Rosh Hashanah 7b — the Talmud in English

That individual who consecrates the communal offering

shall not hand them over to the community completely

wholeheartedly, as though they had consecrated it, with no independent connection of his own to its consecration; rather, he should want, to some degree, that the designation “the one who consecrates the offering” relate to him, and then the animals would be unfit to offer them as communal offerings upon the altar [Hazon Ish]

It teaches us this:

the tannai teaches us that we are not concerned about this; rather, we rely on him to hand it over to the community without any attribution to him as the consecrator.

And now the Gemara explains why our Mishna did not mention that the first of Nisan is the new year for the collection of shekels:

And as for our tannai,

who taught our Mishna, he did not mention that the first of Nisan is the new year for shekels,

since he taught

, as we learned in a beraita:

if he brought

a communal offering from the old shekels,

he has fulfilled his obligation—

the matter was not stated decisively!

Since this is not a decisive law, that they are obligated to bring the communal offerings from the contribution of the shekels of the new year, but they also fulfill their obligation by bringing them from the shekels of the previous year, and this is only a law applying initially, therefore the tannai did not count it among the other laws of the new years.

And the Gemara explains the continuation of the words of the beraita:

We learned in a beraita: On the first of Nisan is the new year for months.

And some say: also for the rental of houses.

The Sages taught

, a beraita that explains this law:

One who rents a house to his fellow

, and says to him: “I am renting you this house

for a year”—

he counts twelve months from day to day

, and the tenant dwells there for all that time.

And if he said

to him: “I am renting you this house

for this year”—

even

if

the tenant did not stay

there

except on the first of Adar

, nevertheless,

once the first day of Nisan arrived

, then

the year has accrued to him [the year has ended for the tenant]

the tenant’s rental period ended]

the year

, and his rental has ended.

And it is implied by the words of the beraita that specifically if the tenant stayed there at least on the first of Adar, the year has accrued to him, but if he stayed there later, within Adar, the year has not accrued to him.

And the Gemara explains the reason for the matter:

And even according to the one who says that one day at the

end of the

year is considered

as a

year,

nevertheless, with regard to rental we do not say that his rental has ended unless he dwelled there for thirty days:

Because

here is different

, the law of the rental of houses is different,

for a person does not trouble himself to rent a house for less than thirty days.

For a person does not trouble himself to rent a dwelling in order to live in it for fewer than thirty days. Therefore, even though at the time of the rental they stipulated between themselves “for this year,” it is clear that they did not intend that the rental end on the first of Nisan. Rather, the tenant may live there for twelve months from day to day.

And we raise an objection against the method of “some say” in the beraita: Why, according to their view, is the new year for the rental of houses in Nisan?

And say

, say that it is in

Tishrei!

And if he rented a house on the first of Elul, then on the first of Tishrei the year would accrue to him!

And we answer:

Ordinarily, when a person rents a house

, when a person rents a house close to Tishrei, then presumably

he rents it for all the days of the rainy season.

He intends to rent it for all the days of the rainy season, and not for only one month, because he does not want to change his dwelling during the rainy season.

And from the words of the tannai at the beginning of the beraita, who did not mention that the first of Nisan is the new year for the rental of houses, it is implied that he holds that the first of Nisan is not the new year for the rental of houses. And this also appears from the words of our Mishna, which did not mention this law.

And the Gemara explains their reason:

And the first tannai of the beraita, and our tannai

, who taught our Mishna, they hold that

in Nisan as well clouds are commonly found.

Clouds and rain are also common in Nisan. Therefore, a person does not rent his dwelling on the first of Adar for only thirty days, until the first of Nisan. We learned in the Mishna:

On the first of Elul is the new year for animal tithe

. For animals born before the first of Elul are not combined to be tithed together with animals born after the first of Elul.

And we inquire about it:

Who is it?

Who taught the words of the Mishna?

And we answer:

It is Rabbi Meir.

For we learned

[in Bekhorot 57b]:

Rabbi Meir says: On the first of Elul—

the new year for animal tithe.

And again we inquire about it: At the beginning of the Mishna we learned: On the first of Nisan is the new year

for the festivals

, for one who vows an offering, once the three festivals have passed in their proper order, with the Festival of Matzot first [and he did not bring his offering], he violates “do not delay.”

Who is it

—who taught this?

And we answer:

It is Rabbi Shimon!

As the Gemara said above, that Rabbi Shimon’s view is that one does not violate “do not delay” until after three festivals in their proper order.

And now it is necessary to raise a difficulty:

Say the latter clause

, I will tell you the end of the words of the Mishna:

Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Shimon say: On the first of Tishrei

is the new year for animal tithe!

And since we proved above that Rabbi Shimon taught the beginning of the Mishna [“and for the festivals”], while Rabbi Meir taught the continuation of the Mishna [“On the first of Elul is the new year for animal tithe”], it is therefore difficult:

The first clause and the latter clause

of our Mishna are according to the words of

Rabbi Shimon, and

the

middle clause

is according to the words of

Rabbi Meir

?! And how is such a thing possible?

