Rosh Hashanah 31

Chapter 31

א <big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> בארבעה פרקים העולם נידון בפסח על התבואה בעצרת על פירות האילן בר"ה כל באי עולם עוברין לפניו כבני מרון שנאמר (תהלים לג, טו) היוצר יחד לבם המבין אל כל מעשיהם ובחג נידונין על המים:
1 <big><b>MISHNAH: </b></big>AT FOUR SEASONS [DIVINE] JUDGMENT IS PASSED ON THE WORLD:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In accordance with its actions during the preceding year. By the 'world' here is probably meant only the people of Israel');"><sup>1</sup></span> AT PASSOVER IN RESPECT OF PRODUCE; AT PENTECOST IN RESPECT OF FRUIT; AT NEW YEAR ALL CREATURES PASS BEFORE HIM [GOD] LIKE CHILDREN OF MARON,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The general sense of this obscure expression is 'one by one', 'in single file'. Its precise meaning is discussed in the Gemara infra p. ');"><sup>2</sup></span> AS IT SAYS, 'HE THAT FASHIONETH THE HEART OF THEM ALL, THAT CONSIDERETH ALL THEIR DOINGS';<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. XXXIII, 15.');"><sup>3</sup></span>
ב <big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> הי תבואה אילימא הא תבואה דקיימא כל הני הרפתקי דעדו עלה אימת איתדון אלא תבואה דמזדרעא
2 AND ON TABERNACLES JUDGMENT IS PASSED IN RESPECT OF RAIN. <big><b>GEMARA: </b></big>Which produce is referred to? Shall I say, the produce which is already grown?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Having been sown in the previous autumn.');"><sup>4</sup></span>
ג למימרא דחד דינא מתדנא והתניא תבואה שאירע בה קרי או אונס קודם הפסח נידונית לשעבר לאחר הפסח נידונית להבא אדם שאירע בו קרי או אונס קודם יוה"כ נידון לשעבר לאחר יוה"כ נידון להבא
3 If so, then when were the hardships decreed which it has already suffered? It must be then the produce which is to be sown later.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the coming autumn. xbut ut hre');"><sup>5</sup></span> You assume then that only one judgment is passed.
ד אמר רבא ש"מ תרי דיני מתדנא אמר אביי הלכך כי חזי אינש דמצלח זרעא אפלא ליקדים וליזרע חרפא דעד דמטי למדייניה קדים סליק
4 But it has been taught: 'If some calamity or misfortune<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' . The former by an 'act of God', the latter by an act of man', Aruch.');"><sup>6</sup></span> happens to produce before Passover, it is in virtue of a judgment passed on the previous Passover, if after Passover, of a judgment passed at the Passover which has just gone.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit. , 'to come'. I.e., the Passover after which it had been sown.');"><sup>7</sup></span> If a calamity or misfortune happens to a man before the Day of Atonement, it is in virtue of a judgment passed on the last Day of Atonement, if just after the Day of Atonement, of a judgment passed on the one just gone'! - Raba replied: This shows that two judgments are passed on the produce.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the same produce is judged in two years.');"><sup>8</sup></span>
ה מני מתני' לא ר"מ ולא ר' יהודה ולא ר' יוסי ולא ר' נתן
5 Abaye remarked: Therefore if a man sees that the slow-maturing seed<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Wheat and cummin, which are sown in October.');"><sup>9</sup></span> is doing well he should sow the quick-maturing seed<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Barley, 'which is sown in January or February.');"><sup>10</sup></span> in good time, so that it may be well grown before the time comes to judge it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' At the next Passover, and meanwhile it profits from the favourable judgment of the preceding Passover.');"><sup>11</sup></span>
ו דתניא הכל נידונים בר"ה וגזר דין שלהם נחתם ביוה"כ דברי ר"מ ר' יהודה אומר הכל נידונין בר"ה וגזר דין שלהם נחתם כל אחד ואחד בזמנו בפסח על התבואה בעצרת על פירות האילן בחג נידונין על המים ואדם נידון בר"ה וגזר דין שלו נחתם ביוה"כ
6 Our Mishnah seems to agree neither with R'Meir nor with R'Judah nor with R'Jose nor with R'Nathan. For it has been taught: 'All are judged<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This means apparently, 'all judgments are passed'.');"><sup>12</sup></span> on New Year and their doom is sealed on the Day or Atonement.
