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Rosh Hashanah 21b

ראש השנה כ״א ע״ב

Learn Rosh Hashanah 21b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Breaking שבת to testify about the new moon, the meaning of בעליל, and whether anyone matched משה

Overview

The משנה teaches that today, witnesses who saw the new moon may break שבת to testify only for ניסן and תשרי. When the בית המקדש stood, they did so every month because of the ראש חודש קרבן. The גמרא resolves a contradiction with an earlier משנה that speaks of six months: אביי explains that for ניסן and תשרי the messengers wait until בית דין declares 'מקודש', and a ברייתא supports him. A ברייתא then learns from a פסוק that שבת may be broken to declare the month, but not so that people can keep the festivals. Another ברייתא tells how רבן יוחנן בן זכאי limited the practice to ניסן and תשרי after the destruction. A new משנה debates whether witnesses break שבת when the moon was seen clearly (בעליל), and tells of רבן גמליאל warning רבי עקיבא not to hold witnesses back. The גמרא proves the meaning of עליל from a פסוק in תהלים. That פסוק leads to רב and שמואל's teaching about the fifty gates of understanding and whether שלמה could match משה.

Opening lines

מַתְנִי׳ עַל שְׁנֵי חֳדָשִׁים

MISHNA: For two months

מְחַלְּלִין אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת —

they may desecrate Shabbat:

עַל נִיסָן וְעַל תִּשְׁרִי,

for Nisan and for Tishrei,

שֶׁבָּהֶן שְׁלוּחִין יוֹצְאִין לְסוּרְיָא,

for in them messengers go out to Syria,

The steps (21)

  1. StatementWitnesses may break שבת for two months
  2. StatementIn Temple times, שבת was broken for every month
  3. ChallengeOnly two months? Another משנה says six
  4. Resolutionאביי: in ניסן and תשרי the messengers wait for the declaration
  5. ProofA ברייתא supports אביי
  6. QuestionWhere do we learn that witnesses may break שבת?
  7. ResponseThe verse about declaring the festivals in their time
  8. ChallengeMaybe שבת may also be broken so the festivals are kept
  9. Resolutionשבת may be broken for declaring, not for observing
  10. StatementBack to the משנה: in Temple times they broke שבת for every month
  11. Conclusionרבן יוחנן בן זכאי limits it to ניסן and תשרי
  12. StatementNew משנה: שבת is broken whether or not the moon was clearly seen
  13. Statementרבי יוסי: if clearly seen, שבת is not broken
  14. Statementרבי עקיבא holds back the witnesses, and רבן גמליאל objects
  15. QuestionHow do we know עליל means clearly visible?
  16. Responseרבי אבהו proves the meaning from a verse in תהלים
  17. StatementFifty gates of understanding, and משה received all but one
  18. Statementקהלת wanted to equal משה, and a heavenly voice said no
  19. StatementNo prophet like משה arose, but a king did
  20. QuestionThen what was קהלת seeking?
  21. Responseקהלת wanted to judge without witnesses