Gemara Clarity

Rosh Hashanah 16b

ראש השנה ט״ז ע״ב

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

Open Rosh Hashanah 16b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Why the שופר is blown twice, רבי יצחק's teachings on judgment and the רגל, and the three books opened on ראש השנה.

Overview

The גמרא finishes explaining why we blow the שופר both sitting and standing: it confuses the שטן. רבי יצחק then gives a long series of teachings. A year with no שופר at its start meets trouble at its end. A year that starts poor ends rich. A person is judged only by what he is doing right now. Three things bring up a person's sins, and four things (צדקה, crying out, a new name, better deeds) can tear up a bad decree. Some add moving to a new place, but רבי יצחק credits ארץ ישראל in the story of אברם. He also teaches that one must greet his רבי on the רגל and must be טהור for the רגל, which a ברייתא supports. The גמרא then returns to ראש השנה: three books are opened, for צדיקים, רשעים and בינוניים, with two פסוקים as sources. A ברייתא of בית שמאי describes three groups at the future יום הדין, and its account of the בינוניים continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

וְתוֹקְעִין וּמְרִיעִין כְּשֶׁהֵן עוֹמְדִין

and then sound a tekia and a terua again while they are standing?

כְּדֵי לְעַרְבֵּב הַשָּׂטָן

In order to confuse the Satan.

וְאָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק

And Rabbi Yitzḥak said:

כׇּל שָׁנָה שֶׁאֵין תּוֹקְעִין לָהּ בִּתְחִלָּתָהּ

Any year during which the shofar was not sounded at its beginning

The steps (21)

  1. ResponseBlowing twice confuses the שטן
  2. StatementA year without שופר at its start
  3. ResponseThe reason: the שטן was not confused
  4. StatementA poor beginning leads to a rich ending
  5. StatementA person is judged by what he is doing now
  6. StatementThree things that bring up a person's sins
  7. ProofProof that asking Heaven to judge another brings punishment first
  8. StatementFour things that tear up a bad decree
  9. ProofA פסוק for each of the four things
  10. StatementSome add a fifth: changing one's place
  11. RejectionWhy רבי יצחק does not count changing place
  12. StatementA person must greet his רבי on the רגל
  13. StatementA person must purify himself for the Festival
  14. ProofA ברייתא shows ordinary Jews may usually touch a carcass
  15. ProofA קל וחומר shows the same thing
  16. ConclusionThe verse must be talking about the Festival
  17. StatementThree books are opened on ראש השנה
  18. ProofA verse hinting at the three books
  19. ProofA second verse for the three books
  20. StatementThree groups on the great Day of Judgment
  21. StatementThe in-between people go down to גיהנם