Eruvin 40b (מ:) — the Talmud in English

He said:

He answered:

“Rosh Hodesh is different, since it is included in the morning prayer, [

the morning prayer]

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

In other words: From the fact that Beit Shammai did not designate a separate blessing for Rosh Hodesh, there is no proof that it is not necessary to mention Rosh Hodesh at all on Rosh HaShana.

For it can properly be said that Rosh Hodesh is mentioned, but it is included with the blessing of the sanctity of the day, and one concludes by saying: “Who sanctifies Israel, the Day of Remembrance, and the New Moons.” [And likewise, if Rosh Hodesh occurs on Shabbat, it is not mentioned in a separate blessing].

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

I can say to you: Since in the morning and evening prayers of Rosh HaShana [or of Shabbat], Rosh Hodesh is not mentioned as a separate blessing [for if Rosh Hodesh occurred on a weekday, it would not have a separate blessing], but is included in the service, where one says Yaaleh Veyavo, therefore now as well, in the morning and evening prayers of Rosh HaShana [or of Shabbat], when Rosh Hodesh is mentioned outside the service, a separate blessing is not designated for it; rather, it is included with the sanctity of the day.

And since in the morning and evening prayers of Rosh HaShana [or of Shabbat] it is included with the sanctity of the day, we do the same in the additional prayer as well, even though on a weekday Rosh Hodesh is mentioned in the additional prayer as a separate blessing.

And we raise an objection to this, that we have said that according to Beit Shammai Rosh Hodesh is included with the sanctity of the day.

For according to this reasoning, one must say that when Rosh Hodesh occurs on Shabbat, Rosh Hodesh is included with Shabbat in the additional prayer [since they constitute one matter, as explained].

And now this is difficult:

Do Beit Shammai indeed hold that one “includes”

Rosh Hodesh when it occurs on Shabbat, in the additional prayer?

And it was taught in a baraita: When Rosh Hodesh occurs on Shabbat, Beit Shammai say: One prays

in the additional prayer

eight

blessings, because it is necessary to designate one blessing for Shabbat and one blessing for Rosh Hodesh, in addition to the first three and last three blessings.

And Beit Hillel say: One prays seven,

and includes Rosh Hodesh and Shabbat in a single blessing.

And since this is so,

it is difficult

for Rabbi Zeira’s answer, and it is necessarily proven from the fact that Beit Shammai did not designate a separate blessing for Rosh Hodesh in the additional prayer of Rosh HaShana that Rosh Hodesh is not mentioned at all, since one remembrance suffices for both purposes.

And the Gemara says:

And it is itself included,

meaning: The statement that in the morning and evening prayers one includes Rosh Hodesh in the blessing of the sanctity of the day on days when it is mentioned—that is, when Rosh Hodesh occurs on Shabbat—

is subject to a dispute between tannaim;

they disagree about this matter, whether it is included with the sanctity of the day or included in the service, as on a weekday.

As it was taught in a baraita: When Shabbat occurs on Rosh Hodesh or during the intermediate days of a festival [

for on these days, when they occur on a weekday, one mentions the day in the service during the evening, morning, and afternoon prayers, and in the additional prayer in a separate blessing]:

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

on every Shabbat

seven

blessings, and says a mention of the particular occasion in the service, as he does on a weekday.

Rabbi Eliezer says: In the thanksgiving

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

And if he did not say

Yaaleh Veyavo,

he is made to repeat the prayer.

And in the additional prayers:

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

begins with that of Shabbat [

“And You granted us this day of rest”]

and concludes with that of Shabbat [

“Who sanctifies Shabbat”],

and says the sanctity of the day

“And You granted us, Lord our God, this day of rest and this day of Rosh Hodesh or this particular festival”

in the middle [according to Rashi, Beitza 17a]! And this is the tanna who does not hold that it is included.

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

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

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

one 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 that it is included.

What conclusion was reached

regarding mentioning Rosh Hodesh on Rosh HaShana?

Rav Hisda said: One remembrance suffices for both purposes,

and it is not necessary to mention Rosh Hodesh separately.

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

And Rabba said: When we were in Rav Huna’s study hall, we raised the question: What is the ruling with regard to reciting the blessing of time [

Sheheheyanu]

on Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur

as it is recited on the other festivals?

Do we say:

Since it comes from time to time, we recite it; or perhaps, since they are not called “pilgrimage festivals,” we do not recite it?

Rav Huna did not have the answer

to resolve the question.

And

when I came [

I, Rabba]

to Rav Yehuda’s study hall, he said: Even when I see a new gourd [

when I see a new gourd from one year to the next]

I also recite the blessing of time,

and all the more so because of the joy of the festival of Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur.

