Rosh Hashanah 4b

ראש השנה ד׳ ע״ב

Learn Rosh Hashanah 4b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Rosh Hashanah 4b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

בל תאחר: the five opinions on how many רגלים must pass and their sources, and the תשלומין of שבועות

Overview

This amud finishes a ברייתא about בל תאחר, the Torah's command not to delay what you owe, including the poor-gifts of לקט, שכחה and פאה. The ברייתא gives five opinions on when the violation happens. The תנא קמא says after three רגלים, and רבי שמעון says three in order, ending with סוכות. רבי מאיר says one רגל, רבי אליעזר בן יעקב says two, and רבי אלעזר ברבי שמעון says once סוכות passes. The גמרא then gives each opinion's verse and explains how the other side reads that verse differently. Next it asks what רבי מאיר and רבי אליעזר בן יעקב learn from the list of three festivals. They use it to teach that שבועות is compared to פסח, so שבועות has seven days of תשלומין. The גמרא asks why we don't compare שבועות to סוכות and give it eight days. It concludes with the rule תפשת מרובה לא תפשת: when in doubt, take the smaller number. Finally it asks why the verse mentions סוכות, and begins to answer that it compares סוכות to פסח. That answer continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (26)

1. StatementGifts to the poor also fall under the three-Festival rule
2. Statementרבי שמעון requires the three Festivals in order
3. Statementרבי מאיר: one Festival is enough
4. Statementרבי אליעזר בן יעקב: two Festivals
5. Statementרבי אלעזר son of רבי שמעון: once סוכות passes
6. QuestionWhat is the source of the תנא קמא
7. ResponseThe repeated names of the Festivals teach the three-Festival rule
8. Responseרבי שמעון's source: סוכות must come last
9. QuestionWhat is the source for רבי מאיר's view?
10. Responseרבי מאיר's verse: 'There you shall come, and there you shall bring'
11. ResolutionThe רבנן: that verse is only a positive commandment
12. Rejectionרבי מאיר: missing the Torah's time automatically means delaying
13. QuestionWhat is the source for רבי אליעזר בן יעקב's view?
14. Response'In your appointed times': a plural means at least two
15. ResolutionThe רבנן use 'במועדיכם' for רבי יונה's teaching
16. QuestionWhat is רבי אלעזר son of רבי שמעון's source?
17. ResponseThe extra mention of סוכות shows that סוכות is the deadline
18. QuestionWhat do רבי מאיר and רבי אליעזר בן יעקב learn from the list of three festivals?
19. ResponseThe verse teaches that שבועות has seven days to make up its offering
20. ChallengeWhy not compare שבועות to סוכות and give it eight days?
21. ResolutionThe eighth day is a separate festival
22. ChallengeFor make-up offerings, the eighth day still belongs to סוכות
23. ProofA משנה shows the last day counts as a make-up day
24. ResolutionWhen in doubt, take the smaller number
25. QuestionThen why does the verse mention סוכות?
26. ResponseTo compare סוכות to פסח