Said

—he answered—

Rav Yosef:

In fact, our Mishna is according to the words of

Rabbi.

Rabbi is the one who taught the beginning of our Mishna [and not Rabbi Shimon, nor Rabbi Meir].

And he adopted it—

according to the opinions of the tannaim

, and taught his words on the basis of the words of two tannaim:

With regard to

the matter of

the festivals—

he held like Rabbi Shimon.

And

with regard to

animal tithe—

he held like Rabbi Meir.

And afterward Rabbi brought the words of Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Shimon, who disagree with him and hold that the first of Tishrei is the new year for animal tithe.

But according to this, it is necessary to raise a difficulty: Why did we learn at the beginning of the Mishna, “There are four new years”? For when we count the number of new years mentioned in the Mishna, we find that there are five:

a. On the first of Nisan—for kings.

b. On the fifteenth of Nisan [which is the festival in Nisan]—for the festivals.

c. On the first of Elul—for animal tithe.

d. On the first of Tishrei—for years.

e. On the first of Shevat [according to the School of Shammai] or on the fifteenth of Shevat [according to the School of Hillel]—for the tree.

It follows that the beginning of the Mishna [“There are four new years”] contradicts the continuation of the Mishna [in which five new years were counted].

And had we said that Rabbi Shimon taught the beginning of the Mishna, “and for the festivals,” while Rabbi Meir taught the continuation, “On the first of Elul is the new year for animal tithe,” then we could have reconciled the words of the Mishna, and said that according to each of the tannaim there are only four new years, as follows:

According to Rabbi Shimon:

a. The first of Nisan, for kings. b. The fifteenth of Nisan, for the festivals. c. The first of Tishrei, for animal tithe and for years. d. The fifteenth of Shevat, for the tree.

But the first of Elul is not the new year according to Rabbi Shimon.

And according to Rabbi Meir:

a. The first of Nisan, for kings. b. The first of Elul, for animal tithe. c. The first of Tishrei, for years, and so on. d. The fifteenth of Shevat, for the tree.

But the fifteenth of Nisan is not the new year for the festivals according to Rabbi Meir. For according to his view, one who vows an offering, once one festival has passed and he has not brought it, immediately violates “do not delay.”

However, since we have said that Rabbi taught our Mishna, and he holds that the fifteenth of Nisan is the new year for the festivals [like Rabbi Shimon], and that the first of Elul is the new year for animal tithe [like Rabbi Meir].

If so

, it is difficult: Is it only

four

new years?!

But surely

there are five! [a] The first of Nisan—for kings. [b] The fifteenth of Nisan—for the festivals. [c] The first of Elul—for animal tithe. [d] The first of Tishrei—for years, and so on. [e] The fifteenth of Shevat—for the tree.

a. The first of Nisan—for kings. b. The fifteenth of Nisan—for the Festivals. c. The first of Elul—for the animal tithe. d. The first of Tishrei—for years, and so forth. e. The fifteenth of Shevat—for trees.

Said

—he answered—

Rava:

These are Rabbi’s words:

I, Rabbi, hold that there are five new years, but not everyone agrees with me in this. Yet at least

four

new years there are—

according to everyone:

According to Rabbi Meir

, although he holds that the first of Elul is the new year for animal tithe, nevertheless there are only

four

new years. For

remove

—remove the fifteenth of Nisan, which is not the new year for

the festivals.

For according to Rabbi Meir, one who delays bringing his vow by only one festival already violates “do not delay.”

And likewise

according to Rabbi Shimon

, although he holds that the fifteenth of Nisan is the new year for the festivals, nevertheless there are only

four

new years. For

remove

—remove the first of Elul, which is not the new year for

animal tithe

, but rather the first of Tishrei.

Rav Nahman bar Yitzhak said

another answer:

Thus Rabbi said:

There are four months

that

in them

there are

several new years.

For even though in Nisan there are two new years [on the first of Nisan for kings; on the fifteenth of Nisan for the festivals], nevertheless the tannai counts them as one, because both are in one month.

The meitivi

an objection against Rava and Rav Nahman bar Yitzhak, who explain the words of our Mishna as having counted only four new years:

We learned in a beraita:

The sixteenth of Nisan—

the new year for the Omer.

For bringing the Omer offering on the sixteenth of Nisan permits one to eat from the new grain from that point onward.

The sixth of Sivan

, which is the Festival of Weeks—

the new year for the two loaves.

For bringing the two loaves permits one to bring meal-offerings from the new grain, and the year has become new with regard to this.

And from here there is a difficulty against Rava and Rav Nahman bar Yitzhak, who explain our Mishna:

According to Rava

, who explained the Mishna as saying “four according to everyone,” it is difficult: If so,

let it teach six.

For it would have been fitting to teach six new years: the four taught in our Mishna, and the sixteenth of Nisan and the sixth of Sivan, which were mentioned in the beraita.