ז ר' יוסי אומר אדם נידון בכל יום שנאמר (איוב ז, יח) ותפקדנו לבקרים רבי נתן אומר אדם נידון בכל שעה שנא' (איוב ז, יח) לרגעים תבחננו
7 So R'Meir. R'Judah says: All are judged on New Year and the separate dooms are sealed each in its time - on Passover in respect of produce, on Pentecost in respect of fruit, on Tabernacles judgment is passed in respect of rain, and man is judged on New Year and his doom is sealed on the Day of Atonement. R'Jose says: Man is judged every day, as it says, And thou dost visit him every morning.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Job VII, 18.');"><sup>13</sup></span>
ח וכי תימא לעולם ר' יהודה היא וכי קתני מתניתין אגזר דין אי הכי קשיא אדם
8 R'Nathan says: Man is judged every moment, as it says, Thou dost try him every moment'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. Tosef. R.H. I.');"><sup>14</sup></span> Should you maintain that it is after all in accordance with Rabbi Judah, [the seasons] mentioned in our Mishnah referring to the final doom, we may retort that if so there is a difficulty with the case of man!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Whose judgment according to the Mishnah is on New Year.');"><sup>15</sup></span> - Raba replied: This Tanna [of our Mishnah] follows the Tanna of the school of R'Ishmael, since it has been taught in the school of R'Ishmael: 'At four seasons judgment is passed on the world, on Passover in respect of produce, on Pentecost in respect of fruit, on Tabernacles judgment is passed in respect of rain, and man is judged on New Year and his doom is sealed on the Day of Atonement'.
ט אמר רבא האי תנא דבי ר' ישמעאל היא דתנא דבי ר' ישמעאל בארבעה פרקים העולם נידון בפסח על התבואה בעצרת על פירות האילן בחג נידונין על המים ואדם נידון בר"ה וגזר דין שלו נחתם ביוה"כ וכי קתני מתני' אתחלת דין
9 The statements of the Mishnah must then be taken to refer to the preliminary judgment. R'Hisda said: What is the reason of R'Jose? - [How can you ask this? ] Surely it is as he has stated, [viz. the text], 'And thou dost visit him every morning'! - What we mean is this: What is his reason for not taking the same view as R'Nathan? - 'Trying' merely means scrutinizing.
י אמר רב חסדא מ"ט דר' יוסי כדקאמר טעמיה ותפקדנו לבקרים אנן הכי קאמרינן מ"ט לא אמר כר' נתן בחינה עיוני בעלמא היא פקידה נמי עיוני בעלמא היא
10 But 'visiting' also merely means scrutinizing? The truth is, said R'Hisda, that R'Jose's reason is to be found in this text: To do the judgemen of his servant and the judgement of his people Israel, as every day shall require.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Kings VIII, 59.');"><sup>16</sup></span> R'Hisda further said: If a king and a people present themselves together, the king stands his trial first, it says, To do the judgement of his servant and the judgement of his people Israel.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Kings VIII, 59.');"><sup>16</sup></span>
יא אלא א"ר חסדא טעמיה דר' יוסי מהכא (מלכים א ח, נט) לעשות משפט עבדו ומשפט עמו ישראל דבר יום ביומו
11 What is the reason? - If you like, I can say, because it is not proper that a king should remain outside, or if you like I can say, [s that he may be judged] before the [divine] anger waxes hot.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. supra 8b.');"><sup>17</sup></span> R'Joseph said: Whose authority do we follow nowadays in praying [daily] for the sick and for the ailing?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. P.B. p 47.');"><sup>18</sup></span> - Whose authority?
יב וא"ר חסדא מלך וצבור מלך נכנס תחלה לדין שנאמר לעשות משפט עבדו ומשפט עמו ישראל מ"ט איבעית אימא לאו אורח ארעא למיתב מלכא אבראי ואיבעית אימא מקמי דליפוש חרון אף
12 That of R'Jose.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Who holds that man is judged daily; v. Ned. 49a.');"><sup>19</sup></span> Or if you like I can say that it is after all that of the Rabbis,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e. our MISHNAH:');"><sup>20</sup></span> but that at the same time we follow the counsel of R'Isaac.
