Eruvin 40b — the Talmud in English

He said

he answered

Rabbi Zeira: The case of the New Moon is different, since it is included in the morning [

in the morning ]

and evening prayers; it is also included in the additional prayers.

That is to say: From the fact that Beit Shammai did not designate a blessing of its own for the New Moon, there is no proof that it is not necessary to mention the New Moon at all on Rosh Hashanah.

For it may properly be said that one mentions the New Moon, but includes it with the blessing of the sanctity of the day, and concludes and says: “Who sanctifies Israel, the Day of Remembrance, and the New Moons.” [And likewise, if the New Moon occurs on Shabbat, one does not mention the New Moon in a blessing of its own.]

And if you say: What is different from the mention of Shabbat, which according to Beit Shammai is not included in the sanctity of the day?

I can say to you: Since in the morning and evening prayers of Rosh Hashanah [or of Shabbat] one does not mention the New Moon as a blessing of its own [for if the New Moon had occurred on a weekday, it would not have had a blessing of its own], but includes it in the Avoda, saying Ya'aleh ve-yavo. If so, now too, in the morning and evening prayers of Rosh Hashanah [or of Shabbat], in which one mentions the New Moon not in the Avoda, one does not designate a blessing of its own for it, but includes it with the sanctity of the day.

And since in the morning and evening prayers of Rosh Hashanah [or of Shabbat] one includes it with the sanctity of the day, we do this likewise in the additional prayer, even though on a weekday one mentions the New Moon in the additional prayer as a blessing of its own.

And we wonder about this, when we say that according to Beit Shammai one includes the New Moon in the sanctity of the day.

For according to this reasoning, one must say that when the New Moon occurs on Shabbat, one includes the New Moon of Shabbat in the additional prayer [for it is one matter, as was explained].

And now it is difficult:

Do Beit Shammai indeed hold of “including”

the New Moon when it occurs on Shabbat, in the additional prayer?!

For it was taught: When the New Moon occurs on Shabbat, Beit Shammai say: One prays

in the additional prayer

eight

blessings, because one must designate a blessing for Shabbat and a blessing for the New Moon, apart from the first three and the last three.

And Beit Hillel say: One prays seven,

and includes the New Moon and Shabbat in a single blessing.

And since this is so,

it is difficult

for Rabbi Zeira’s answer, and necessarily it is proven from the fact that Beit Shammai did not designate a blessing of its own for the New Moon in the additional prayer of Rosh Hashanah that one does not mention the New Moon at all, for one remembrance serves for both purposes.

And the Gemara says:

And it includes itself,

that is to say: This that we say, that in the morning and evening prayers one includes the New Moon in the blessing of the sanctity of the day on days when it is mentioned, namely, when the New Moon occurs on Shabbat—

it is a dispute among tannaim

who disagree about this, whether one includes it in the sanctity of the day or includes it in the Avoda, as on a weekday.

For it was taught: When Shabbat occurs on the New Moon or during the intermediate days of a Festival [

on these days, when they occur on a weekday, one mentions the day in the Avoda in the evening, morning, and afternoon prayers, and in the additional prayer in a blessing of its own ]:

In the evening, morning, and afternoon prayers, one prays as usual

on every Shabbat

seven

blessings, and says the subject of the occasion in the Avoda, as he does on a weekday.

Rabbi Eliezer says: In the thanksgiving

as one says Al ha-nissim on Hanukkah and Purim [Rashi, Beitza 17a], and as he does on a weekday according to Rabbi Eliezer, [as it is stated in the Tosefta, Berakhot, chapter 3, halakha 14].

And if he did not say

Ya'aleh ve-yavo,

they return him.

And in the additional prayers:

one includes the sanctity of the day within that of Shabbat, and

begins with that of Shabbat [

“And grant us this day of rest” ]

and concludes with that of Shabbat [

“Who sanctifies Shabbat” ],

and says the sanctity of the day “

And grant us, Hashem our God, this day of rest and the day of the New Moon or such-and-such Festival”

in the middle [

according to Rashi, Beitza 17a ]! And this is the tanna who does not hold of inclusion.

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel and Rabbi Yishmael, the son of Rabbi Yohanan ben Beroka, say: Wherever seven are required

blessings on account of Shabbat—that is, both in the morning prayer and in the additional prayer—

he begins with that of Shabbat and concludes with that of Shabbat, and says the sanctity of the day in the middle!

And this is the tanna who holds of inclusion.

What became of it

regarding mentioning the New Moon on Rosh Hashanah?

Rav Hisda said: One remembrance serves for both purposes,

and it is not necessary to mention the New Moon additionally.

And Rabba likewise said: One remembrance serves for both purposes.

And Rabba said: When we were in the academy of Rav Huna, we raised the question: What is the law concerning saying Sheheheyanu [

“Who has given us life” ]

on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

as one says it on the other Festivals?

Do we say:

Since it comes from time to time, we say it; or perhaps, since they are not called “Pilgrimage Festivals,” we do not say it?

Rav Huna did not have it in his possession

to resolve.

And

when I came [

I, Rabba ]

to Rav Yehuda, he said: Even over a new gourd [

when I see a new gourd from year to year ]

I also say Sheheheyanu,

and all the more so over the joy of the Festival of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

He said to him

Rabba to Rav Yehuda: The

permission

in his possession to recite Sheheheyanu—as one recites it over a new gourd—

is not what I am asking,

for it is possible.

What I am asking is whether it is obligatory

to say it—

what is the law?

