעאל בנו של רבי יוחנן בן ברוקא מראש השנה עד יום הכפורים לא היו עבדים נפטרין לבתיהן ולא משתעבדין לאדוניהם אלא אוכלין ושותין ושמחין ועטרותיהן בראשיהן כיון שהגיע יום הכפורים תקעו בית דין בשופר נפטרו עבדים לבתיהן ושדות חוזרות לבעליהן

From here, Rabbi Yishmael, son of Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Beroka, said: From Rosh HaShana until Yom Kippur of the Jubilee Year, Hebrew slaves were not released to their homes because the shofar had not yet been sounded. And they were also not enslaved to their masters, as the Jubilee Year had already begun. Rather, they would eat, drink, and rejoice, and they would wear their crowns on their heads like free people. Once Yom Kippur arrived, the court would sound the shofar, slaves would be released to their houses, and fields that were sold would be returned to their original owners.

ורבנן שנים אתה מקדש ואי אתה מקדש חדשים

The Gemara asks: And the Rabbis who disagree with Rabbi Yishmael, son of Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Beroka, how do they interpret the verse: “And you shall hallow the fiftieth year”? The Gemara answers: They derive from here that you sanctify years, but you do not sanctify months. According to this opinion, the court is commanded to sanctify the Jubilee Year with a proclamation: This year is sanctified; but it is not commanded to sanctify the months with a similar proclamation.

תניא אידך יובל היא מה תלמוד לומר לפי שנאמר וקדשתם את שנת החמשים יכול כשם שמתקדשת והולכת מתחילתה כך מתקדשת והולכת בסופה ואל תתמה שהרי מוסיפין מחול על קדש תלמוד לומר יובל היא שנת החמשים שנת החמשים אתה מקדש ואי אתה מקדש שנת החמשים ואחת

It is taught in another baraita: What is the meaning when the verse states: “It shall be a Jubilee Year” (Leviticus 25:11)? Since it is stated: “And you shall hallow the fiftieth year,” one might have thought that just as the Jubilee Year is sanctified from its beginning onward, so too, it is sanctified at its end onward, i.e., it remains sanctified until Yom Kippur of the fifty-first year. And do not wonder why one might think this, as don’t we regularly add from the profane to the sacred, extending a sacred time period by adding to it both before and after from a profane time period? Therefore, the verse states: “It shall be a Jubilee Year, the fiftieth year,” to teach that you sanctify the fiftieth year, but you do not sanctify the fifty-first year, even partially.