יג א"ר יוסף כמאן מצלינן האידנא אקצירי ואמריעי כמאן כר' יוסי ואיבעית אימא לעולם כרבנן וכדר' יצחק דא"ר יצחק יפה צעקה לאדם בין קודם גזר דין בין לאחר גזר דין
13 For R'Isaac said: Supplication<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'crying'.');"><sup>21</sup></span> is good for a man whether before the doom is pronounced or after it is pronounced.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that daily prayer for the sick is of some effect though judgment has already been pronounced on New Year.');"><sup>22</sup></span> It has been taught: R'Judah said in the name of R'Akiba: Why did the Torah enjoin on us to offer an 'Omer on Passover?
יד תניא א"ר יהודה משום ר"ע מפני מה אמרה תורה הביאו עומר בפסח מפני שהפסח זמן תבואה הוא אמר הקב"ה הביאו לפני עומר בפסח כדי שתתברך לכם תבואה שבשדות ומפני מה אמרה תורה הביאו שתי הלחם בעצרת מפני שעצרת זמן פירות האילן הוא אמר הקב"ה הביאו לפני שתי הלחם בעצרת כדי שיתברכו לכם פירות האילן
14 Because Passover is the season of produce. Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, said, Bring before Me an 'Omer' on Passover so that your produce in the fields may be blessed.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Passover being the season when judgment is pronounced on the produce.');"><sup>23</sup></span> Why did the Torah enjoin on us to bring two leaves on Pentecost?
טו ומפני מה אמרה תורה נסכו מים בחג אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא נסכו לפני מים בחג כדי שיתברכו לכם גשמי שנה ואמרו לפני בראש השנה מלכיות זכרונות ושופרות מלכיות כדי שתמליכוני עליכם זכרונות כדי שיעלה זכרוניכם לפני לטובה ובמה בשופר
15 Because Pentecost is the season for fruit of the tree. Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, said: Bring before Me two loaves on Pentecost so that the fruit of your trees may be blessed.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The connection between the loaves and fruit lies in the fact that firstfruits were not brought to the Temple before Pentecost.');"><sup>24</sup></span> Why did the Torah enjoin on us to pour out water on Tabernacles?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The ceremony of water-pouring on Tabernacles (v. Suk. 48a) was derived by the Rabbis from hints in the Pentateuch, though it is not expressly mentioned there (V. Ta'an 2b-3a) .');"><sup>25</sup></span>
טז אמר רבי אבהו למה תוקעין בשופר של איל אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא תקעו לפני בשופר של איל כדי שאזכור לכם עקידת יצחק בן אברהם ומעלה אני עליכם כאילו עקדתם עצמכם לפני
16 The Holy One, blessed be He, said, Pour out water before Me on Tabernacles, so that your rains this year may be blessed. Also recite before Me on New Year [texts making mention of] kingship, remembrance, and the shofar-kingship, so that you may proclaim Me king over you; remembrance, so that your remembrance may rise favourably before Me; and through what? Through the shofar.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. infra 34b.');"><sup>26</sup></span>
יז (ואמר) רבי יצחק למה תוקעין בר"ה למה תוקעין רחמנא אמר תקעו אלא למה מריעין מריעין רחמנא אמר זכרון תרועה אלא למה תוקעין ומריעין כשהן יושבין
17 R'Abbahu said: Why do we blow on a ram's horn? The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Sound before Me a ram's horn so that I may remember on your behalf the binding of Isaac the son of Abraham,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because eventually Abraham offered a ram in place of Isaac.');"><sup>27</sup></span> and account it to you as if you had bound yourselves before Me. R'Isaac said: Why do we sound the horn on New Year? - [You ask], why do we sound? The All-Merciful has told us to sound!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the verse Sound (tik'u) the horn on the New Moon, on the appointed day of our festival. Ps. LXXXI, 4.');"><sup>28</sup></span> - What he means is, why do we sound a teru'ah?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because the word tik'u implies only the teki'ah sound. For teru'ah and teki'ah v. Glos.');"><sup>29</sup></span> [You ask] why do we sound a teru'ah? The All-Merciful has proclaimed 'a memorial of teru'ah!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXIII, 24. E.V. 'a memorial proclaimed with the blast of horns'.');"><sup>30</sup></span> - What he means is, why do we sound a teki'ah and teru'ah!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXIII, 24. E.V. 'a memorial proclaimed with the blast of horns'.');"><sup>30</sup></span> - sitting
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