Rosh Hashanah 6b

ראש השנה ו׳ ע״ב

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Topic

בל תאחר: the daily violation, how the year and the רגלים are counted, and who is subject to it (heir, woman, בכור)

Overview

This amud opens at the end of רב זביד's answer to an earlier difficulty: the offspring was eaten 'on the חג' (סוכות) because it was sick on שבועות. רב אשי answers instead that 'חג' there means שבועות. The גמרא explains that רב זביד rejects this because a תנא who mentions פסח calls שבועות 'עצרת'. Next, רבא rules that once three רגלים have passed, a person transgresses בל תאחר every single day. A ברייתא is brought against him, and רבא answers that the תנא only wanted to set the point where the first violation begins. The גמרא then asks how a year can pass without three רגלים. It answers for רבי with a leap year, and for the רבנן with רב שמעיה's teaching that שבועות can fall on the 5th, 6th or 7th of סיון, which אחרים dispute. רבי זירא then asks whether an heir and whether a woman are subject to בל תאחר. The heir is excluded by the word מֵעִמָּךְ. For the woman, אביי ties the answer to her obligation in שמחה, speaking according to רבי זירא's view. Finally, אביי and רב אחא בר יעקב discuss when a בכור's year begins, and the גמרא starts to show they do not truly disagree. That reconciliation continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (30)

1. ResolutionThe offspring was sick on שבועות
2. Resolutionרב אשי: 'the חג' here means שבועות
3. QuestionWhy didn't the other אמורא say this?
4. ResponseWhere פסח is named, שבועות is called עצרת
5. Statementרבא: after three festivals, one transgresses every day
6. Challengeברייתא: a year without festivals, or festivals without a year
7. QuestionWhat is the objection here?
8. Responseרב כהנא: the תנא is listing prohibitions
9. Resolutionרבא's defense: the תנא only needed to set up one prohibition
10. QuestionReturning to the ברייתא: how can a year pass without three Festivals?
11. QuestionSharpening the question: the case works only if Festivals must be in order
12. ResponseFor רבי, it happens in a leap year, since he counts a solar year
13. ResponseThe Rabbis' view of a full year in the walled-city בריתא
14. ResponseThe case according to רבי: consecrated after פסח in a leap year
15. QuestionHow can the case happen according to the Rabbis?
16. Responseרב שמעיה: שבועות can fall on the 5th, 6th, or 7th of סיון
17. QuestionWho disagrees with רב שמעיה?
18. Responseאחרים: the yearly gap is always four days (five in a leap year)
19. Questionרבי זירא: does an heir violate בל תאחר?
20. Proofרבי חייא's ברייתא: an heir is excluded
21. ChallengeThe word is already used for gleanings, forgotten sheaves and the field's corner
22. ResolutionRead the word two ways
23. QuestionDoes a woman violate the prohibition against delaying?
24. Responseאביי: her obligation to rejoice decides it
25. ChallengeElsewhere אביי says her husband makes her rejoice
26. Resolutionאביי was speaking according to רבי זירא
27. QuestionWhen does the firstborn's year start?
28. Responseאביי: the year starts at birth
29. Responseרב אחא: the year starts when the animal is fit to be offered
30. ResolutionThey do not really argue: one view is about an unblemished firstborn