Rosh Hashanah

to confusion, since people would say: This month may be defective, and the reason why beacons were not lit yesterday is because it was impossible,1 or perhaps it is full and they are lighting up at the proper time. But why should we not light up whether for a full month or a defective month, and when New Moon is on Friday not light up at all, so that since we do not light at the termination of Sabbath, in spite of the fact that we usually light for a full month, people will know that it is defective? — This nevertheless may lead to errors, since people will say, This month is full, and the reason why they have not lit up is because they have been prevented.2 But why not light up for the full months and not at all for the defective months? — Abaye replied: So as not to deprive the public of two working days.3 HOW DID THEY LIGHT THE BEACONS? THEY USED TO BRING LONG POLES etc. Rab Judah said: There are four kinds of cedar — cedar, kedros,4 pinewood5 and cypress [What is] kedros? — R. Idra stated that in the school of R. Shila it was defined as mabliga,6 though others held that it is gulmish. He [Rab Judah] differs herein from Rabbah son of R. Huna; for Rabbah son of R. Huna reported that in the school of Rab it was stated that there are ten kinds of cedar, as it says, I will plant in the wilderness erez, shitah, and hadas and oil-tree, I will set in the desert berosh, tidhor and teashur together.7 ‘Erez’ is cedar; ‘shitah’ is pine; ‘hadas’ is myrtle; ‘oil-tree’ is balsam; berosh is cypress; tidhor is teak;8 teashur is larch.9 This makes seven. When R. Dimi came, he said: To these were added alonim, almonim, and almugim. ‘Alonim’ are terebinths; almonim are oaks; almugim are coral-wood. According to others it should be aronim, ‘armonim, and almugim. Aronim are bay-trees; ‘armonim are planes; almugim are coral-wood. Neither shall gallant ship pass thereby.10 Rab said: This refers to the great ship.11 How is it carried out?12 They bring there six thousand men for twelve months (or according to others twelve thousand men for six months) and load the boat with sand until it rests on the sea-bottom.13 Then a diver goes down and ties a rope of flax to the coral while the other end is tied to the ship, and the sand is then taken and thrown overboard, and as the boat rises it pulls up the coral with it. The coral is worth twice its weight in silver. There were three ports, two belonging to the Romans14 and one belonging to the Persians. From the Roman side they brought up coral, from the Persian side pearls. This [the Persian] one was called the port of Mashmahig.15 R. Johanan said: Every acacia tree that was taken by the invaders from Jerusalem will be restored to it by the Holy One, blessed be He, in time to come, as it says, I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia tree,16 and ‘wilderness’ means Jerusalem, as it is written, Zion is become a wilderness17 etc. R. Johanan further said: One who studies the Torah but does not teach it is like the myrtle in the wilderness.18 Others report [the saying thus]: One who studies the Torah and teaches it in a place where there is no [other] talmid hakam19 is like the myrtle in the wilderness, which is precious. R. Johanan also said: Alas for the idol-worshippers since they have no means of remedy,20 as it says, For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass and for stones iron.21 But what can they bring to replace R. Akiba and his companions? Of them the Scripture says, Though I cleanse them [of other transgressions] from their blood I shall not cleanse them.22 WHENCE DID THEY CARRY THE CHAIN OF BEACONS etc.? FROM BETH BALTIN. What is Beth Baltin? — Rab said: This is always he kept as New Moon from doubt, and if the actual day fixed was the thirty-first, there would be two days New Moon. the desert the cypress, the plane-tree and the larch together. The Talmud proceeds to give the Aramaic equivalents of the Hebrew words. what purpose is it made? — To raise with it corals’]. Syrians) the name given to Babylon by the Sasamans; v. Funk, Monumenta, p. 16 and Obermeyer p. 74]. between ‘Oman and al-Bahrin.]