Rosh Hashanah 32b — the Talmud in English

Gemara:

We learned in the Mishna: One does not mention kingship, remembrances, or shofarot of calamity.

And the Gemara brings examples of this:

What is a verse expressed in the language of calamity concerning

kingships?

For example, what is written in the Book of Ezekiel [20]:

“As I live, says the Lord God, if not with a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with outpoured wrath, I shall reign over you.”

And although Rav Naḥman said

in tractate Sanhedrin [105a]:

“For any such anger, let the Holy One, blessed is He, be angry against us, and let Him redeem us!”

Would that this anger come upon us, that the Holy One, blessed is He, redeem us against our will and reign over us [Rashi there].

And if so, apparently this is not calamity.

Nevertheless,

since it was stated in the context of anger,

since this verse was stated in the language of fury and anger, therefore

mentioning anger at the beginning of the year—

we do not mention it!

We do not mention the language of the Holy One, blessed is He, being angry with us, on Rosh Hashanah.

A remembrance

of calamity—

For example [Psalms 78]:

“And He remembered

the Lord

that they were flesh,

a wind that goes and does not return.”

A shofar

of calamity—

For example, [A0030][Hosea 5]:

in Hosea:

“Blow a shofar in Gibeah.

Sound the alarm [to warn, concerning what] Beth-aven [an army] is behind you, Benjamin.”

But if he comes to recite

verses of

kingship,

verses of

remembrance, and

verses of

shofar—

of the calamity of idolaters, he recites them.

Kingship—

For example, [A0043][Psalms 99]:

in Psalms:

“The Lord reigns; peoples tremble.”

And similarly, “The Lord reigns forever and ever; the nations have perished from His land.”

Remembrance—

For example, [A0048][Psalms 137]:

in Psalms:

“Remember, Lord, for the children of Edom

the day of Jerusalem,” to repay them an evil recompense for this.

Shofar—

For example, [A0054][Zechariah 9]:

in Zechariah:

“And the Lord God shall sound the shofar, and He shall go in the storms of the south.”

For the Holy One, blessed is He, shall go in a storm wind to destroy the south.

And it is written

in the verse that follows:

“The Lord of Hosts shall protect them.”

He shall protect Israel so that they will not be struck together with the nations.

And from here it follows that the calamity in this verse is stated only concerning the nations in the south.

And now the Gemara brings a beraita speaking about the laws of “remembrances”:

For it was taught:

a.

One does not mention

a verse speaking of

the remembrance of an individual, even

a remembrance

for good.

For example, [A0073][Psalms 106] this prayer that King David prayed and said:

King David prayed and said:

“Remember me, Lord, with the favor of Your people.”

When You show favor to all Your people, remember me also [Metzudot].

And similarly, [A0077][Nehemiah 5] the prayer of Nehemiah:

the prayer of Nehemiah:

“Remember me, my God, for good.”

b.

Remembrances,

verses in which the language of visitation is mentioned,

are like remembrances.

For example, [A0084][Genesis 21]:

“And the Lord visited Sarah.”

“And the Lord visited Sarah.”

And similarly: “I have surely visited you,”

since the language of “visitation” also means “remembrance.”

The words of Rabbi Yosei.

Rabbi Yehuda says:

Remembrances—

are not like remembrances.

And we challenge the words of Rabbi Yosei:

But according to Rabbi Yosei,

who mentioned the verse “And the Lord visited Sarah,” there is a difficulty:

Granted,

it is indeed so

that remembrances,

according to Rabbi Yosei,

are like remembrances.

But

“And the Lord visited Sarah”—

it is the visitation of an individual!

And one does not mention the remembrance of an individual, as above!

And we answer:

Since many came from it,

since Isaac was born as a result of that visitation, and from him the entire people of Israel, who are many, were born, therefore such a visitation

is like

the visitation of

many

it is considered.

c. And the beraita continues and discusses the passage in Psalms, chapter 24: how many verses of kingships is it considered?

“Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, everlasting doors, that the King of glory may enter.

Who is this King of glory?

The Lord, strong and mighty.

The Lord, mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, O gates, and lift up, everlasting doors, that the King of glory may enter.

Who is this King of glory?

The Lord of Hosts—

He is the King of glory, forever.”

The first mention of “Lift up your heads, O gates”

the first

contains a mention of

two

kingships, since “King” was mentioned in it twice.

And the mention of “Lift up your heads, O gates”

the second

contains a mention of

three

kingships, since “King” was mentioned in it three times,

the words of Rabbi Yosei.

Rabbi Yehuda says:

What the verse stated in the form of a question, “Who is this King of glory?”, is not counted among the kingships.

