Rosh Hashanah 16

שהחדש מתכסה בו הוי אומר זה ר"ה וכתיב (תהלים פא, ה) כי חק לישראל הוא משפט לאלהי יעקב

on which the moon is covered over [mithkaseh]? You must say that this is New Year;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The only feast which takes place when the moon is hidden.');">¹</span> and it is written [in this connection], For it is a statute for Israel, an ordinance for the God of Jacob.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 5.');">²</span>

ת"ר כי חק לישראל הוא משפט לאלהי יעקב מלמד שאין ב"ד של מעלה נכנסין לדין אא"כ קידשו ב"ד של מטה את החדש

Our Rabbis taught: 'For it is a statute for Israel, an ordinance for the God of Jacob': this teaches that th heavenly Beth din does not assemble for judgment until the Beth din on earth has sanctified the month'. Another [Baraitha] taught: 'For it is a statute for Israel'; this tells me only that Israel [are judged]; ho know that this applies also to the [other] nations of this world? Because it is written, an ordinance for the God of Jacob'.

תניא אידך כי חק לישראל הוא אין לי אלא לישראל לאומות העולם מנין ת"ל משפט לאלהי יעקב א"כ מה ת"ל כי חק לישראל מלמד שישראל נכנסין תחילה לדין

If that is the case, what is the point of saying, For it is a statute for Israel?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For if the other nations are judged, a plus forte raison Israel.');">³</span> - It teaches that Israel are brought up for trial first. And this is in harmony with the [following] saying of R'Hisda.

כדרב חסדא דאמר רב חסדא מלך וציבור מלך נכנס תחילה לדין שנאמר (מלכים א ח, נט) משפט עבדו ומשפט עמו

For R'Hisda said: Where a king<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Israel being regarded as a king in relation to the other nations.');">⁴</span> and a community appear together, the king is brought up for judgment first, as it says, the judgment of his servant [Solomon] and the judgment of his people.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Kings, VIII, 59.');">⁵</span> What is the reason? - If you like I can say, because it is not seemly that the king should stand outside, and if you like I can say, [the kin is tried] before [the Divine] wrath becomes really fierce.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Being inflamed by the sins of the community.');">⁶</span>

מאי טעמא אי בעית אימא לאו אורח ארעא למיקם מלכא אבראי ואיבעית אימא מקמי דליפוש חרון אף:

FOR RELEASE YEARS. How do we know this [from the Scripture]? - Because it is written, And in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of solemn rest for the land,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXV, 4.');">⁷</span> and that this commences with Tishri we learn from the analogy with the word 'year'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And he derives (the meaning of) 'year' from 'year' (commencing) with Tishri.');">⁸</span>

ולשמיטין: מנלן דכתיב (ויקרא כה, ד) ובשנה השביעית שבת שבתון יהיה לארץ וגמר שנה שנה מתשרי דכתיב (דברים יא, יב) מראשית השנה

in from the beginning of the year.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XI, 12, which refers to Tishri.');">⁹</span> But let us learn that it is Nisan from analogy with the word 'year' in the text, it is the first to you of the months of the year?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XII, 2.');">¹⁰</span> - We draw an analogy to a year with which months are not mentioned from a year with which months are not mentioned, but we do not draw an analogy to a year with which months are not mentioned from a year with which months are mentioned.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra p, 7a.');">¹¹</span>

ולגמור שנה שנה מניסן דכתיב (שמות יב, ב) ראשון הוא לכם לחדשי השנה דנין שנה שאין עמה חדשים משנה שאין עמה חדשים ואין דנין שנה שאין עמה חדשים משנה שיש עמה חדשים:

AND FOR JUBILEE YEARS. [is the New Year for] Jubilees on the first of Tishri? Surely [the New Year for] Jubilees is on the tenth of Tishri, as it is written, on the day of atonement shall ye make proclamation with the horn?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXV, 9. referring to the Jubilee.');">¹²</span>

וליובלות: יובלות באחד בתשרי הוא יובלות בי' בתשרי הוא דכתיב (ויקרא כה, ט) ביום הכפורים תעבירו שופר

- What authority is here followed? R'Ishmael the son of R'Johanan B'Beroka, as it has been taught: And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid 10. These words are apparently superfluous, it having already been said, and thou shalt number forty-nine years.');">¹³</span> What is the point of these words?

הא מני רבי ישמעאל בנו של רבי יוחנן בן ברוקא היא דתניא (ויקרא כה, י) וקדשתם את שנת החמשים שנה מה ת"ל לפי שנאמר ביוה"כ יכול לא תהא מתקדשת אלא מיוה"כ ואילך ת"ל וקדשתם את שנת החמשים מלמד שמתקדשת והולכת מתחילתה

[It is this]. Since it says, the day of atonement [ye shall make proclamation ],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXV, 9. referring to the Jubilee.');">¹²</span> I might think that the year is sanctified only from the Day of Atonement onwards.

מכאן אמר ר' ישמעאל בנו של ר' יוחנן בן ברוקא מר"ה עד יוה"כ לא היו עבדים נפטרין לבתיהן ולא משתעבדין לאדוניהם אלא אוכלין ושותין ושמחין ועטרותיהן בראשיהן כיון שהגיע יוה"כ תקעו ב"ד בשופר נפטרו עבדים לבתיהן ושדות חוזרות לבעליהן

Therefore it says, And ye shall sanctify the fiftieth year. This teaches that it is sanctified from its inception. On this ground R'Ishmael the son of R'Johanan B'Beroka laid down that from New Year to the Day of Atonement slaves were neither dismissed to their homes nor subjected to their masters, but they ate and drank and made merry, wearing garlands on their heads.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In sign of their approaching freedom.');">¹⁴</span>

ורבנן שנים אתה מקדש ואי אתה מקדש חדשים

When the Day of Atonement came, the Beth din sounded the horn; slaves were dismissed to their homes and fields returned to their original owners. And the Rabbis [ - what do they make of this verse]? - [They say it teaches that] you are to sanctify years but not months.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. infra 24a.');">¹⁵</span> Another [Baraitha] taught: 'It is a Jubilee.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXV, II.');">¹⁶</span>

תניא אידך יובל היא מה תלמוד לומר לפי שנאמר וקדשתם את שנת החמשים יכול כשם שמתקדשת והולכת מתחילתה כך מתקדשת והולכת בסופה ואל תתמה שהרי מוסיפין מחול על קדש תלמוד לומר (ויקרא כה, יא) יובל היא שנת החמשים שנת החמשים אתה מקדש ואי אתה מקדש שנת החמשים ואחת

What is the point of these words? - Since it says, And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid 10. These words are apparently superfluous, it having already been said, and thou shalt number forty-nine years.');">¹³</span> I might think that, just as it is sanctified from its inception onwards, so it remain sanctified [for a time] after its termination. And there would be nothing to wonder at in this, seeing that we [regularly] add from the profane on to the holy.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. infra.');">¹⁷</span> Therefore it says, it is a Jubilee to you, the fiftieth year show that] you are to sanctify the fiftieth year, but not the fifty-first year.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The word 'it' being specific.');">¹⁸</span>