Gemara Clarity

Rosh Hashanah 22a

ראש השנה כ״ב ע״א

Learn Rosh Hashanah 22a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Rosh Hashanah 22a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Who may testify about the new moon: relatives, disqualified witnesses, breaking שבת to testify, and the start of the second chapter on unknown witnesses

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a story from the previous משנה. A ברייתא says it was זפר, the head of גדר, and not רבי עקיבא, who held back the forty pairs of witnesses, and רבן גמליאל removed him from office. A new משנה teaches that relatives cannot form a pair of witnesses for the new moon, but רבי שמעון says they are valid. רבי יוסי supports the first view with the story of טוביה הרופא, whose son was rejected by the בית דין. The גמרא gives רבי לוי's source for רבי שמעון, 'החודש הזה לכם', said to the brothers משה and אהרן, and then shows how the רבנן read the same פסוק. רב חנן בר רבא rules like רבי שמעון, but רב הונא shows that רב's silence actually backed the other view, while שמואל rules like רבי שמעון. The next משנה lists people who are not valid witnesses and compares them to a woman, and רב אשי learns from this that a גזלן דדבריהם may testify in עדות אשה. The chapter ends with witnesses breaking שבת to reach בית דין. The new chapter opens with the rule that an unknown witness needs someone to vouch for him, a תקנה made because of the בייתוסים. The גמרא begins asking what 'another' means, and the question continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁעָבְרוּ יוֹתֵר מֵאַרְבָּעִים זוּג

There was an incident where more than forty pairs passed through

וְעִיכְּבָן רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא כּוּ׳.

and Rabbi Akiva detained them, etc.

תַּנְיָא, אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה:

It was taught: Rabbi Yehuda said:

חַס וְשָׁלוֹם שֶׁרַבִּי עֲקִיבָא עִיכְּבָן.

Heaven forbid that Rabbi Akiva detained them!

The steps (23)

  1. StatementThe גמרא quotes the משנה's story of the forty pairs
  2. Statementרבי יהודה says it was really זפר of גדר
  3. StatementA father and son who saw the moon should both go
  4. Statementרבי שמעון says relatives are valid for testimony about the month
  5. StatementThe story of טוביה הרופא, his son, and his freed slave
  6. Statementרבי לוי's source for רבי שמעון
  7. QuestionHow the רבנן read 'לכם'
  8. Statementרב חנן בר רבא rules like רבי שמעון
  9. Challengeרב הונא challenges the ruling
  10. Resolutionרב never objected
  11. QuestionHow did you learn the משנה?
  12. RejectionThat is why רב stayed quiet
  13. Statementשמואל rules like רבי שמעון
  14. StatementList of disqualified witnesses
  15. StatementThe general rule: compared to a woman
  16. StatementWherever a woman is valid, they are valid too
  17. ConclusionA rabbinic robber may testify for a woman
  18. StatementCarrying a witness who cannot walk, and taking sticks for protection
  19. StatementTaking food for a long trip, and the source for breaking שבת
  20. ConclusionHadran — Closing ארבעה ראשי שנים
  21. StatementNew chapter: an unknown witness needs someone to vouch for him
  22. StatementHistory of the rule: the בייתוסים caused a stricter enactment
  23. QuestionWhat does 'another' mean in the משנה?