And

according to Rav Nahman bar Yitzhak

, who explained that the Mishna said four months in which there are several new years, indeed it is understandable that the sixteenth of Nisan is not fit to be counted separately [for Nisan was already counted in our Mishna], but it is still difficult:

let it teach five!

For it would have been fitting for it to teach five new years: the four in our Mishna and the sixth of Sivan, since Sivan was not taught in our Mishna?!

And why did we learn only four new years?

Rav Pappa said

—an answer:

When he counts

, the tannai in our Mishna counts only

that which takes effect from the evening

, only the new years that begin at the start of the night, immediately when the day becomes sanctified.

But

that which does not take effect from the evening—

he does not count.

Things that do not take effect from the evening, such as the sixteenth of Nisan, when the year does not become new to permit eating from the new produce from the evening, but only on the following day, when the Omer is offered.

And likewise on the sixth of Sivan, when it was not immediately permitted to offer from the new produce, but only on the following day, when they offered the two loaves.

These the tannai did not teach in our Mishna.

The Gemara attempts to reject the words of Rav Pappa, and to prove that the law of the fifteenth of Nisan mentioned in our Mishna does not take effect from the evening:

The Gemara understands that the prohibition of “do not delay” is established by the festivals, because on the festivals a person is obligated to bring his offerings.

And offerings are offered only during the day, after the daily offering of the morning has been offered.

Therefore, the Gemara understood that the law of “do not delay” is established only beginning from the morning of the fifteenth of Nisan, and not at night.

And if he vowed at the first night of Passover, he violates “do not delay” immediately when the Festival of Sukkot has passed. For it is as though three complete festivals have passed over him.

And from here there is a difficulty against the words of Rav Pappa, who said that things that do not take effect from the evening were not taught in the Mishna:

But the festivals, which do not take effect from the evening

, for their new year with regard to “do not delay” does not take effect from the evening,

and

nevertheless

he counts

their new year in our Mishna! And we answer: The night of the fifteenth of Nisan is the new year for the festivals, and not the morning. And even though it is impossible to offer offerings at night, nevertheless, if he vowed before the festival, then

to bring—

from the outset he is obligated and standing!

He is already obligated and standing to bring and offer his offerings from the evening before the Festival.

Therefore, if he vowed on the night of Passover, he does not transgress bal te'acher after Sukkot, for three complete pilgrimage festivals have not yet passed for him.

And the Gemara attempts to reject the words of Rav Pappa, and to prove that the tanna taught in our Mishna New Years even though they do not take effect from the evening:

And we raise an objection:

But what of the Jubilees,

for we learned in the Mishna: On the first of Tishrei is the New Year for the Jubilees,

which do not take effect from the evening,

for the laws of the Jubilees do not take effect from the evening, but only when they blow the shofar on the Day of Atonement.

As it is stated [Leviticus 25:9–10] concerning the Jubilee: "On the Day of Atonement you shall sound the shofar throughout all your land, and you shall sanctify the fiftieth year".

And

even so

he counted,

the tanna counted the New Year for the Jubilees among the New Years!

And we answer: Our Mishna is according to the view of

Rabbi Ishmael, son of Rabbi Yohanan ben Beroka. For he says

[below, 8b]: Already

from the New Year takes effect

the law of

the Jubilee,

and it is not dependent on the blowing of the shofar on the Day of Atonement.

Therefore, the laws of the Jubilee take effect already at the beginning of the night of the New Year.

Rav Shisha, son of Rav Idi, said

another reason why the sixteenth of Nisan and the sixth of Sivan were not mentioned in our Mishna:

When he counts —

something that does not depend on an act.

The tanna counted in our Mishna only the number of New Years whose laws take effect without the performance of an act.

But

something that depends on an act,

a year that begins only through an act, such as permitting the new grain to be eaten or used for an offering, which is permitted only through the offering of the omer and the two loaves, this the tanna

did not count.

And therefore the sixteenth of Nisan and the sixth of Sivan were not mentioned in our Mishna.

And here too the Gemara understood that the prohibition of bal te'acher is established at the time when a person could offer a sacrifice but did not offer it. Therefore, the three pilgrimage festivals with regard to bal te'acher begin only in the morning of the fifteenth of Nisan, after they have offered the tamid, for then a person can offer his vowed offerings. But before the offering of the tamid, it is forbidden to offer other sacrifices.

And therefore we raise an objection:

But

the New Year for

the pilgrimage festivals

also

is something that depends on an act,

for its year does not begin until they perform the act of offering the tamid.

And

nevertheless

he counted

the tanna counted it in the number of the New Years!

And from here it follows that the tanna also brought in our Mishna the New Years that take effect through an act!

And we answer:

Bal te'acher

does not depend on the offering of the tamid, but

takes effect automatically.

It takes effect of its own accord once the day is sanctified.

As the Gemara said above, that although the night is not fit for offering the sacrifice, nevertheless the person became obligated to bring his sacrifices already before the festival.