Rosh Hashanah 16b — the Talmud in English

And

again

they blow and sound the terua while standing

in the Additional Prayer [which one must recite while standing]?

But surely it was stated in the Torah to blow and sound the terua only once, and not twice!

Rather, the reason for the matter is

in order to confuse [

to impede]

the Satan,

so that he should not prosecute. For when he hears Israel cherishing the mitzvot and blowing a second time even though they are not obligated in the matter, his words are stopped. ,

The Gemara now brings additional statements of Rabbi Yitzhak. [Some of them are connected with the law and with the blowing of the shofar, and some of them are not]:

And Rabbi Yitzhak said: Every year in which they do not blow at its beginning

on Rosh Hashanah,

they sound the terua at its end.

For they must sound the terua at its end because of the troubles that will come upon them, as we learned in the second chapter of tractate Ta’anit, that they sound the terua over troubles [Beit Yosef on the Tur. And the Maharshal explained that “they sound the terua” is from the expression “evil,” meaning that there will be evil at its end].

What is the reason

that they sound the terua at its end?

Because

the Satan was not confused

through the blasts.

And Rabbi Yitzhak said: Every year that is poor at its beginning,

when Israel make themselves like poor people [like paupers] in their prayer and pray in the language of supplication [similar to what is stated: “The poor man speaks in supplications,” Proverbs 18], it

becomes wealthy at its end.

As it is stated [Deuteronomy 11] concerning Rosh Hashanah:

“From the beginning of the year”

“from the beginning of the year

until the end of the year.”

It was not written “from the beginning,” but rather

“from the poverty” is written, from the expression “poor.” And afterward it says

“and until the end”

—

an end that has an outcome!

And Rabbi Yitzhak said: A person is judged only according to his deeds at that time

at which he is judged. Even if it is revealed and known before the Holy One, blessed is He, that he will later become wicked.

As it is stated [Genesis 21] concerning Ishmael, son of Abraham:

“For God has heard the voice of the youth

—

where he is.”

And our Sages, of blessed memory, said in the Midrash Genesis Rabbah: The ministering angels said before the Holy One, blessed is He: Ishmael, whose descendants are destined to kill Your children through thirst in the future—you raise a well for him to save him from thirst?!

The Holy One, blessed is He, said to them: At this time, is he righteous or wicked?

They said to Him: Righteous.

He said to them: “Where he is.” That is, I judge the world only at its time.

And Rabbi Yitzhak said: Three things mention

the

sins of a person

before the Holy One, blessed is He. And

these are:

a. One who passes beneath a

leaning wall.

It mentions a person’s sins, because the Holy One, blessed is He, says: Is this person worthy that a miracle should be performed for him, since he endangers himself? And through this his sins are mentioned.

b.

And concentrated prayer.

One who relies on his prayer being heard, and therefore exerts himself to concentrate in it properly.

And the Holy One, blessed is He, says: Is this person worthy that his prayer should certainly be accepted? And through this his sins are mentioned.

c.

And one who delivers

to the Holy One, blessed is He,

a judgment against his fellow,

asking that He judge him.

For Rav Hanan said: Whoever delivers a judgment against his fellow

to the heavenly court—

he is punished first.

For they say about him: Is he worthy that his fellow should be punished on his account?! And through this his sins are mentioned.

And similarly Sarah delivered Abraham’s case to Heaven: she came with a complaint against him, asking why, when he prayed that he should have a son, he did not pray that this son should be from her; and therefore she was punished.

As it is stated [Genesis 16]:

“And Sarai said to Abram: My wrong

is upon you.

The Lord shall judge between me and you” [The “wrong” mentioned here is the withholding of prayer. For when a person’s salvation depends upon his fellow’s prayer for him, and his fellow does not pray, he “wrongs” him by withholding his salvation].

May the Lord judge between me and you.” [The “wrong” mentioned here is the withholding of prayer. When a person’s salvation depends on another person praying for him, and the other person does not pray, he is “wronging” him by withholding his salvation.]

And it is written [Genesis 23]:

“And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.”

From here [it follows] that Sarah died before Abraham.

From here it follows that Sarah died before Abraham.

And Rabbi Yitzhak said: Four things tear up

the

evil decree

of

the

person,

and these are:

a.

Charity.

b.

A cry,

prayer.

c.

A change of name.

Changing a person’s name.

d.

And a change of deed.

If he repents from his evil deeds.

And Rabbi Yitzhak explains from where he learned his words:

a.

Charity—

for it is written [Proverbs 10]:

“And charity saves from death.”

“And charity saves from death.”

b.

A cry—

for it is written [Psalms 107]:

“And they cried out to the Lord in their distress, and He brought them out from their straits.”

“And they cried out to the Lord in their distress, and He brought them out of their troubles.”

c.

A change of name—

for it is written [Genesis 17], that the Lord said to Abraham:

“Sarai your wife—you shall not call her name Sarai, for

from now on

Sarah is her name.”

Sarah is her name.”

And it is written

later in the verse:

“And I shall bless her, and I shall also give you a son through her.”

d.

A change of deed—

for it is written [Jonah 3]

“And God saw their deeds

that they had repented from their evil way.”

that they had repented from their evil way.”

And it is written

later in the verse:

“And God relented concerning the evil that He had said He would do to them, and He did not do it.”

And some say: Even a change of place tears up a person’s evil decree [because the matter causes him submission. Ritba].

tears up a person’s evil decree [because it causes him to submit himself. Ritva].

For it is written: [Genesis 12]:

“And the Lord said to Abram: Go forth for yourself from your land.”

“And the Lord said to Abram: Go forth from your land.”