Rabba said to him,

Rav Yehuda: The

permission

to recite Sheheheyanu—as one recites it over a new gourd—is not what I am asking about,

for that is certainly possible,

but:

What I am asking about is whether it is obligatory

to recite it—

what is the ruling?

Rav Yehuda said to him,

Rabba:

Rav and Shmuel both say: The blessing of time is recited only on the three pilgrimage festivals.

The Gemara raises an objection

to 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 allot a portion, since Shabbat was chosen from among them.

“Eight”—

these are the eight days preceding circumcision,

from among which the eighth day was chosen.

Rabbi Yehoshua says:

“Seven”—

these are the seven days of Passover,

to all of which you must allot a portion, as the Gemara will explain below.

“Eight”—

these are the eight days of the festival.

And when it says: “And also”

to eight—

this comes to include the assembly, [

Shavuot]

Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur.

Is it not—

according to Rabbi Yehoshua—

the blessing of time

that he is referring to when he says to allot a portion, meaning that one should recite Sheheheyanu on them?

It is therefore evident that one recites the blessing of time on Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur.

And we reject this:

No,

Rabbi Yehoshua is not referring to the blessing of time, but

to the blessing

that is recited every day: “Who sanctifies Israel and the seasons.”

This too is evidently so,

that the statement refers to a blessing:

For if you should think

that

the blessing of time

is what is meant when we say “Give a portion to seven,” implying all seven days,

is there a blessing of time on all seven days?!

And we reject this support:

This is not difficult,

and it is entirely possible to interpret “Give a portion to seven” as referring to the blessing of time, for this is what it means:

If he does not recite the blessing today,

on the first day,

he recites it

and completes it

on the following day or on another day,

until the end of the seven or eight days.

And we question this interpretation:

In any event, a cup is required

on which to recite the blessing of time, 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 Naḥman, for Rav Naḥman said: The blessing of time may be recited even in the marketplace.

And we answer:

This is not difficult,

for even if we do not accept Rav Naḥman’s ruling, we can reject the argument by saying that the reference to seven days means that the blessing may be completed during the seven days, and such completion is possible when

a cup happens to come into his possession.

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

This works for Shavuot and Rosh HaShana,

as we can interpret “and also” as referring to them, to say that the blessing of time is recited over a cup on those days; but

what can one do on Yom Kippur?

For

if he recites the blessing of time over it

the blessing of time

and

then

drinks it,

that is impossible, because

once he says “the blessing of time,” he accepts

Yom Kippur

upon himself, and prohibits it

for himself to drink from 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 overcast—

“Have you withdrawn

from labor once you have accepted Shabbat upon yourself?”

And

Rav

said to him: “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 the blessing of time.

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

Let him recite the blessing over it

the blessing of time,

and leave it,

without drinking it, since he must withdraw from drinking.

That too is impossible.

For we have established:

The one who recites a blessing must taste!

Lest you say:

Let him give it

to drink

to a child

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

That too is impossible.

For

the halakha is not in accordance with Rav Aḥa bar Yaakov [Rashi wrote: It was not explained to him with regard to what Rav Aḥa said this; see Tosafot], but it is prohibited to give it on Yom Kippur to a child,

lest he come

the child

to become accustomed [so that the child will continue the practice of drinking on Yom Kippur] and drink even after he grows older.

What conclusion was reached

regarding the question we raised, whether one recites the blessing of time on Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur?

The Sages sent Rav

(Yemar) [

Yeiva,

Rashi and the marginal gloss]

the Elder

to

Rav Hisda,

[they sent Rav Yeiva to Rav Hisda],

on the eve of Rosh HaShana,

[on the eve of Rosh HaShana], and

they said to him,

to Rav Yeiva:

“Go and see what

Rav Hisda

does,

and

come and tell us

[see whether he recites the blessing of time, and come tell us]!”

When he saw him [

when Rav Hisda saw Rav Yeiva],

Rav Hisda said to him

Rav Hisda:

“One who lifts a wet log slides it

to a particular place [

this is a proverb: When one lifts a wet log that is unfit for burning, it is evident that he needs that particular piece of wood, since he would not lift it for no reason, and it is unfit for burning].

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

They brought him—

to Rav Hisda—

a cup of wine [

a cup of wine],

he recited kiddush and said the blessing of time!

And the halakha is: One recites the blessing of time on Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur; and the halakha is: The blessing of time may be recited even in the marketplace!

And Rabba said: When we were in Rav Huna’s study hall, we raised the question:

What is the ruling concerning a student in the study hall who fasts on the eve of Shabbat,

one who fasts on the eve of Shabbat—

may he complete

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

Rav Huna did not have the answer

to resolve the question.

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

the answer

to resolve it.

Rava said: “Let us examine it ourselves”,

how we can resolve it:

As it was taught in a baraita: When the Ninth of Av occurs on Shabbat,