Rosh Hashanah 25a

ראש השנה כ״ה ע״א

Learn Rosh Hashanah 25a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Rosh Hashanah 25a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

קידוש החודש by בית דין: רבן גמליאל's acceptance of doubtful witnesses, the clash with רבי יהושע, and the binding authority of every generation's court

Overview

This amud finishes the משנה about witnesses for קידוש החודש. In two cases רבן גמליאל accepts witnesses whom other חכמים call עדי שקר. In the second case רבי יהושע sides with רבי דוסא בן הורכינס, so רבן גמליאל orders him to come with his staff and money on the day רבי יהושע counts as יום הכפורים. רבי עקיבא and רבי דוסא convince him that the בית דין's dates stand, and רבן גמליאל greets him as 'my teacher and my student'. The גמרא then explains רבן גמליאל's family tradition that the moon's path is sometimes long and sometimes short. It also tells stories about the moon's timing: רבי חייא and the old moon, and רבן גמליאל blocking a ראש חודש declared on the 29th. Finally it expands on רבי עקיבא's teaching that אֹתָם can be read as אַתֶּם, and on why the seventy elders are not named: every generation's בית דין carries full authority.

Opening lines

The steps (30)

1. Statementרבי יוחנן בן נורי calls the first witnesses liars
2. Statementרבן גמליאל accepts them anyway
3. StatementA second case: seen on time, but not the next night
4. Challengeרבי דוסא: like a woman who gave birth but is still pregnant
5. Statementרבי יהושע agrees with Rabbi Dosa
6. Statementרבן גמליאל's decree: come with your staff and money
7. Proofרבי עקיבא's proof that בית דין's dates stand
8. Statementרבי דוסא says we cannot question every court
9. ProofThe unnamed elders show every court is like משה's
10. Statementרבי יהושע goes to יבנה on his own יום הכפורים
11. Conclusionרבן גמליאל greets him as teacher and student
12. Statementרבן גמליאל's family tradition about the moon
13. ProofA verse shows the moon has no fixed schedule
14. Statementרבי חייא scolds the old moon
15. Statementרבי sends רבי חייא to sanctify the month in עין טב
16. StatementThe court wants to declare ראש חודש on the 29th
17. Rejectionרבן גמליאל's family tradition on the moon's cycle
18. ConclusionA הספד to show it was not ראש חודש
19. StatementBack to the משנה: רבי עקיבא found him upset
20. QuestionWho was upset?
21. ResponseA ברייתא shows רבי יהושע was upset
22. ConclusionBetter to be sick for a year than face this decree
23. Statementרבי עקיבא asks permission and points to a word written three times
24. ProofRead it as you: the court's declaration stands no matter what
25. Conclusionרבי יהושע is comforted
26. StatementThe גמרא quotes the next line of the משנה about רבי דוסא
27. QuestionWhy are the elders' names not written?
28. ResponseSo no one belittles the judges of his own time
29. ProofTwo verses where שמואל lists great and lesser leaders together
30. StatementWho are ירובעל, בדן and יפתח?