Rosh Hashanah 32

ותוקעין ומריעין כשהן עומדין כדי לערבב השטן

and then again sound a teki'ah and teru'ah standing? - It is so as to confuse the Accuser.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Heb. 'Satan'. The devotion of the Jews to the precepts nullifies Satan's accusation against them (Rashi) . [The Shofar on New Year is blown twice: once at the close of the morning prayer and the reading of the Law when the congregation is seated, and again during the Musaf prayers while the people stand. According to J.R.H. IV, 8 the Shofar was originally blown only at the morning service, whence it was transferred to a later hour in the Musaf because their enemies on one occasion took the Shofar blasts early in the morning as a call to arms, whereupon they attacked the Jews. The custom of blowing the Shofar at Musaf service was retained even after the rite had been restored to the morning service].');">¹</span> R'Isaac further said: If the shofar is not sounded<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [This does not apply where New Year falls on Sabbath, in which case the Shofar may not be blown, but where the rite was omitted through some other cause (Tosaf.) ].');">²</span> at the beginning of the year, evil will befall at the end it.

וא"ר יצחק כל שנה שאין תוקעין לה בתחלתה מריעין לה בסופה מ"ט דלא איערבב שטן

Why so? Because the Accuser has not been confused. R'Isaac further said: Every year which is poor<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., in which Israel humble themselves and make themselves poor in spirit. ,harn');">³</span>

וא"ר יצחק כל שנה שרשה בתחלתה מתעשרת בסופה שנא' (דברים יא, יב) מראשית השנה מרשית כתיב ועד אחרית סופה שיש לה אחרית

at its opening becomes rich before it ends, as it says, From the beginning of the year - where the word is spelt meroshith<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Defectively, and can be read from the poverty of'.');">⁴</span> - 'unto the end'; such a year is destined to have a 'latter end'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Apparently there is an allusion here to the verse, 'for the latter end of that man is peace'. Ps. XXXVII.');">⁵</span> R'Isaac further said: Man is judged only according to his actions up to the time of judgment,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And not in view of those which he is likely to commit at some later time. Lit., 'of that hour'.');">⁶</span>

וא"ר יצחק אין דנין את האדם אלא לפי מעשיו של אותה שעה שנאמר (בראשית כא, יז) כי שמע אלהים אל קול הנער באשר הוא שם

as it says, God hath heard the voice of the lad as he is there.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XXI, 17. Stress is laid on the words as he is there (E.V. 'where he is') ; Ishmael was still righteous, whatever he was destined to become in the future.');">⁷</span> R'Isaac further said: Three things call a man's iniquities to mind, namely, a shaky wall,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By passing under a shaky wall a man, as it were, 'tempts Providence'.');">⁸</span> the scrutinizing of prayer,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'speculation in prayer'. To see whether it produces an effect or not. [Or, 'expectation of the immediate grant of one's request'. The offence lies in the presumption of claiming that God must answer prayer of any kind whatsoever. V. Abrahams, I, Pharisaism and Gospels II, 78ff].');">⁹</span>

וא"ר יצחק ג' דברים מזכירין עונותיו של אדם אלו הן קיר נטוי ועיון תפלה ומוסר דין על חבירו דא"ר (אבין) כל המוסר דין על חבירו הוא נענש תחלה שנאמר (בראשית טז, ה) ותאמר שרי אל אברם חמסי עליך וכתיב (בראשית כג, ב) ויבא אברהם לספוד לשרה ולבכותה

and calling for [Divine] judgment on one's fellow man. For R'Abin said: He who calls down [Divine] judgment on his neighbour is himself punished first [for his own sins], as it says, And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XVI, 5.');">¹⁰</span> and it is written later, And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which shows that Sarah died first. Ibid. XXIII, 2.');">¹¹</span>

וא"ר יצחק ד' דברים מקרעין גזר דינו של אדם אלו הן צדקה צעקה שינוי השם ושינוי מעשה צדקה דכתיב (משלי י, ב) וצדקה תציל ממות צעקה דכתיב (תהלים קז, כח) ויצעקו אל ה' בצר להם וממצוקותיהם יוציאם שינוי השם דכתיב (בראשית יז, טו) שרי אשתך לא תקרא את שמה שרי כי שרה שמה וכתיב וברכתי אותה וגם נתתי ממנה לך בן שינוי מעשה דכתיב (יונה ג, י) וירא האלהים את מעשיהם וכתיב (יונה ג, י) וינחם האלהים על הרעה אשר דבר לעשות להם ולא עשה

R'Isaac further said: Four things cancel the doom of a man, namely, charity, supplication, change of name and change of conduct. Charity, as it is written, And charity delivereth from death.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. X, 2 (E.V. 'righteousness') .');">¹²</span> Supplication, as it is written, Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. CVII, 6.');">¹³</span>

וי"א אף שינוי מקום דכתיב (בראשית יב, א) ויאמר ה' אל אברם לך לך מארצך והדר ואעשך לגוי גדול ואידך ההוא זכותא דא"י הוא דאהניא ליה

Change of name, as it is written, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XVII, 15.');">¹⁴</span> and it continues, And I will bless her and moreover I will give thee a son of her. Change of conduct, as it is written, And God saw their works, and it continues, and God repented of the evil which he said he would do unto them and he did it not.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Jonah III, 10.');">¹⁵</span>

וא"ר יצחק חייב אדם להקביל פני רבו ברגל שנאמר (מלכים ב ד, כג) מדוע את הולכת אליו היום לא חדש ולא שבת מכלל דבחדש ושבת איבעי לה למיזל

Some say that change of place [also avails], as it is written Now the Lord said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and it proceeds, and I will make of thee a great nation.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XII, 1, 2.');">¹⁶</span> And the other [ - why does he not reckon this]? - In that case it was the merit of the land of Israel which availed him. R'Isaac further said: It is incumbent on a man to go to pay his respects to his teacher on festivals, as it says, Wherefore wilt thou go to him today?