And therefore, the mention of “Lift up your heads, O gates”

the first

counts only as the mention of

one

kingship. And the mention of “Lift up your heads, O gates”

the second

counts as

two

kingships.

d. And now the beraita discusses another verse: against how many verses of kingships is it?

It is stated [in Psalms 47]:

“Sing praises, God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises, for God is King over all the earth.”

This verse counts as

two,

for “our King” and “King” are mentioned in it, the words of Rabbi Yosei.

Rabbi Yehuda says:

This verse counts as

one

only: specifically, “King over all the earth” is considered “kingship.”

But “our King” is not considered [kingship], since kingship over only one nation [Israel] is mentioned in it.

And they agree,

Rabbi Yosei and Rabbi Yehuda,

concerning

the verse [there]:

“God is King over the nations; God sits upon His holy throne”—

that it is “

kingship”

one

only. For “He sits upon His holy throne” is not considered kingship.

e.

A “remembrance” that contains “sounding an alarm,” for example, [A0165][Leviticus 23]:

in Leviticus:

“A sabbath of rest, a remembrance of sounding an alarm, a holy convocation.”

If he wishes,

he recites it with the remembrances. And

if he wishes,

he recites it with the shofarot, the words of Rabbi Yosei.

Rabbi Yehuda says: He recites it only with the remembrances,

since the language “shofar” is not mentioned in it, but the language “sounding an alarm” is.

A “kingship” that contains “sounding an alarm,” for example, [A0174][Numbers 23]:

in Numbers:

“The Lord his God is with him, and the sounding of the King is among them.”

If he wishes,

he recites it with the kingships. And

if he wishes,

he recites it with the shofarot, the words of Rabbi Yosei.

Rabbi Yehuda says: He recites it only with the kingships

since the language “shofar” is not mentioned in it, but the language “sounding an alarm” is.

“Sounding an alarm” that is accompanied by nothing, for example, [A0184][Numbers 29]:

in Numbers:

“It shall be a day of sounding an alarm for you”—

he recites it with the shofarot, the words of Rabbi Yosei.

Rabbi Yehuda says: He does not recite it at all,

since among the shofarot one mentions only a verse in which the language “shofar” is stated, and not the language “sounding an alarm.”

We learned in the Mishna: In each order

he begins with

three verses from the

Torah,

and continues with three verses from the Writings,

and completes [A0195][and concludes]

[ends]

with

four verses from the

Prophets.

Rabbi Yosei says: If he completed

the tenth verse

with

a verse from the

Torah, he has fulfilled his obligation.

And we infer from Rabbi Yosei’s words, from the wording

“If he completed

with the Torah, he has fulfilled his obligation.”

It follows that specifically

after the fact, no.

Only if he already completed with the Torah has he fulfilled his obligation after the fact.

But

initially—

not

should he complete with the Torah.

And we challenge this:

But it was taught: Rabbi Yosei says: One who completes with the Torah—

this one is praiseworthy!

And we answer: Rather,

say,

say this in our Mishna: Rabbi Yosei says:

He completes

with the Torah initially.

And we challenge this:

But “If he completed

with the Torah, he has fulfilled his obligation,”

it teaches.

For it implies

after the fact, no,

only if he already did so has he fulfilled his obligation. But

initially—

not

should he do so.

And we answer:

This is what it says,

this is what the Mishna says:

He begins with the Torah

and continues with the Writings

and completes with the Prophets.

Rabbi Yosei says:

Initially,

he completes with the Torah. And

after the fact,

if he completed with the Prophets, he has fulfilled his obligation.

It was also taught thus:

This too was taught in a beraita:

Rabbi Elazar son of Rabbi Yosei said: The ancient pious ones would complete it,

they would conclude each and every order of verses,

with

a verse from the

Torah.

That is, they initially recited three from the Torah, and afterward three from the Writings and three from the Prophets, and finally they again concluded with a verse from the Torah. It follows that they mentioned four verses from the Torah in each and every order.

And we challenge this:

Granted, remembrances and shofarot—

there are many.

Indeed, concerning remembrances and shofarot, Rabbi Yosei’s words are well settled, since there are many verses of remembrances and shofarot in the Torah, and it is possible to recite four of them in each order.

But kingships—

only

three are there!

For there are only three in the Torah! [a]

“The Lord his God is with him, and the sounding of the King is among them” [A0260][Numbers 23]. [b]

in Numbers. [b]

“And He was King in Jeshurun” [A0262][Deuteronomy 33]. [c]

“And He was King in Jeshurun” [Deuteronomy 33]. [c]

“The Lord shall reign forever and ever” [A0264][Exodus 15].

