Rosh Hashanah 19a
ראש השנה י״ט ע״א
Learn Rosh Hashanah 19a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.
Open Rosh Hashanah 19a in Gemara Clarity
Topic
Why מגילת תענית listed the third of תשרי, which holidays need reinforcement days, and whether מגילת תענית was cancelled after the חורבן
Overview
The גמרא asks why מגילת תענית had to list the third of תשרי as a day without fasting. In the time of the בית המקדש, the day גדליה בן אחיקם was killed was already a happy day. רב answers that the listing was needed to forbid fasting on the day before, the second of תשרי. The גמרא asks whether that day is already covered because it comes after ראש חודש, or because it comes before the day of גדליה. The answer to both is no. A ברייתא teaches that Torah-level days do not need 'reinforcement' days around them, and רב אשי adds that דברי קבלה count like Torah law. Then רב טובי בר מתנה challenges the view that מגילת תענית was cancelled after the חורבן. He points out that a new festive day, the 28th of אדר, was added to it after a Roman decree was overturned. The גמרא shows this happened after the חורבן, because יהודה בן שמוע, who led the protest, was a student of רבי מאיר. It begins proving this from a משנה about glass vessels, and that proof continues on the next amud.
Opening lines
וְתִיפּוֹק לֵיהּ דְּהָוֵה לֵיהּ יוֹם
But derive it from the fact that it is the day
שֶׁנֶּהֱרַג בּוֹ גְּדַלְיָה בֶּן אֲחִיקָם!
on which Gedaliah son of Ahikam was killed!
אָמַר רַב:
Rav said:
לֹא נִצְרְכָה אֶלָּא
It was only needed
The steps (12)
- ChallengeWhy list the third of תשרי if it is already גדליה's day?
- Resolutionרב: The listing was needed to forbid the day before
- ChallengeThe day before is already the day after ראש חודש
- ResolutionTorah holidays do not need reinforcement
- ProofA ברייתא: מגילת תענית days need reinforcement, שבת and יום טוב do not
- ChallengeThe second of תשרי is the day before גדליה's day
- Resolutionרב אשי: דברי קבלה are like Torah law
- Challengeרב טובי quotes the 28th of אדר from מגילת תענית
- StatementThe protest that cancelled the decree
- ChallengeWould they cancel old days and add new ones?
- RejectionThis could not have happened while the Temple stood
- ProofProof that יהודה בן שמוע was רבי מאיר's student