ראש השנה 31

31:1

There the case is different, because it is the psalm of the day. It has been taught: ‘R. Judah said in the name of R. Akiba: On the first day [of the week] what [psalm] did they [the Levites] say? [The one commencing] The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof, because He took possession and gave possession and was [sole] ruler in His universe. On the second day what did they say? [The one commencing], Great is the Lord and highly to be praised, because he divided His works and reigned over them like a king. On the third day they said, God standeth in the congregation of God, because He revealed the earth in His wisdom and established the world for His community. On the fourth day they said, O Lord, Thou God, to whom vengeance belongeth, because He created the sun and the moon and will one day punish those who serve them. On the fifth day they said, Sing aloud to the God of our strength, because He created fishes and birds to praise His name. On the sixth day they said, The Lord reigneth, He is clothed in majesty, because He completed His work and reigned over His creatures. On the seventh day they said, A psalm a song for the Sabbath day, to wit,for the day which will be all Sabbath. Said R. Nehemiah: What ground had the Sages for making a difference between these sections? No. On the first day [the reason for the psalm said is] because He took possession and gave possession and was [sole] ruler in His world; on the second day because He divided and ruled over them; on the third day because He revealed the earth in His wisdom and established the world for His community; on the fourth day, because He created the sun and the moon and will one day punish those who serve them; on the fifth day because He created birds and fishes to praise His name; on the sixth day because He completed His work and reigned over His creatures; on the seventh day, because He rested. The point at issue between them is whether to accept or not the dictum of R. Kattina; for R. Kattina said: The world is to last six thousand years, and one thousand it will be desolate, as it says, And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. Abaye, however, said: It will be desolate two thousand, as it says, After two days He will revive us. At the additional sacrifice of Sabbath what did they say? — R. Anan b. Raba said in the name of Rab: Hazyw Lak. R. Hanan b. Raba said also in the name of Rab: As these sections are divided here, so they are divided [when read on Sabbath] in the synagogue. At the afternoon sacrifice of Sabbath what did they say? — R. Johanan said: Then sang, and Who is like thee, and Then sang. The question was raised: Were all these portions said on each Sabbath, or was only one said on every Sabbath? — Come and hear, since it has been taught: ‘R. Jose said: By the time the first of these sections has come round once, the second has come round twice’. This shows that each Sabbath one portion was said: and this may be taken as proved. R. Judah b. Idi said in the name of R. Johanan: The Divine Presence [so to speak] left Israel by ten stages — this we know from references in Scripture — and the Sanhedrin correspondingly wandered to ten places of banishment — this we know from tradition. ‘The Divine Presence left Israel by ten stages — this we know from references in Scripture’: [it went] from the Ark-cover to the Cherub and from the Cherub to the threshold [of the Holy of Holies], and from the threshold to the court, and from the court to the altar, and from the altar to the roof [of the Temple], and from the roof to the wall, and from the wall to the town, and from the town to the mountain, and from the mountain to the wilderness, and from the wilderness it ascended and abode in its own place, as it says, I will go and return to my place. ‘From the Ark-cover to the Cherub and from the Cherub to the threshold’, as it is written, And there will I meet with thee . . . from above the ark-cover, and it is written, And the glory of the Lord was gone up from the cherub whereupon it was to the threshold of the house. ‘And from the threshold to the court’, as it is written, And the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord's glory, ‘From the court to the altar’, as it is written, I saw the Lord standing on the altar. ‘And from the altar to the roof’, as it is written, It is better to dwell it, a corner of the housetop [than in a house in common with a contentious woman]. ‘From the roof to the wall’,as it is written, Behold, the Lord stood by a wall made by a plumbline. ‘From the wall to the town’, as it is written, The voice of the Lord crieth unto the city. ‘And from the city to the mountain’, as it is written, And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city. ‘And from the mountain to the wilderness as it is written, It is better to dwell in a desert land [than with a contentious woman]. ‘And from the wilderness it went and abode in its own place’, as it is written, I shall go and return to my place until they acknowledge their guilt. R. Johanan said: The Divine Presence tarried for Israel in the wilderness six months in the hope that they would repent. When [it saw that] they did not repent, it said, Let their soul expire, as it says, But the eyes of the wicked shall fail and they shall have no way to flee and their hope shall be the expiry of the soul. ‘Correspondingly the Sanhedrin wandered to ten places of banishment, as we know from tradition’, namely, from the Chamber of Hewn Stone to Hanuth, and from Hanuth to Jerusalem, and from Jerusalem to Jabneh,

