Gemara Clarity

Rosh Hashanah 7b

ראש השנה ז׳ ע״ב

Learn Rosh Hashanah 7b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Rosh Hashanah 7b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

The New Years of ניסן and אלול: שקלים, house rentals, the authorship of the משנה's clauses, and why the עומר and שתי הלחם are not counted

Overview

This amud opens by finishing an earlier answer: a ברייתא had to teach that an individual's donated קרבנות צבור are valid, even though we might worry he never fully handed them over. The גמרא explains that our משנה leaves out ניסן as the New Year for שקלים because that rule is not absolute: one who brings from the old collection is still יוצא. Next it discusses the יש אומרים who make ניסן the New Year for house rentals. It explains why a rental 'for this year' ends at ניסן and not תשרי, and why other תנאים disagree, since rain still falls in ניסן. The גמרא then turns to the משנה's clauses on רגלים and מעשר בהמה, which seem to follow different תנאים. רב יוסף says רבי picked different views for each topic, and רבא and רב נחמן בר יצחק explain how the משנה can still say 'four'. Finally, a ברייתא adds the עומר and שתי הלחם as New Years. רב פפא and רב שישא בריה דרב אידי each give a rule for why the משנה leaves them out, and each rule is defended against a challenge from רגלים, and רב פפא's rule also against one from יובל.

Opening lines

לֹא יִמְסְרֵם לַצִּבּוּר יָפֶה יָפֶה,

[lest] he will not hand them over to the public fully and properly,

קָא מַשְׁמַע לַן.

[therefore] it teaches us [that this is not a concern].

וְתַנָּא דִּידַן?

And our tanna [of the Mishnah — why did he not list shekels]?

כֵּיוָן דְּקָתָנֵי: אִם הֵבִיא יָצָא —

Since it is taught: If he brought [from the old collection], he has fulfilled [his obligation] —

The steps (26)

  1. ResolutionFinishing the answer: we might fear he won't fully hand over the offerings
  2. QuestionWhy doesn't our משנה list ניסן as the New Year for שקלים?
  3. ResponseThe שקלים New Year is not an absolute rule, so the משנה omits it
  4. StatementSome say ניסן is also the New Year for renting houses
  5. StatementRenting 'for a year' versus 'for this year'
  6. ResolutionRentals are different: no one rents for less than thirty days
  7. QuestionWhy not make תשרי the cutoff for rentals?
  8. ResponsePeople rent for the whole rainy season
  9. QuestionWhy do other תנאים leave out rentals?
  10. ResponseClouds and rain are still common in ניסן
  11. StatementThe אלול New Year for animal tithes follows רבי מאיר
  12. StatementThe Festivals clause follows רבי שמעון
  13. ChallengeCan the משנה switch authors in the middle?
  14. Resolutionרבי wrote the משנה and picked different opinions for different topics
  15. ChallengeIf so, there should be five New Years, not four
  16. ResolutionEach תנא alone has only four
  17. ResolutionFour months, with several New Years inside them
  18. ChallengeA ברייתא lists two more New Years, the עומר and the שתי הלחם
  19. Resolutionרב פפא: Only New Years that begin at night are counted
  20. ChallengeChallenge: The festivals do not begin at night either
  21. ResolutionAnswer: He is obligated from his vow, before the festival begins
  22. ChallengeChallenge: The Jubilee does not begin at night either
  23. ResolutionAnswer: The משנה follows the view that the יובל begins on ראש השנה
  24. Resolutionרב שישא: Only New Years that do not depend on an action are counted
  25. ChallengeThe New Year for festivals seems to depend on an action
  26. ResolutionThe ban on delaying takes effect by itself