Rosh Hashanah

and his teacher would make it a definite rule in his name. MISHNAH. THE ORDER OF BLESSINGS [IN THE MUSAF ‘AMIDAH1 IS AS FOLLOWS]: [THE READER SAYS THE BLESSING OF] THE PATRIARCHS,2 [THAT OF] MIGHTINESS3 AND THAT OF THE SANCTIFICATION OF THE NAME4 AND INCLUDES THE KINGSHIP-VERSES5 WITH THEM AND DOES NOT BLOW THE SHOFAR. HE THEN SAYS THE SANCTIFICATION OF THE DAY6 AND BLOWS, THE REMEMBRANCE-VERSES5 AND BLOWS, AND THE SHOFAR-VERSES5 AND BLOWS; AND HE THEN SAYS THE BLESSING OF THE TEMPLE SERVlce7 AND THE ONE OF THANKSGIVING8 AND THE BLESSING OF THE PRIESTS.9 THIS IS THE VIEW OF R. JOHANAN B. NURI. SAID R. AKIBA TO HIM: IF HE DOES NOT BLOW THE SHOFAR FOR THE KINGSHIP-VERSES, WHY SHOULD HE SAY THEM? NO; [THE RULE IS AS FOLLOWS]. HE SAYS [THE BLESSING OF] THE PATRIARCHS AND OF THE RESURRECTION AND OF THE SANCTIFICATION OF THE NAME, AND SAYS THE KINGSHIP-VERSES ALONG WITH THE SANCTIFICATION OF THE DAY AND BLOWS THE SHOFAR, THEN HE SAYS THE REMEMBRANCE-VERSES AND BLOWS, AND THE SHOFAR-VERSES AND BLOWS. THEN HE SAYS THE TEMPLE SERVICE BLESSING AND THE THANKSGIVING AND THE BLESSING OF THE PRIEST. GEMARA. SAID R. AKIBA TO HIM, IF HE DOES NOT BLOW THE SHOFAR FOR THE KINGSHIP-VERSES, WHY DOES HE SAY THEM? [He asks], Why does he say them! But the All-Merciful enjoined that they should be said!10 — What he really means is, why say ten verses? Why not only nine,11 because if there is a difference [in one particular]12 so there may as well be a difference [in another]?13 Our Rabbis taught: Whence do we learn in the Scripture that we are to say [the blessing of] the Patriarchs? Because it says, Ascribe unto the Lord, O ye sons of might.14 And whence do we learn that we say the blessing of mightiness? Because it says, Ascribe unto the Lord glory and strength.15 And whence that we say sanctifications? Because it says, Ascribe unto the Lord the glory of his name, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.16 Whence do we learn that we are to say kingship, remembrance and shofar17 [verses]? R. Eliezer says: Because it is written, a solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with the blast of trumpets, a holy convocation.18 ‘A solemn rest’; this indicates the sanctification of the day. ‘A memorial’: this indicates remembrance verses. ‘Proclaimed with the blast of horns’: this indicates shofar verses. ‘A holy convocation’: sanctify it by [abstaining from] the doing of work. Said R. Akiba to him: Why should we not interpret ‘a solemn rest’ to apply to the abstention from work, seeing that the text placed this first?19 No; [we should interpret thus]: ‘A solemn rest’: sanctify it by [abstaining from] the doing of work — ‘A memorial’: this indicates the remembrance verses. ‘Proclaimed with the blowing of horns’: this indicates shofar-verses. ‘A holy convocation’: this indicates the sanctification of the day. Whence [then] do we learn that we say kingship-verses? — It has been taught: Rabbi says, I am the Lord your God,20 [and immediately afterwards], In the seventh month,21 this [juxtaposition]22 indicates kingship-verses. R. Jose b. Judah said: There is no need [of such an interpretation]. For Scripture says, And they [the trumpets] shall be to you for a memorial before your God.23 This makes superfluous [the succeeding words], I am the Lord your God. What then is the point of the words, I am the Lord your God’? This creates a general pattern24 for all places where we say remembrance verses, [to show] that kingship verses should accompany them. Where is the blessing of the sanctification of the day to be said? — It has been taught: Rabbi says, It should be said with the kingship verses. For just as on every other occasion25 we find that it comes fourth [in the order of blessings], so here it should come fourth. Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel says: It should be said with the remembrance verses. Just as we find that on all other occasions it is said in the middle,26 so here it should be in the middle.27 When the Beth din sanctified the New Moon in Usha, R. Johanan b. Beroka went down [before the ark]28 in the presence of Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel, and read as prescribed by R. Johanan b. Nuri.29 Rabban Simeon said to him: That was not the way they used to do in Jabneh.30 On the second day, R. Hanina the son of R. Jose the Galilean went down and read as prescribed by R. Akiba.31 Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel said: So they used to do in Jabneh. This would seem to show that R. Simeon b. Gamaliel was of the same opinion as R. Akiba. But [how can this be seeing that] R. Akiba said that the kingship verses are to be joined with the sanctification of the day, whereas R. Simeon b. Gamaliel said that the sanctification of the day is to be joined with the remembrance verses? — R. Zera replied: What it indicates is that [in R. Simeon's opinion] the shofar is blown with the kingship verses. ‘On the second day R. Hanina went down’. What is meant by second’? Shall I say, the second day of the holyday, which would imply that Elul had been prolonged?32 [But this cannot be] seeing that R. Hanina b. Kahana has said that from the time of Ezra there has been no case known of Elul being prolonged? R. Hisda replied: What is meant by ‘second’? It means the same holyday in the next year. MISHNAH. THERE SHOULD BE RECITED NOT LESS THAN TEN KINGSHIP VERSES, TEN REMEMBRANCE VERSES, AND TEN SHOFAR VERSES. R. JOHANAN B. NURI SAID: IF THE READER SAYS THREE FROM EACH SET33 HE HAS FULFILLED HIS OBLIGATION. GEMARA. To what do these ten kingship verses correspond? — R. Levi said, To the ten praises that David uttered in the book of Psalms. But there are a large number of praises there? — It means, those among which occurs, Praise him with the blowing of the shofar.34 R. Joseph said: To the ten commandments that were spoken to Moses on Sinai.35 R. Johanan said: To the ten Utterances by means of which the world was created.36 Which are they? The phrase ‘and he said’ occurs in the account of the creation only nine times? — The words ‘in the beginning’ are also an utterance, as it is written, By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.37 R. JOHANAN B. NURI SAID: IF HE SAYS THREE OF EACH SET HE HAS FULFILLED HIS OBLIGATION. The question was raised: How is this to be understood? Three from the Pentateuch, three from, the Prophets and three from the Writings, which would make nine [for each set], so that there is a difference of one between the two authorities, or is it one from the Pentateuch, one from the Prophets and one from the Writings,38 making three for each set, so that they differ considerably? — Come and hear, since it has been taught: ‘There must be recited not less than ten kingship verses, ten remembrance verses, and ten shofar verses, but one who said seven of all of them has fulfilled his obligation, these corresponding to seven firmaments. R. Johanan b. Nuri said: The lowest number one should say is seven,39 but if he said [even] three of them he has fulfilled his obligation, these corresponding to the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings, or, as others report, to Priests, Levites, and lay Israelites’. R. Huna said in the name of Samuel: The halachah is as laid down by R. Johanan b. Nuri. MISHNAH. NO MENTION IS MADE OF KINGSHIP, REMEMBRANCE AND SHOFAR VERSES THAT SIGNIFY PUNISHMENT. IT IS PROPER TO BEGIN WITH THE TORAH40 AND CONCLUDE WITH THE PROPHETS. R. JOSE SAID: IF ONE CONCLUDES WITH THE TORAH HE HAS FULFILLED HIS OBLIGATION. counted. thirty-first. earth’.