Rosh Hashanah

GEMARA. [What are] KINGSHIP VERSES [signifying punishment]? — For instance, As I live, saith the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with fury poured out will I be king over you,1 and although R. Nahman said, Let the Holy One, blessed be He, be as furious as all this with us so only that He [finally] redeem us, yet since this was spoken in wrath, we do not call wrath to mind at the beginning of the year. REMEMBRANCE VERSES, as for instance, And he remembered that they were flesh2 etc. SHOFAR VERSES, as for instance, Blow ye the horn in Gibeah3 etc. If, however, he desires to recite kingship, remembrance and shofar verses mentioning the punishment of idolaters, he may do so. ‘Kingship verses’, as for instance, The Lord reigneth, let the peoples tremble,4 or, The Lord is king for ever and ever, the nations are perished out of his land.5 ‘Remembrance verses’, as for instance, Remember, O Lord, against the children of Edom6 etc. ‘Shofar verses’, as for instance, And the Lord God will blow the horn and will go with whirlwinds of the south,7 and the text continues, The Lord of hosts will defend them.8 [On the other hand] a verse mentioning the remembrance of an individual is not recited, even if it is for good, as for instance, Remember me, O Lord, when thou favourest thy people,9 or, Remember unto to me, O my God, for good.10 ‘Visitation’ is equivalent to ‘remembrance’, as, for instance, in the verse, And the Lord visited Sarah,11 or, I have surely visited you.12 This is the view of R. Jose; R. Judah, however, says that ‘visitation’ is not equivalent to ‘remembrance’. Now on R. Jose's view, even granting that ‘visitation’ is equivalent to ‘remembrance’, the text, ‘And the Lord visited Sarah’ refers to the visitation of an individual,13 [does it not]? — Since a multitude issued from her,14 it is as good as a multitude. [In the text], Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors, that the king of glory may come in. Who is the king of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle, Lift up your heads, O ye gates, yea, lift them up, ye everlasting doors, that the king of glory may come in. Who is the king of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the king of glory,15 the first [apostrophe] contains two mentions [of God's kingship]16 and the second three. So R. Jose; R. Judah, however, says that the first contains one and the second two.17 [In the text], Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises unto our king, sing praises. For God is the king of all the earth,18 there are two mentions [of God's kingship]; so R. Jose. R. Judah, however, says there is only one.19 They agree, however, that in the verse, God reigneth over the nations, God sitteth upon his holy throne,20 there is only one. A remembrance verse which also mentions blowing [teru'ah], as for instance, a memorial proclaimed with the blast of horns, a holy convocation may be recited either with the remembrance verses or with the shofar verses; so R. Jose. R. Judah, however, says that it may be recited only with the remembrance verses.21 A kingship verse which also contains mention of blowing, as, for instance, The Lord his God is with him and the shouting [teru'ath] for the king is among them,22 may be recited either with the kingship verses or with the shofar verses; so R. Jose. R. Judah, however, says that it may be recited only with the kingship verses.23 A verse mentioning simply blowing of the trumpet, as for instance, it is a day of blowing the horn [teru'ah] unto you,24 may be recited with the shofar verses; so R. Jose. R. Judah, however, says that it may not be recited at all. 25 IT IS PROPER TO BEGIN WITH THE TORAH AND CONCLUDE WITH THE PROPHETS. R. JOSE SAID: IF ONE CONCLUDES WITH THE TORAH HE HAS FULFILLED HIS OBLIGATION. ‘IF ONE CONCLUDES’ [HE HAS FULFILLED]: that is to say, the deed having been done; but he should not do so in the first instance. [Is this correct] seeing that it has been taught: ‘R. Jose says, He who concludes with the Torah verses, he is to be commended’? — Read, ‘He concludes’. But it states [distinctly], IF HE CONCLUDES [etc.], [which implies that] what is done is done, but in the first instance it should not be done? — What is meant is this: ‘It is proper to commence with the Torah and conclude with the Prophets. R. Jose said: It is proper to conclude with the Torah, but if one concluded with the Prophets, he has fulfilled his obligation’. It has been taught to the same effect: ‘R. Eleazar b. R. Jose said: The wethikin,26 used to conclude with the Torah’. We can understand this being done with the remembrance and shofar verses, because there are numbers of them [in the Pentateuch], but of kingship verses there are only three, viz., The Lord his God is with him and the shouting for the King is among them,27 And he was king in Jeshurun,28 and The Lord shall reign for ever and ever,29 and we require ten verses [in all]30 and [in this way] we cannot find them?31 — R. Huna replied: Come and hear. