Rosh Hashanah

. But [if that is so], cannot the prohibition [of the third of Tishri] be derived from the fact that it was the day on which Gedaliah the son of Ahikam was killed?1 — Rab replied: Its [insertion in the Megillath Ta'anith] was required only to prohibit the day before it also.2 But the prohibition of the day before it can also be derived from the fact that it is the day after New Moon?2 — New Moon is ordained by the Written Law, and the ordinances of the Written Law do not require reinforcement, as it has been taught: ‘These days which are mentioned in Megillath Ta'anith are forbidden [for fasting on] along with both the day before them and the day after them. As to Sabbaths and New Moons, they themselves are forbidden, but the days before and after them are permitted. What is the difference between one set and the other? The one set are ordained by the Torah,3 and the words of the Torah require no reinforcement, whereas the other are laid down by the Scribes, and the words of the Scribes require reinforcement’.4 But cannot the prohibition [of the second of Tishri] be derived from the fact that it is the day before the day on which Gedaliah the son of Ahikam was killed?5 — R. Ashi replied: The fast of Gedaliah the son of Ahikam is laid down in the later Scriptures,6 and the words of the later Scriptures are on the same footing as those of the Torah. R. Tobi b. Mattenah raised the following objection [against the statement that Megillath Ta'anith has been annulled]: ‘"On the twenty-eighth thereof [of Adar] came glad tidings to the Jews that they should not abandon the practice of the Law". For the Government [of Rome] had issued a decree that they should not study the Torah and that they should not circumcise their sons and that they should profane the Sabbath. What did Judah b. Shammu'a and his colleagues do? They went and consulted a certain matron whom all the Roman notables used to visit.7 She said to them: "Go and make proclamation [of your sorrows] at night time". They went and proclaimed at night, crying, "Alas, in heaven's name, are we not your brothers, are we not the sons of one father and are we not the sons of one mother? Why are we different from every nation and tongue that you issue such harsh decrees against us?" The decrees were thereupon annulled, and that day was declared a feast day’.8 Now if you maintain that the Megillath Ta'anith9 was annulled, [is it possible that] after the earlier prohibitions had been annulled they should add new ones? And should you reply that this also was in the period when the Temple was still standing, [this cannot be], because Judah b. Shammu'a was the disciple of R. Meir, and R. Meir was after the destruction of the Temple. We know [that R. Judah was R. Meir's disciple] because it has been taught: ‘If holes were made in a vessel of glass and filled up with lead, R. Simeon b. Gamaliel reports that R. Judah b. Shammu'a in the name of R. Meir declares it unclean,10 For other views v. Lichtenstein op. cit. p. 279]. Or it may mean ‘becomes capable of receiving uncleanness’. V. Rashi a.l. and Tosaf. s.v. vsuvh .