And afterward,

and afterward it is stated:

“And I shall make you into a great nation.”

And the other one,

Rabbi Yitzhak, who did not say that a change of place tears up a person’s evil decree, holds that one cannot learn from Abraham our father for every person.

For

that one,

the blessing, “And I shall make you into a great nation,” was not because Abraham changed his place, but because he entered from outside the Land into the Land of Israel.

And

the merit of the Land of Israel—it was what benefited

him,

him.

But one who changes from place to place outside the Land, or in the Land, does not have his decree torn up.

And Rabbi Yitzhak said: A person is obligated to greet his teacher on the pilgrimage festival.

As it is stated [II Kings 4]:

“Why are you going to him

[to the prophet Elisha]

today?

[After all,]

it is not the new moon

[the New Moon],

and it is not Shabbat today.”

and today is not Shabbat.”

By implication,

it follows from the words of the verse,

that on the New Moon and on Shabbat she ought to go.

It would have been proper for her to go to the prophet.

That is, if a person is close to his teacher, he is obligated to go to him every Shabbat or on the New Moon. And if he is even farther away, he is obligated to go only on foot. Rabbi Yitzhak stated the obligation incumbent upon a person at the very least.

And Rabbi Yitzhak said: A person is obligated to purify himself on the pilgrimage festival.

As it is stated [Leviticus 11]:

“And you shall not touch their carcasses.”

And this verse speaks of the time of the pilgrimage festival, as below. The verse warns that a person should not be impure on the pilgrimage festival.

This verse speaks about the time of the pilgrimage festival, as explained below. The verse warns that a person should not be impure during the pilgrimage festival.

It was taught likewise:

It is stated in the verse:

“And you shall not touch their carcasses.”

One might have thought that Israel would be warned against contact with a carcass,

that they should not touch a carcass all year round.

The verse states [Leviticus 21]:

“Say to the priests, the sons of Aaron,

and say to them: For a dead person [he] shall not become impure.”

and say to them: For a dead person he shall not defile himself.”

And it follows that only

the sons of Aaron are warned

not to become impure. But

the Israelites are not warned.

And although this verse speaks of impurity from a corpse, whereas the verse above [“and you shall not touch their carcasses”] speaks of impurity from a carcass, nevertheless it is impossible to distinguish between their laws, as follows:

But surely

the

matter follows by a kal va-chomer: Just as for severe impurity,

impurity from a corpse [a corpse renders a person impure for seven days, whereas a carcass renders one who touches it impure only until evening, and he immerses and becomes pure],

priests

alone

are warned

concerning it, but

Israelites are not warned

concerning it,

light impurity,

impurity from a carcass—is it

not all the more so

that Israelites are not warned concerning it during the rest of the year?!

Rather, what does the verse “And you shall not touch their carcasses” come to teach!?

The verse speaks

of the pilgrimage festival.

And it warned Israel not to become impure with light impurity. And all the more so with severe impurity.

The Gemara returns to explain the law by which the Holy One, blessed is He, judges the world on Rosh Hashanah:

Rabbi Kruspedai said in the name of Rabbi Yohanan: Three books

of the record of the deeds of created beings

are opened

in the heavenly court

on Rosh Hashanah:

One—

that of the completely wicked,

whose sins in their possession are more numerous than their merits.

And one—

that of the completely righteous,

whose merits are more numerous than their sins.

And one—

that of the intermediate,

who have half merits and half sins in their possession.

The completely righteous—

are written and sealed immediately

on Rosh Hashanah itself

for life.

The completely wicked—

are written and sealed immediately for death.

The intermediate—

remain suspended from Rosh Hashanah until Yom Kippur.

And their judgment is sealed on Yom Kippur.

If

they merit [that they remain in the standing of their merits, for they still have half sins against half merits], they are

written

on Yom Kippur

for life.

for life.

And if

they do not merit,

for meanwhile they have managed to add a sin, they are

written

on Yom Kippur

for death. ,

Rabbi Avin said: What is the verse?

From which verse is it to be learned that three books are opened on Rosh Hashanah?

As it is stated [Psalms 69]:

“Let them be erased from the book of life, and with the righteous let them not be written.”

And Rabbi Avin interprets the verse as follows:

“Let them be erased from the book”—

this is the book of the completely wicked [

for they are erased and written for death].

“Life”—

this is the book of the righteous [

who are written for life].

“And with the righteous let them not be written”—

this is the book of the intermediate,

who have not yet been written until Yom Kippur.

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzhak said: From here,

from here they learned that three books are opened on Rosh Hashanah:

For Moses said thus to the Holy One, blessed is He [Exodus 32]: “And now, if You will bear their sin [of Israel, then it is good].

And if not—

“erase me now from Your book, which You have written.”

And Rav Naḥman bar Yitzhak interprets the verse as follows:

“Erase me now”—

this is the book of the wicked [

for they are erased and written for death].

“From Your book”—

this is the book of the righteous.

“Which You have written”—

this is the book of the intermediate.

For they have not yet been sealed until Yom Kippur.

It was taught: Beit Shammai say:

There are

three groups on the Day of Judgment

after the resurrection of the dead:

One—

that of the completely righteous.

And one—

that of the completely wicked.

And one—

that of the intermediate.

The completely righteous are written and sealed immediately,

immediately at the time of the judgment,

for the life of the World

to Come.

The completely wicked are written and sealed immediately.

Immediately at the time of the judgment,

for Gehinnom.

As it is stated

Daniel 12]:

“And many of those sleeping in the dust will awaken, these

[the righteous]

for eternal life, and these

[the wicked]

for disgrace, for everlasting abhorrence.”

The intermediate—

descend to Gehinnom.