He said to him

Rav Yehuda to Rabba:

Rav and Shmuel both say: One says Sheheheyanu only on the three Pilgrimage Festivals.

He challenged

Rav and Shmuel: It is written in the Book of Ecclesiastes,

“Give a portion to seven, and also to eight.”

Rabbi Eliezer says:

“Seven”—

these are the seven days of Creation,

from which you give a portion, for Shabbat is selected from among them.

“Eight”—

these are the eight days of circumcision,

for the eighth day is selected from among them.

Rabbi Yehoshua says:

“Seven”—

these are the seven days of Passover,

during which you must give a portion to all of them, and below he explains it.

“Eight”—

these are the eight days of the Festival.

And when he says, “and also”

to eight—

to include the Assembly [

Shavuot ]

and Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

Is it not—

Rabbi Yehoshua—

for Sheheheyanu

that he says to give a portion, that is to say, that one should recite Sheheheyanu on them?

It is thus seen that one says Sheheheyanu on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

And we reject this:

No,

Rabbi Yehoshua is not speaking about Sheheheyanu, but

about a blessing,

for every day one recites, “Who sanctifies Israel and the seasons.”

This too is logically indicated,

that it refers to a blessing:

For if you should think

that

about Sheheheyanu

he says “Give a portion to seven,” which implies all seven,

is there Sheheheyanu for all seven days?!

And we reject the proof:

This is not difficult,

and it is indeed possible to say “Give a portion to seven” regarding Sheheheyanu, for this is what it says:

If he does not recite it now

on the first day,

he recites it

and completes it

on the following day and on another day

until the end of seven or eight.

And we question this interpretation:

In any event, a cup is required

to say Sheheheyanu over it, and ordinarily people have a cup on the first day, but on the other days not everyone has a cup [Rashi]. If so,

let us say that this supports Rav Nahman, for Rav Nahman said: One says Sheheheyanu even in the marketplace.

And we answer:

This is not difficult,

for even if we do not state the law according to Rav Nahman, we can reject it by saying that Sheheheyanu of seven means completing the seven, and one finds such completion where

a cup happens to be available to him.

And now, based on the requirement of a cup, we raise another difficulty against the attempt to establish the verse as referring to Sheheheyanu:

This works well for Shavuot and Rosh Hashanah,

for we can establish “and also” with regard to them, to say that one recites Sheheheyanu over a cup on them; but

what can he do on Yom Kippur?

For

if he recites it over it

Sheheheyanu

and

afterwards

drinks it,

this is impossible, for

once he says “Sheheheyanu,” he accepts it

for Yom Kippur

upon himself, and forbids it

for drinking the cup.

For Rav Yirmeya bar Abba said to Rav—

who once prayed the evening prayer of Shabbat while it was still daytime, because the sky had become covered with clouds—

Have you withdrawn

from work once you accepted Shabbat upon yourself?

And he said to him,

Rav

“Yes, I have withdrawn!”

And likewise, one must withdraw from all the prohibitions of Yom Kippur, including drinking. It follows that he cannot drink the cup over which he recited Sheheheyanu.

And if you say that this is what he should do:

Let him recite it over it

Sheheheyanu

and leave it

and not drink it, since he must withdraw.

This too is impossible.

For it is established for us:

The one who recites the blessing must taste!

Lest you say:

Let him give it

to drink

to a minor

who has reached the age for education regarding blessings but has not reached the age for education regarding fasting on Yom Kippur.

This too is impossible.

For

the halakha is not in accordance with Rav Aha bar Yaakov [

Rashi wrote: It was not explained to him regarding what Rav Aha said, and see Tosafot ], but it is forbidden to give it on Yom Kippur to a minor,

lest he come

the minor

to become accustomed [

so that the child will become accustomed to this practice, that he drinks on Yom Kippur, and will drink even after he grows up ].

What became of it

regarding this question that we raised, whether one says Sheheheyanu on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur?

The Sages sent Rav

(Yemar) [

Yeiva,

Rashi and the margin ]

the Elder

to

before Rav Hisda [

they sent Rav Yeiva to Rav Hisda ],

on the eve of Rosh Hashanah [

on the eve of Rosh Hashanah ], and

they said to him,

to Rav Yeiva:

Go see how

Rav Hisda

acts,

and

come tell us [

see whether he says Sheheheyanu, and come tell us ]!

When he saw him [

when Rav Hisda saw ] Rav Yeiva,

he said to him,

Rav Hisda:

If one lifts a wet log, it is placed

in its place [

it is a proverb: If one lifts a wet piece of wood, which is unfit for fuel, it is certain that he needs the place of the wood, since he did not lift it for no reason, and it is unfit for fuel ].

That is to say: I understand that you did not come here for no reason, but that you wish to see some matter from me.

They brought him—

to Rav Hisda—

a cup of wine [

a cup of wine ],

he recited Kiddush and said Sheheheyanu!

And the halakha is: One says Sheheheyanu on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur; and the halakha is: One says Sheheheyanu even in the marketplace!

And Rabba said: When we were in the academy of Rav Huna, we raised the question:

A student of the academy who fasts on the eve of Shabbat,

who sits in a fast on the eve of Shabbat —

What is the law concerning completing

the entire day of fasting, or must he end his fast before Shabbat, so that he will not enter Shabbat while afflicted?

Rav Huna did not have it in his possession

to resolve.

I came before Rav Yehuda, and he too did not have it

also

in his possession.

Rava said: Let us examine it ourselves,

how we will resolve it:

For it was taught: When the Ninth of Av occurs on Shabbat,