וא"ר יצחק חייב אדם לטהר את עצמו ברגל שנאמר (ויקרא יא, ח) ובנבלתם לא תגעו

It is neither new moon nor sabbath,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Kings IV, 23.');">¹⁷</span> from which we infer that on New Moon and Sabbath<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which is a generic name for all holy days.');">¹⁸</span> one ought to go.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [R. Hananel's text reads on 'But we have said (only) on festivals (whereas the verse speaks of New Moon and Sabbaths) ? - If the teacher resides near him he must go to pay him his respects every Sabbath and New Moon; if he resides at a long distance, he must go to pay him his respects (only) on Festivals].');">¹⁹</span>

תניא נמי הכי ובנבלתם לא תגעו יכול יהו ישראל מוזהרין על מגע נבילה תלמוד לומר (ויקרא כא, א) אמור אל הכהנים בני אהרן בני אהרן מוזהרין בני ישראל אין מוזהרין

R'Isaac further said: A man should purify himself for the festival, as it says, and their carcasses ye shal not touch.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XI, 8.');">²⁰</span> It has been taught to the same effect: 'And their carcasses ye shall not touch'. I might think tha [ordinary] Israelites are cautioned not to touch carcasses.

והלא דברים קל וחומר ומה טומאה חמורה כהנים מוזהרין ישראלים אינן מוזהרין טומאה קלה לא כל שכן אלא מה ת"ל ובנבלתם לא תגעו ברגל

Therefore it says, Say unto the priests the sons of Aaron;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXI, 1. The text continues, there shall none defile himself for the dead among his people.');">²¹</span> [which shows that] the sons of Aaron are cautioned but ordinary Israelites are not cautioned. May we not then argue a fortiori: Seeing that in the case of a serious uncleanness,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That of a dead body.');">²²</span>

א"ר כרוספדאי א"ר יוחנן שלשה ספרים נפתחין בר"ה אחד של רשעים גמורין ואחד של צדיקים גמורין ואחד של בינוניים צדיקים גמורין נכתבין ונחתמין לאלתר לחיים רשעים גמורין נכתבין ונחתמין לאלתר למיתה בינוניים תלויין ועומדין מר"ה ועד יוה"כ זכו נכתבין לחיים לא זכו נכתבין למיתה

while the priests are cautioned Israelites are not cautioned, how much less [are they likely to be cautioned] in the case of a light uncleanness!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That of an animal carcass.');">²³</span> What then am I to make of the words, 'and their carcasses ye shall not touch'? - On the festival. R'Kruspedai said in the name of R'Johanan: Three books are opened [in heaven] on New Year, one for the thoroughly wicked,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e. , those whose bad deeds definitely outweigh their good. ihn,jbu');">²⁴</span>

א"ר אבין מאי קרא (תהלים סט, כט) ימחו מספר חיים ועם צדיקים אל יכתבו ימחו מספר זה ספרן של רשעים גמורין חיים זה ספרן של צדיקים ועם צדיקים אל יכתבו זה ספרן של בינוניים

one for the thoroughly righteous, and one for the intermediate. The thoroughly righteous are forthwith inscribed definitively in the book of life; the thoroughly wicked are forthwith inscribed definitively in the book of death;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The life and death in the future world (i.e., of the soul) is meant. V. Tosaf. s.v. .');">²⁵</span> the doom of the intermediate is suspended from New Year till the Day of Atonement; if they deserve well, they are inscribed in the book of life; if they do not deserve well, they are inscribed in the book of death.

ר"נ בר יצחק אמר מהכא (שמות לב, לב) ואם אין מחני נא מספרך אשר כתבת מחני נא זה ספרן של רשעים מספרך זה ספרן של צדיקים אשר כתבת זה ספרן של בינוניים

Said R'Abin, What text tells us this? - Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. LXIX, 29.');">²⁶</span> 'Let them be blotted out from the book - this refers to the book of the wicked.' Of life - this is the book of the righteous.'

תניא ב"ש אומרים ג' כתות הן ליום הדין אחת של צדיקים גמורין ואחת של רשעים גמורין ואחת של בינוניים צדיקים גמורין נכתבין ונחתמין לאלתר לחיי עולם רשעים גמורין נכתבין ונחתמין לאלתר לגיהנם שנאמר (דניאל יב, ב) ורבים מישני אדמת עפר יקיצו אלה לחיי עולם ואלה לחרפות לדראון עולם בינוניים יורדין לגיהנם

And not be written with the righteous' - this is the book of the intermediate. R'Nahman B'Isaac derives it from here: And if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXXII, 32. ouhk');">²⁷</span> 'Blot me, I pray thee' - this is the book of the wicked.' Out of thy book' - this is the book of the righteous.' Which thou has written' - this is the book of the intermediate. It has been taught: Beth Shammai say, There will be three groups at the Day of Judgment<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When the dead will arise in the flesh. V. Tosaf. s.v. .');">²⁸</span> - one of thoroughly righteous, one of thoroughly wicked, and one of intermediate. The thoroughly righteous will forthwith be inscribed definitively as entitled to everlasting life; the thoroughly wicked will forthwith be inscribed definitively as doomed to Gehinnom, as it says. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life and some to reproaches and everlasting abhorrence.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Dan. XII, 2.');">²⁹</span> The intermediate will go down to Gehinnom