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God the Lord is one;32 this is a kingship verse according to R. Jose, though R. Judah says it is not a kingship verse. And thou shalt know on that day and lay it to thy heart that the Lord he is God, there is none else,33 is a kingship verse according to R. Jose, though R. Judah says it is not a kingship verse, Unto thee it was shown, that thou mightest know that the Lord he is God, there is none else beside him34 is a kingship verse according to R. Jose, though R. Judah says it is not a kingship verse. MISHNAH. OF THOSE WHO PASS BEFORE THE ARK35 ON THE HOLYDAY OF NEW YEAR, THE SECOND36 BLOWS37 THE SHOFAR. ON DAYS WHEN HALLEL IS SAID,38 THE FIRST39 READS ALOUD THE HALLEL.40 GEMARA. What special reason is there for the second to blow? [You must say], because of the maxim, In the multitude of people is the king's glory.41 But if that is so, Hallel should also be recited by the second because ‘in the multitude of people is the king's glory’? Should you say, however, that there is a special reason why Hallel is said by the first, because the zealous come early for the performance of religious duties, then let the blowing of the shofar be performed by the first because the zealous come early for the performance of religious duties! — R. Johanan replied: They made this rule at a time when the Government had forbidden [the blowing of the shofar].42 Since it says, ON DAYS WHEN HALLEL IS SAID, we infer that on New Year Hallel is not said. What is the reason? — R. Abbahu replied: The ministering angels said in the Presence of the Holy One, blessed be He: Sovereign of the Universe, why should Israel not chant hymns of praise before Thee on New Year and the Day of Atonement? He replied to them: Is it possible that the King should be sitting on the throne of justice with the books of life and death open before Him, and Israel should chant hymns of praise? MISHNAH. [FOR THE SAKE OF] THE SHOFAR OF NEW YEAR IT IS NOT ALLOWED TO DISREGARD THE DISTANCE LIMIT43 NOR TO REMOVE DEBRIS NOR TO CLIMB A TREE NOR TO RIDE ON AN ANIMAL NOR TO SWIM ON THE WATER. IT MUST NOT BE SHAPED44 EITHER WITH AN IMPLEMENT THE USE OF WHICH IS FORBIDDEN ON ACCOUNT OF SHEBUTH45 OR WITH ONE THE USE OF WHICH IS FORBIDDEN BY EXPRESS PROHIBITION.46 IF ONE, HOWEVER, DESIRES TO POUR WINE OR WATER INTO IT HE MAY DO SO.47 CHILDREN NEED NOT BE STOPPED FROM BLOWING; ON THE CONTRARY, THEY MAY BE HELPED48 TILL THEY LEARN HOW TO BLOW. ONE WHO BLOWS MERELY TO PRACTISE49 DOES NOT THEREBY FULFIL HIS RELIGIOUS OBLIGATION, NOR DOES ONE WHO HEARS THE BLAST MADE BY ANOTHER WHEN PRACTISING. GEMARA. What is the reason [why these things may not be done]? — The blowing of the shofar is [based on] a positive precept,50 whereas the observance of the holyday is [based both on] a positive51 and a negative precept,52 and a positive precept cannot override both a positive and a negative precept. NOR TO CLIMB A TREE NOR TO RIDE ON AN ANIMAL etc, Seeing that you have not allowed even Rabbinical [prohibitions to be broken],53 need you mention Pentateuchal ones?54 — The Mishnah adopts the style of ‘A, and needless to say B’. identified by some with the Essenes, v. J.E. V. p. 226. Others regard them as a community of priests who held a service in common; v. Blau, REJ, XXXI, pp. 184ff.] correctly, to ‘go down before the Ark’, because they stood in front of the Ark on a level lower than the Ark itself and the rest of the congregation. introductory to the blowing, v. supra 32a, but the blowing itself is performed by another to avoid confusing the reader; cf. Ber. 34a.] more persons present at the later than at the earlier service. rule was not altered even when the reason for it had disappeared, v. supra p. 61, n. 5. strict legal sense is involved. For shebuth, v. Glos. Pentateuch. (Rashi). forbidden by the Pentateuch. The argument is very forced, and Rashi is inclined to regard the whole sentence as spurious. [R. Hananel takes the prohibitions regarding the Sabbath limit and removing the debris to be the Biblical prohibitions referred to.]