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Rosh Hashanah 2a

ראש השנה ב׳ ע״א

Learn Rosh Hashanah 2a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Rosh Hashanah 2a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

The four New Years of the opening משנה, and the גמרא's explanation of why kings need a fixed New Year (dating documents) and how their years are counted from ניסן.

Overview

This amud opens מסכת ראש השנה with a משנה that lists four separate 'new year' dates, each for a different area of הלכה. א' ניסן is for kings and the order of the רגלים. א' אלול is for מעשר בהמה, though רבי אלעזר and רבי שמעון say א' תשרי. א' תשרי is for years, שמיטה, יובל, planting and vegetables. The new year for trees is א' שבט according to בית שמאי and ט"ו בשבט according to בית הלל. The גמרא then asks why kings need a new year at all, and רב חסדא answers that it matters for dating documents, since early-dated loan documents are invalid. A ברייתא shows how royal years turn over on א' ניסן, so that even one day of rule before ניסן counts as a full year. The גמרא re-quotes that line to draw a lesson from it, and the lesson itself comes on the next amud.

Opening lines

אַרְבָּעָה רָאשֵׁי שָׁנִים הֵם,

There are four New Years:

בְּאֶחָד בְּנִיסָן —

On the first of Nisan

רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה לַמְּלָכִים וְלָרְגָלִים.

is the New Year for kings and for the festivals.

בְּאֶחָד בֶּאֱלוּל —

On the first of Elul

The steps (11)

  1. StatementThere are four New Years, and the first is ניסן
  2. StatementThe first of אלול is the New Year for animal tithes
  3. Statementרבי אלעזר and רבי שמעון say animal tithes start in תשרי
  4. StatementThe first of תשרי is the New Year for years, שמיטה, יובל, planting and vegetables
  5. StatementThe first of שבט is the New Year for trees, according to בית שמאי
  6. Statementבית הלל say the New Year for trees is the fifteenth of שבט
  7. QuestionWhy do kings need a New Year?
  8. Responseרב חסדא: it matters for documents
  9. ProofEarly-dated loan documents are invalid
  10. StatementA ברייתא: how a king's years are counted
  11. StatementRe-quoting the ברייתא to draw a lesson