Rosh Hashanah 2a (ב.) — the Talmud in English

Tractate Rosh HaShana discusses the matters pertaining to Rosh HaShana that falls on the first of Tishrei.

However, at the beginning of the tractate, the Mishna opens by explaining that there are four dates during the year that are regarded as New Years for specific matters.

Mishna:

There are four New Years.

On four dates during the year, a “new year” begins for certain laws:

a.

On the first of Nisan –

the New Year for kings.

In the time of the Mishna, it was customary to write the dates of legal documents according to the years of the king’s reign. For example: “On such-and-such day of such-and-such month, in the first year of the reign of so-and-so.”

On the first of Nisan, they would begin counting a new year for the king’s reign. Therefore, even if a king had begun to reign in Adar, as soon as the first of Nisan arrived they would already write in a document: “On the first day of the month of Nisan, in the second year of the reign of so-and-so.”

And

likewise, the first of Nisan was also the New Year

for the Festivals.

This matter will be explained in the Gemara.

b.

On the first of Elul –

the New Year for the animal tithe.

It is a positive mitzva to set aside the “animal tithe” from all the kosher animals born to a person during each year.

Animals born in one year are not combined with those born in another year; rather, the animals born in each year are tithed separately.

On the first of Elul, the “new year” begins with regard to this law.

Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Shimon say: On the first

of Tishrei

it is the New Year for the animal tithe, and not on the first of Elul. c.

On the first of Tishrei –

the New Year:

for years,

as will be explained in the Gemara.

And for Sabbatical years.

The Sabbatical year begins on the first of Tishrei. Once Tishrei has begun, it is forbidden by Torah law to sow and plow.

And for Jubilee years.

The Jubilee year also begins on the first of Tishrei. Once Tishrei has begun, it is forbidden by Torah law to plow and sow.

For the planting.

This concerns the counting of the first three years after a tree is planted, during which its fruit is forbidden to eat or derive benefit from, because of orla.

Thus, even a tree planted in the month of Av completes its first year at the end of Elul, and from the first of Tishrei its second year of orla begins to be counted.

And for vegetables.

This concerns the tithe of vegetables.

Vegetables picked in one year may not be tithed on vegetables picked in another year. On the first of Tishrei, a new year begins with regard to this law.

d.

On the first of Shevat –

the New Year for trees.

This concerns the tithe of the fruit of trees, since fruit that reached the stage of blossoming in one year is not tithed together with fruit that reached that stage in another year.

On the first of Shevat, a new year begins with regard to this law.

And this is

the view of Beit Shammai.

But

Beit Hillel say: On the fifteenth of it,

the fifteenth of Shevat, is the New Year for trees.

Gemara:

We learned in the Mishna: “On the first of Nisan, the New Year for kings.” And we raise a question:

For kings –

for what halakhic purpose?

For what purpose did the Sages establish a special day on which the year of the kings begins? Why not count the year of each king according to the day on which he began to reign?

And we answer:

Rav Hisda said –

the halakha is

for documents!

This is so that we can determine which promissory note was written before the time of the loan, making it an antedated document, and which promissory note was written after the loan, making it a postdated document.

And this is like

what we learned

in Tractate Sheviit [10:5]:

Antedated promissory notes,

whose written date precedes the time of the loan,

are invalid.

The document is invalid, and the loan is regarded only as an oral loan, and not as a loan documented in writing.

The difference between a loan documented in writing and an oral loan concerns the right to collect from the borrower’s real estate if it was sold to another person.

Such real estate is called “encumbered property,” and a loan documented in writing may be collected even from encumbered property. However, an oral loan may be collected only from property still in the borrower’s possession, and not from encumbered property.

And

if they were postdated promissory notes,

postdated,

whose written date is later than the loan,

they are valid!

If the year of each king had been counted according to the day on which he began to reign, there would be concern that the judges before whom the document was brought might forget the precise date on which the king began to reign, and would not know whether the document before them was antedated or postdated.

For example: A document is brought before the judges, and it states that the loan took place in the month of Kislev, in the third year of the king. The witnesses who signed the document say that when they signed it at the borrower’s request, they did not see the loan, and do not remember whether the loan took place before or after the document was written, but they do remember that the loan took place in Tammuz, in the third year of the king.

If the judges do not remember the date on which the king began to reign, they cannot determine whether the document is antedated and invalid, or postdated and valid.

For if the king began to reign after Kislev and before Tammuz, it follows that the month of Tammuz, in which the loan was made, preceded Kislev, in which the document was written [and this would be so in every year of this king’s reign]. The document would therefore be postdated and valid.

But if the king began to reign after Tammuz and before Kislev, it follows that Kislev precedes Tammuz in every year of this king’s reign, and the document would be antedated and invalid.

Therefore, the Sages instituted that there be a fixed day in the year for counting the years of the kings. The judges would not forget this date.

The Sages taught:

if he began to reign even

on the twenty-ninth of Adar,

then

once the first of Nisan arrived—

one year was counted for him.

His first year ended on this date, and from then on his second year is counted for him.

And if he ascended to the throne only on the first of Nisan—

no year is counted for him until another Nisan arrives,

in the following year.

The Gemara explains what the beraita comes to teach:

The master said

in the beraita:

A king who ascended to the throne on the twenty-ninth of Adar,

then

once the first of Nisan arrived—

one year was counted for him.