Gemara Clarity

Rosh Hashanah 16a

ראש השנה ט״ז ע״א

Learn Rosh Hashanah 16a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Rosh Hashanah 16a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

The yearly times of judgment, whose opinion the משנה follows, and the reasons behind the holiday offerings and the שופר

Overview

The משנה teaches that the world is judged four times a year: grain on פסח, tree fruit on עצרת, every person on ראש השנה, and rain on סוכות. The גמרא shows that each crop is actually judged twice, and אביי draws a farming lesson from this. It then asks whose opinion the משנה follows, since it fits none of the four views in a ברייתא (רבי מאיר, רבי יהודה, רבי יוסי, רבי נתן). רבא answers that it follows the school of רבי ישמעאל. רב חסדא finds the source for רבי יוסי's view that people are judged every day, and learns from it that a king is judged before his people. רב יוסף asks whose view our daily prayers for the sick follow, and the גמרא brings רבי יצחק: crying out helps even after the verdict. A ברייתא explains that each holiday's offering brings blessing to what is judged then, and why ראש השנה has מלכיות, זכרונות and שופרות. רבי אבהו explains why the שופר is a ram's horn. רבי יצחק then asks why we blow while sitting, and the discussion continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

מַתְנִי׳

MISHNAH

בְּאַרְבָּעָה פְּרָקִים הָעוֹלָם נִידּוֹן:

At four times of the year the world is judged:

בַּפֶּסַח — עַל הַתְּבוּאָה,

On Pesach, concerning the grain;

בַּעֲצֶרֶת — עַל פֵּירוֹת הָאִילָן,

on Atzeret, concerning the fruit of the tree;

The steps (36)

  1. StatementThe four times the world is judged
  2. QuestionWhich grain is judged on Pesach?
  3. ResponseThe grain about to be sown
  4. ChallengeA ברייתא shows two judgments for one crop
  5. Conclusionרבא: there are two judgments
  6. Statementאביי's farming advice
  7. ChallengeWhose opinion is our משנה? It fits none of the four
  8. ProofThe opinions of רבי מאיר and רבי יהודה
  9. Proofרבי יוסי and רבי נתן: judged every day or every hour
  10. ResolutionMaybe the משנה is רבי יהודה, talking about sealing
  11. RejectionThat fails: people are a problem
  12. Resolutionרבא: The משנה Follows the School of רבי ישמעאל
  13. ResolutionThe משנה Only Mentions the Start of Judgment
  14. Questionרב חסדא Asks for רבי יוסי's Reason
  15. ChallengeBut רבי יוסי Already Gave His Verse
  16. ResolutionThe Real Question: Why Not Follow רבי נתן?
  17. RejectionVisiting Is Also Just Looking
  18. ResolutionA Better Verse for רבי יוסי
  19. StatementA King Is Judged Before the Community
  20. QuestionWhy Does the King Go First?
  21. ResponseTwo Reasons the King Is Judged First
  22. QuestionWhose opinion do our daily prayers for the sick follow?
  23. ResponseFirst answer: like רבי יוסי
  24. ResponseSecond answer: even like the רבנן
  25. Proofרבי יצחק: crying out helps before and after the verdict
  26. StatementWhy the עומר is brought on פסח
  27. StatementWhy the שתי הלחם are brought on עצרת
  28. StatementWhy water is poured on סוכות
  29. StatementWhy we say מלכיות, זכרונות and שופרות on ראש השנה
  30. QuestionWhy use a ram's horn?
  31. ResponseThe ram's horn recalls עקידת יצחק
  32. QuestionWhy do we blow the שופר on ראש השנה?
  33. ChallengeThe Torah openly commands blowing
  34. ResolutionMaybe the question is about the תרועה
  35. ChallengeThe Torah openly commands the תרועה too
  36. ResolutionThe real question: blowing while sitting