Rosh Hashanah 18b

ראש השנה י״ח ע״ב

Learn Rosh Hashanah 18b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The four fasts of זכריה: when they apply, which dates they mark, and whether the happy days of מגילת תענית were cancelled

Overview

The גמרא brings רבי שמעון חסידא's explanation of זכריה 8:19, which calls the same four days both fasts and days of joy: it depends on whether there is peace. רב פפא adds that when there is neither persecution nor peace, fasting is optional, but תשעה באב stays required because so many disasters happened on it. A ברייתא then brings רבי עקיבא's identification of the four fasts: ט׳ בתמוז, תשעה באב, ג׳ תשרי (the killing of גדליה), and עשרה בטבת. רבי שמעון disagrees about the fast of the tenth. He says it is ה׳ בטבת, the day the news of the destruction reached the exiles, so the list follows the order of the disasters. Next, אמוראים argue whether the happy days of מגילת תענית were cancelled after the חורבן. רב כהנא challenges from a fast decreed on חנוכה, and רב יוסף answers that חנוכה is different because its miracle is well known. Finally, רב אחא בר הונא challenges from a day that was added to מגילת תענית later, and the גמרא answers that it was added while the בית המקדש still stood.

Opening lines

The steps (26)

1. ChallengeA verse that calls the same days both fasts and joyful days
2. ResolutionIt depends on whether there is peace
3. Resolutionרב פפא adds a middle situation where fasting is optional
4. ChallengeThen תשעה באב should be optional too
5. Resolutionתשעה באב is different because of its many disasters
6. ProofThe list of tragedies on תשעה באב
7. Statementרבי שמעון introduces four teachings of רבי עקיבא he disagrees with
8. Statementרבי עקיבא: the fast of the fourth is the ninth of תמוז
9. QuestionWhy is תמוז called the fourth?
10. StatementThe fast of the fifth is תשעה באב
11. StatementThe fast of the seventh is the day גדליה was killed
12. StatementThe fast of the tenth is עשרה בטבת, the start of the siege
13. ChallengeWhy is the siege listed last if it happened first?
14. ResolutionThe list follows the order of the months
15. Statementרבי שמעון: the fast of the tenth is ה׳ בטבת, the day the news arrived
16. Proofרבי שמעון explains why his reading is better
17. StatementHas מגילת תענית been cancelled? Two opinions
18. StatementWhy רב and רבי חנינא say it is cancelled
19. StatementWhy רבי יוחנן and רבי יהושע בן לוי say it still stands
20. Challengeרב כהנא's challenge from a fast decreed on חנוכה
21. Resolutionחנוכה is different because it has a מצוה
22. Rejectionאביי: the מצוה could be cancelled too
23. Resolutionחנוכה is different because its miracle is well known
24. ChallengeThe holiday of 3 תשרי: God's name in documents
25. ChallengeA holiday added later proves מגילת תענית was not cancelled
26. ResolutionThe new day was added while the Temple still stood