“

And

the difficulty is: after all,

we require ten

verses,

and there are not!

According to Rabbi Yosei, we require ten verses, including four verses from the Torah, but there are no four verses of kingships in the Torah at all!

Rav Huna said:

Rabbi Yosei’s words are to be settled on the basis of his words in the following beraita:

A tanna taught,

we learned in a beraita: [a] The verse

“Hear, Israel: the Lord is our God, the Lord is One” [A0276][Deuteronomy 6]—

as was taught in a beraita: [a] The verse

it is

kingship,

even though the language of kingship is not mentioned in the verse; nevertheless, its subject is the kingship of the Lord,

the words of Rabbi Yosei.

even though the verse does not mention the word kingship, because its subject is the kingship of the Lord,

Rabbi Yehuda says: It is not kingship,

because the language of kingship was not mentioned explicitly. [b] The verse “And you shall know today, and restore it to your heart, that the Lord is God; there is none else” [A0285][Deuteronomy 4]—

because the word kingship is not explicitly mentioned. [b] The verse

it is

kingship, the words of Rabbi Yosei.

Rabbi Yehuda says: It is not kingship,

because the language of kingship is not mentioned explicitly in the verse. [c] The verse

“You have been shown, to know that the Lord is God; there is none besides Him”,

it is

kingship, the words of Rabbi Yosei.

Rabbi Yehuda says: It is not kingship.

And according to Rabbi Yosei in the beraita, we have found another three verses of kingships in the Torah, in addition to the three mentioned. And it is possible to recite four verses of kingships from the Torah.

Mishna:

In the morning prayer of the festival days, it was customary for two communal prayer leaders to pass before the ark, one for Shacharit and one for Musaf.

According to Rabbi Yosei’s view in the beraita, we have found three additional verses of kingship in the Torah, besides the three mentioned earlier. It is therefore possible to recite four verses of kingship from the Torah.

The one who passes before the ark on the festival day of Rosh Hashanah—

the second sounds the shofar.

That is, during the repetition of the prayer by the prayer leader, the second one, who prays Musaf, they sound the shofar; the second prayer leader sounds it.

And at the time of Hallel,

on festival days on which Hallel is recited —

the prayer leader

the first is the one who

leads the recitation of Hallel

after the conclusion of the Shacharit prayer.

leads the recitation of Hallel

Gemara:

And we inquire about it: What is different about the second sounding the shofar,

in what way is the second prayer leader, who prays Musaf on Rosh Hashanah, different and special, such that specifically during his prayer they sound the shofar and not during Shacharit?

It is

because of “In the multitude of the people is the glory of the King” [A0316][Proverbs 14]. For even those people who arrive late for the Shacharit prayer come to the Musaf prayer, and they sound the shofar then, at a time when there is a great multitude, because of the glory of the King.

This is

If so, Hallel also—

let us say it during the second one!

If so, let them also recite Hallel after the Musaf prayer,

because of “In the multitude of the people is the glory of the King”!

Rather,

necessarily,

what is different about Hallel, that it is with the first,

why did they recite Hallel after the prayer of the first [Shacharit]?—

because the zealous rise early for mitzvot!

If so, the opposite difficulty arises:

the sounding also—

let us perform it with the first!

Let them also sound the shofar during the Shacharit prayer,

because the zealous rise early for mitzvot!

And just as with regard to Hallel it is preferable to hasten and perform the mitzva early rather than recite it with a multitude, so too with regard to the soundings this should be said!

because “the diligent precede themselves in performing mitzvot”!

And we answer:

Rabbi Yoḥanan said: They taught our Mishna at a time of a decree of the government that the government had decreed that they must not sound the shofar.

And since at first they were accustomed to sound the shofar in Shacharit before six hours, the gentiles would wait until the end of six hours, which was the end of the time for the Shacharit prayer, and then leave. Therefore they transferred the soundings to the Musaf prayer, and they would pray Musaf after six hours.

when the government had decreed that the shofar must not be sounded.

We learned in the Mishna: And at the time of Hallel [on festival days on which Hallel is recited], the first leads the recitation of Hallel.

And we infer: Since the tanna says

the words

“at the time of Hallel”—

by implication, on Rosh Hashanah itself

there

is none,

there is no recitation of

Hallel.

And we inquire about it:

What is the reason?

Why is Rosh Hashanah different from the other festival days, on which Hallel is recited?

Rabbi Abbahu said: The ministering angels said before the Holy One, blessed is He: Master of the world! Why do Israel not recite song

(Hallel)

before You on Rosh Hashanah and on Yom Kippur?

He said to them:

Is it

possible

that the

King is sitting upon the throne of judgment, and the books of the living and the books of the dead are open before Him, and Israel recite song?!