—

31:2

and from Jabneh to Usha, and from Usha [back] to Jabneh, and from Jabneh [back] to Usha, and from Usha to Shefar'am, and from Shefar'am to Beth She'arim, and from Beth She'arim to Sepphoris, and from Sepphoris to Tiberias; and Tiberias is the lowest-lying of them all, as it says, And brought down thou shalt speak out of the ground. R. Eleazar says: There were six banishments, as it says, For he hath brought down them that dwell on high, the lofty city, laying it low, laying it low even to the ground, bringing it even to the dust. Said R. Johanan: And from there they are destined to be redeemed, as it says, Shake thyself from the dust, arise. MISHNAH. R. JOSHUA B. KORHA SAID: THIS FURTHER REGULATION DID R. JOHANAN B. ZACCAI MAKE, THAT SHOULD THE HEAD OF THE BETH DIN BE IN SOME OTHER PLACE THE WITNESSES SHOULD STILL PROCEED ONLY TO THE PLACE OF THE ASSEMBLY. GEMARA. A certain woman was summoned to appear before Amemar in Nehardea. Meanwhile Amemar went to Mahuza, but she did not follow him. He accordingly wrote out a summons [under the penalty of the ban] against her. Said R. Ashi to Amemar: [Is this right] seeing that we have learnt: SHOULD THE HEAD OF THE BETH DIN BE IN SOME OTHER PLACE THE WITNESSES SHOULD STILL PROCEED ONLY TO THE PLACE OF THE ASSEMBLY? — He replied: This refers only to the testimony with regard to the new moon, and [the reason for it is that] if this [were to be insisted on], the result might be to put a stumbling block in their way for the future; but in this case, the borrower is a servant to the lender. Our Rabbis have taught: ‘The priests are not permitted to ascend the duchan in their sandals, and this is one of the nine regulations laid down by Rabban Johanan b. Zaccai’. [What are these nine?] — Six mentioned in this chapter and one in the preceding chapter and the following one, as it has been taught: ‘One who becomes a proselyte at the present time must set aside a quarter for a nest of pigeons’. Said R. Simeon b. Eleazar: Rabban Johanan took a vote on it and annulled this rule, because it may lead to wrongdoing. As to the last, there is a difference of opinion between R. Papa and R. Nahman b. Isaac. R. Papa said it was [the regulation] regarding a vine of the fourth year, whereas R. Nahman b. Isaac said it was the one regarding the thread of scarlet. ‘R. Papa said it was the regulation regarding the vine of the fourth year’, for we have learnt: [The fruit of] a vine in the fourth year was taken to Jerusalem from any point within a day's journey on all sides. The boundary of this area was as follows: Elath on the north, Akrabath on the south, Lydda on the west, and Jordan on the east’. [In reference to this] ‘Ulla (or as some say, Rabbah b. ‘Ulla) said in the name of R. Johanan: What was the reason? To decorate the streets of Jerusalem with fruit. It has been further taught: ‘R. Eliezer had a vine in its fourth year east of Lydda at the side of Kefar Tabi, and R. Eliezer had a mind to declare it free to the poor, but his disciples said to him, Rabbi, your colleagues have already taken a vote on it and declared it permitted’. Who are his ‘colleagues’? — Rabban Johanan b. Zacca. ‘R. Nahman b. Isaac said it was the tongue of scarlet’, as it has been taught: ‘Originally they used to fasten the thread of scarlet on the door of the [Temple] court on the outside. If it turned white the people used to rejoice, and if it did not turn white they were sad. They therefore made a rule that it should be fastened to the door of the court on the inside. People, however, still peeped in and saw, and if it turned white they rejoiced and if it did not turn white they were sad. They therefore made a rule that half of it should be fastened to the rock and half between the horns of the goat that was sent [to the wilderness]’. Why did not R. Nahman b. Isaac accept the view of R. Papa? — He could reply: If you assume that it was R. Johanan b. Zaccai [who made the rule about the vine], was he the colleague of R. Eliezer? He was his teacher! [What replies] the other [to this]? — Since they were his disciples [who reported the rule to him], it was not polite of them to say to their teacher, ‘your teacher’. Why did not R. Papa accept the view of R. Nahman b. Isaac? — He could reply: If you assume It was R. Johanan b. Zaccai [who made the rule], was there in the days of R. Johanan b. Zaccai a thread of scarlet [which turned white]? Has it not been taught: ‘R. Johanan b. Zaccai lived altogether a hundred and twenty years. For forty years he was in business, forty years he studied, and forty years he taught’, and it has further been taught: ‘For forty years before the destruction of the Temple the thread of scarlet never turned white but it remained red’. Further, the statement of the Mishnah is, ‘After the destruction of the Temple R. Johanan b. Zaccai made a rule’. [What says] the other [to this]? — During those forty years that he studied his status was that of a disciple sitting before his teacher, and he would offer a suggestion and make good his reasons

—