Rosh Hashanah 3a

ראש השנה ג׳ ע״א

Learn Rosh Hashanah 3a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Rosh Hashanah 3a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Proving that סיחון was still alive when אהרן died, so that משה's speech (after killing סיחון) came after אהרן's death; identifying the כנעני מלך ערד with סיחון; and a new challenge that the year might begin in אייר.

Overview

The גמרא is proving that years counted from יציאת מצרים, and the years of kings, begin in ניסן. First it shows that סיחון was still alive when אהרן died, because the כנעני king of ערד, who is סיחון himself, attacked after hearing of אהרן's death. That makes אב and the later שבט part of the same 'fortieth year.' The גמרא then asks whether the year might begin in אייר or סיון, and rules both out from פסוקים. It cannot rule out תמוז, אב or אדר this way, so that method fails. רבי אלעזר brings a new source: 'in the second month, in the second' means the second month counted from the month a king's reign is counted from. רבינא and the גמרא test other readings of that extra word and reject them. A ברייתא supporting רבי יוחנן then lists all these פסוקים together. Finally, רב חסדא says non-Jewish kings count from תשרי, proving it from נחמיה. The גמרא begins to challenge that proof, and the challenge continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (22)

1. ProofThe king of ערד heard that אהרן died
2. ProofSupporting verse read as 'they were seen'
3. StatementThe word כי can mean 'because'
4. ChallengeThe פסוק is about a כנעני king, not סיחון
5. Resolutionסיחון, ערד, and כנען are one person
6. ResolutionSecond version: his real name was סיחון
7. ChallengePerhaps the new year begins in אייר
8. ResolutionTwo פסוקים about the משכן show the year does not start in אייר
9. ChallengeMaybe the year starts in סיון
10. ResolutionThe פסוק about arriving at סיני shows the year does not start in סיון
11. ChallengeNo פסוק rules out תמוז, אב or אדר
12. Statementרבי אלעזר proves from שלמה's building that a reign is counted from ניסן
13. Challengeרבינא asks: maybe the second 'second' means the second day of the month
14. ResolutionIf it meant a day of the month, the verse would say so plainly
15. ChallengeMaybe it means the second day of the week
16. ResolutionTwo reasons it cannot mean the day of the week
17. ProofA ברייתא supports רבי יוחנן: the first set of verses
18. ProofThe ברייתא adds פסוקים about סיחון, the כנעני, and the משכן
19. ProofThe ברייתא finishes its list of proof verses
20. StatementNon-Jewish kings count their years from תשרי
21. Proofכסלו and the following ניסן share the same year
22. ChallengeHow do we know the כסלו פסוק counts ארתחשסתא's years