Rosh Hashanah 4

קמ"ל דניסן ר"ה למלכים ויום אחד בשנה חשוב שנה ואם לא עמד אלא באחד בניסן אין מונין לו שנה עד שיגיע ניסן אחר פשיטא

This teaches us that Nisan is the New Year for kings, and that one day in a year is reckoned as a year.' But if he ascended the throne on the first of Nisan he is not reckoned to have reigned a year till the next first of Nisan comes round'. This surely is self-evident? - It had to be stated in view of the case where his election to the throne was determined upon<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By the notables of the State. Lit. 'they (i.e., their votes) have been counted for him'.');">¹</span>

לא צריכא דאימנו עליה מאדר מהו דתימא נימנו ליה תרתין שנין קמ"ל

in Adar. You might think that in that case we should reckon him [by the next first of Nisan] to have reigned two years. We are therefore told [that this is not so].

ת"ר מת באדר ועמד אחר תחתיו באדר מונין שנה לזה ולזה מת בניסן ועמד אחר תחתיו בניסן מונין שנה לזה ולזה מת באדר ועמד אחר תחתיו בניסן מונין ראשונה לראשון ושניה לשני

Our Rabbis learnt: If [a king] died in Adar and was succeeded by another in Adar, we can designate [the rest of] the year [up to the first of Nisan] as belonging to either.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., we can regard the remaining days of the year as belonging either to the last year of the late king or the first year of the new king.');">²</span> If he died in Nisan and was succeeded by another in Nisan, we can date the year by either.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And similarly if the second ascended the throne in any other month of the year.');">³</span> If he died in Adar and was succeeded by another in Nisan, the earlier year is dated by the first and the later by the second.

אמר מר מת באדר ועמד אחר תחתיו באדר מונין שנה לזה ולזה פשיטא מהו דתימא שתא לבי תרי לא מנינן קמ"ל

The Master has here said, 'If he died in Adar and was succeeded by another, we can date the year by either'. Surely this is obvious? - You might think that we never date the same year by two kings;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But reckon the whole as belonging to the one who has died.');">⁴</span> hence we are told [that this can be done].'

מת בניסן ועמד אחר תחתיו בניסן מונין שנה לזה ולזה פשיטא מהו דתימא כי אמרינן יום אחד בשנה חשוב שנה בסוף שנה אבל בתחלת שנה לא אמרינן קמ"ל

If the first died in Nisan and was succeeded by another in Nisan, the year may be dated by either'. This also seems to be obvious? - You might think that when we lay down that a day in the year is reckoned as a year we mean only at the end of the year but not at the beginning;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.g.. if the first king died after only reigning a few days in the year.');">⁵</span> therefore we are told [that this is not so].'

מת באדר ועמד אחר תחתיו בניסן מונין ראשונה לראשון ושניה לשני פשיטא לא צריכא דאימנו עליה מאדר ומלך בן מלך הוא מהו דתימא נימנו לי' תרתין שנין קמ"ל

If the first died in Adar and he was succeeded by another in Nisan, the earlier year is dated by the first and the later by the second'. This surely is obvious? - It had to be stated i view of the case where his election was determined upon from Adar and he is succeeding his father.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This point is mentioned here because we have already been told above that his mere election does not affect the dating.');">⁶</span> In that case you might think that we should reckon two years to him.

א"ר יוחנן מנין למלכים שאין מונין להם אלא מניסן שנאמר (מלכים א ו, א) ויהי בשמונים שנה וארבע מאות שנה לצאת בני ישראל מארץ מצרים בשנה הרביעית בחדש זיו הוא החדש השני למלך שלמה על ישראל מקיש מלכות שלמה ליציאת מצרים מה יציאת מצרים מניסן אף מלכות שלמה מניסן

We are therefore told [that this is not so]. R'Johanan said: How do we know [from the Scripture] that the years of kings' reigns are always reckoned as commencing from Nisan? Because it says, And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv which is the second month.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Kings. VI. 1.');">⁷</span>

ויציאת מצרים גופה מנלן דמניסן מנינן דילמא מתשרי מנינן

Here Solomon's reign is put side by side with the exodus from Egypt,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the event recorded is dated by both of them.');">⁸</span> [to indicate that] just as [the years from] the exodus from Egypt are reckoned from Nisan, so [the years of] Solomon's reign commenced with Nisan. But how do we know that the years from the exodus from Egypt itself are reckoned as commencing with Nisan?

לא סלקא דעתך דכתיב (במדבר לג, לח) ויעל אהרן הכהן אל הר ההר על פי ה' וימת שם בשנת הארבעים לצאת בני ישראל מארץ מצרים בחדש החמישי באחד לחדש וכתיב (דברים א, ג) ויהי בארבעים שנה בעשתי עשר חדש באחד לחדש דבר משה וגו' מדקאי באב וקרי לה שנת ארבעים וקאי בשבט וקרי לה שנת ארבעים מכלל דר"ה לאו תשרי הוא

Perhaps we reckon them from Tishri?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which is the beginning of years reckoned from the creation.');">⁹</span> - Do not imagine such a thing. For it is written, And Aaron the priest went up into Mount Hor at the commandment of the Lord, and died there, in the fortieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fifth month,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ab.');">¹⁰</span>

בשלמא היאך מפרש דליציאת מצרים אלא האי ממאי דליציאת מצרים דילמא להקמת המשכן

on the first day of the month,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XXXIII, 38.');">¹¹</span> and it is further written, And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Shebat.');">¹²</span> on the first day of the month, that Moses spoke, etc.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. I, 3.');">¹³</span>

כדאמר רב פפא שנת עשרים שנת עשרים לגזרה שוה הכא נמי שנת ארבעים שנת ארבעים לגזרה שוה מה כאן ליציאת מצרים אף כאן ליציאת מצרים

Now since the text when referring to Ab places it in the fortieth year and again when referring to [the following] Shebat places it also in the fortieth year, we may conclude that Tishri is not the beginning of the year.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As otherwise Ab and Shebat would fall in different years.');">¹⁴</span> [This, however] is not conclusive. I grant you that the former text states explicitly that [the year spoken of was] 'from the going forth from Egypt'; but how do we know that [the year mentioned in] the latter text is reckoned from the exodus?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As it simply says 'In the fortieth year', without specifying from when.');">¹⁵</span>

וממאי דמעשה דאב קדים דילמא מעשה דשבט קדים

Perhaps it is from the setting up of the Tabernacle?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which was in Nisan of the second year of the exodus.');">¹⁶</span> - [We may reply to this] on the model of R'Papa, who said [in another connection]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. infra 3b.');">¹⁷</span> that the occurrence of the expression 'twentieth year' in two contexts provides us with a gezerah shawah:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos.');">¹⁸</span>

לא ס"ד דכתיב (דברים א, ד) אחרי הכותו את סיחון וכי נח נפשיה דאהרן אכתי הוה סיחון קיים דכתיב

so here, [I may say that the occurrence of] the expression 'fortieth year' in the two contexts provides us with a gezerah shawah, [showing that] just as in the one case<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The death of Aaron.');">¹⁹</span> [the date is reckoned] from the Exodus, so in the other case<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The address of Moses.');">²⁰</span> also. But how do you know that [in respect of these two incidents] that of Ab was prior? Perhaps that of Shebat was prior?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the address of Moses was prior to the death of Aaron, the fortieth year having commenced with the Tishri preceding Moses' address.');">²¹</span> - Do not imagine such a thing. For it is written [in connection with the latter], 'After he had smitten Sihon';<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. I, 4.');">²²</span> and when Aaron died Sihon was still alive, as it is written