It is not fitting to do so!

Mishna:

Our Mishna concerns matters that are forbidden to do on a festival for the purpose of fulfilling the mitzva of sounding the shofar:

a.

A shofar of Rosh Hashanah: one does not transfer it beyond the Shabbat limit.

One does not cross the Shabbat limit [two thousand cubits] in order to hear the sounding of the shofar.

And one does not clear away the heap of stones from over it.

If a heap of stones fell upon the shofar, it is forbidden to move the stones in order to reach the shofar and sound it, because the stones are muktzeh and are forbidden to be moved on Shabbat.

And one may not clear away a heap of stones for it.

They do not ascend a tree, nor ride upon an animal

in order to reach the shofar. [For these matters are forbidden by rabbinic enactment on Shabbat and a festival, lest one detach a branch from the tree, as explained in tractate Beitza, chapter “They Spread Out”]. Nor do they swim upon the surface of the water

in order to reach the shofar or in order to hear the sounding of the shofar, because the Sages forbade swimming and bathing on Shabbat and a festival, lest one make a boat with which to sail. [Beitza, there].

And one does not cut it

the shofar, in order to repair it,

whether with a matter whose

prohibition

is because of rabbinic rest,

rabbinic,

or with a matter whose

prohibition

is because of a prohibition,

from the Torah. [A0382]]The Gemara will explain what is forbidden because of rabbinic rest and what is forbidden by Torah law.

is a prohibition of the Torah,

But if he wishes to put into it [A0384][into the shofar]

The Gemara will explain what is prohibited as a rabbinic decree and what is prohibited by the Torah.

water or wine [A0386][in order to polish it],

the shofar

he may put it,

and this is not forbidden as the repair of a utensil.

b.

They do not prevent the children from sounding the shofar.

They do not prevent the children from sounding voluntary blasts on Rosh Hashanah [after they have already fulfilled their obligation].

But they occupy themselves with them,

telling them to sound and helping them [the Maggid Mishneh; Tiferet Yisrael]

until they learn.

c.

And one who occupies himself

with the shofar and does not intend to sound it, but he sounded it,

has not fulfilled his obligation.

And one who hears from one who occupies himself

also

has not fulfilled his obligation.

Gemara:

We learned in the Mishna: A shofar of Rosh Hashanah: one does not transfer it beyond the Shabbat limit.

And we inquire about it:

What is the reason,

why does the mitzva of sounding the shofar, which is a positive mitzva, not override the prohibition of going outside the limit on a festival, which is a prohibition? After all, a positive mitzva overrides a prohibition!

What is the reason?

Why does the mitzva of sounding the shofar, which is a positive commandment, not override the prohibition against going beyond the Shabbat limit on a festival, which is a prohibition? After all, a positive commandment overrides a prohibition!

And we answer:

shofar

is the mitzva of

positive action, ["

day of blasting"].

And

if abstaining from labor on

a festival day is a positive commandment ["

a day of rest"]

and a prohibition ["You shall not perform any laborious work." Leviticus 23:24–25].

You shall not perform any laborious work"; Leviticus 23:24–25].

And no

mitzva of

positive action overrides a prohibition and a positive commandment.

And even matters prohibited by rabbinic enactment are not overridden on account of the shofar, for everything that the Sages enacted, they enacted in the manner of Torah law.

We learned in the Mishna:

One may not climb a tree, nor ride upon an animal.

Etc.

These prohibitions are rabbinic prohibitions, a decree lest one transgress prohibitions of Torah law: it is prohibited to ride upon an animal, lest he cut a branch in order to lead the animal, and it is prohibited to climb a tree, lest he pluck from it.

And we raise an objection:

Now

with prohibitions of

rabbinic enactment—

you said no,

since we already learned at the beginning of the Mishna that it is prohibited to transgress the prohibition of the boundaries and the prohibition of clearing a collapsed wall, even though they are rabbinic prohibitions in which there is no concern lest one transgress a prohibition of Torah law.

Prohibitions of

Torah law—

is it necessary

to say that it is prohibited?!

And does the tan[n]ay need to inform us that one does not blow the shofar in a place where they were concerned lest a person transgress a prohibition of Torah law, such as while riding, lest he cut a branch, and when climbing a tree, lest he pluck?!

And we answer: Our Mishna is in the manner of

“this, and it is unnecessary to state this, it teaches”

[it was taught].

This is what the tan[n]ay intends to say: For the shofar of Rosh Hashanah, one does not go beyond the boundary for it, and one does not clear the collapsed wall for it. And it is unnecessary to state that one may not climb a tree. For it is a kal va-chomer.