סוכה 55 — Soncino English Talmud

¹and in connection with this R. Johanan stated that [the reason for this was] that people should know that the New Moon has been fixed at its proper time? — Two distinguishing signs were made, so that some might see the one while others might see the other. An objection was raised [from what] Raba b. Samuel learned: Since it might have been presumed that as the trumpet is sounded for the Sabbath on its own and for the New Moon on its own it is also sounded for each additional offering separately. Scripture, therefore, teaches explicitly, And on your New Moons. Is not this then a refutation of R. Aha? — It is indeed a refutation. But how is the inference made? — Abaye answered, Scripture says, ‘And on your New Moons’, whereby all the months are compared with one another. R. Ashi answered, It is written, ‘your month’ and it is written ‘On the beginnings of.’ What month is it that has two beginnings? It is, you must say, that of the New Year, and the Divine Law nevertheless says, ‘your month’ viz., that it is to be regarded as one. Moreover it has been taught: What did they recite on the first day of the Intermediate Days? Ascribe unto the Lord, O ye sons of might. On the second day what did they recite? But unto the wicked God saith. On the third day what did they recite? Who will rise up for me against the evil-doers? On the fourth day what did they recite? Consider, ye brutish among the people. On the fifth day what did they recite? I removed his shoulder from the burden. On the sixth day what did they recite? All the foundations of the earth are moved; and if the Sabbath occurred on any of these days ‘are moved’ is to be superseded. R. Safra assigned to them the mnemonic Humbahi. R. Papa assigned to them the mnemonic Humhabi; and the mnemonic for you is ‘the escort of the scribes’. Now is not this a refutation of R. Aha b. Hanina? — It is indeed a refutation. But did not R. Aha b. Hanina quote both a Scriptural verse and a Baraitha [in support of his view]? — Rabina answered, [The meaning of the Baraitha is] that the trumpet blasts are lengthened. The Rabbis of Caesarea in the name of R. Aha stated, It means that the number of the trumpeters is to be increased. And we who keep two days [of the Festival], how do we proceed? — Abaye ruled, The [paragraph for the] second day is to be omitted. Raba ruled, [That of] the seventh day is omitted. It was taught in agreement with Raba: If the Sabbath falls on one of them ‘are moved’ is omitted. Amemar instituted in Nehardea to go back and repeat the previous portions.39^ᵃ^ᵇ^ᶜ^ᵈ^ᵉ^ᶠ^ᵍ^ʰ^ⁱ^ʲ^ᵏ^ˡ^ᵐ^ⁿ^ᵒ^ᵖ^ᵠ^ʳ^ˢ^ᵗ^ᵘ^ᵛ^ʷ^ˣ^ʸ^ᶻ^ᵃᵃ^ᵃᵇ^ᵃᶜ^ᵃᵈ^ᵃᵉ^ᵃᶠ^ᵃᵍ^ᵃʰ^ᵃⁱ^ᵃʲ^ᵃᵏ^ᵃˡ^ᵃᵐ

^ᵃnote:The special place for the New Moon sacrificial pieces.
^ᵇnote:Lit., ‘he who saw one saw it’ etc.
^ᶜnote:To R. Aha's view.
^ᵈnote:Sc. when it is an ordinary Sabbath.
^ᵉnote:Sc. when it occurs on a weekday.
^ᶠnote:Even when Sabbath and New Moon occur on the same day.
^ᵍnote:Num. X, 10. This is explained presently.
^ʰnote:From Num. X, 10 (cf. prev. n.).
^ⁱnote:Sc. whatever Festivals the day of the New Moon may have, the number of trumpet blasts is always to be the same, i.e., they are to be sounded for one additional offering only.
^ʲnote:Num. X, 10; i.e., the written form being defective it may be rendered as a sing.
^ᵏnote:The plural form, ibid. E.V., ‘In the beginnings of your months’.
^ˡnote:Since its first day is both New Moon and New Year.
^ᵐnote:Of Tabernacles, when the additional sacrifice was being offered.
^ⁿnote:Ps. XXIX, 1. Sc. all the Psalm in which this verse occurs.
^ᵒnote:Ps. L, 16. Sc. the whole Psalm (cf. prev. n.).
^ᵖnote:Ps. XCIV, 16. From this verse to the end of the Psalm (Rashi).
^ᵠnote:Ps. XCIV v, 8. Sc. vv. 8-15 (Rashi).
^ʳnote:Ps. LXXXI, 7. Sc. all the Psalm.
^ˢnote:lbid. LXXXII, 5. Sc. all the Psalm.
^ᵗnote:When Ps. XCII had to be read.
^ᵘnote:Sc. Ps. LXXXII which is allotted to the last day.
^ᵛnote:The Psalm that is superseded by the Sabbath Psalm is read on the Sunday and is followed on the subsequent days by the other Psalms in the order given, so that the Psalm for the last day is always the one completely superseded.
^ʷnote:The Psalms mentioned.
^ˣnote:A fictitious word composed of the first letters of the verses quoted.
^ʸnote:Making Ps. LXXXI precede Ps. XCIV, 8-15.
^ᶻnote:To remember who made Humbahi his mnemonic, and who Humhabi.
^ᵃᵃnote:Or ‘school teachers’ whose quarters are frequented by many people, men and women. Sadra is the Aramaic for ‘scribe’ or ‘school teacher’, and ‘ambuha’, (‘an escort’) is similar in sound to Humbahi. The mnemonic thus suggests that ‘Safra said humbahi’.
^ᵃᵇnote:Who ruled supra that for every additional offering of the day there were special blasts, thus requiring also special Psalms while here it is ruled that one Psalm superseded the other.
^ᵃᶜnote:How then could such an authoritative statement be refuted?
^ᵃᵈnote:Not as R. Aha b. Hanina interpreted it. The Baraitha merely says that ‘they sound according to the additional offerings’. The explanation that it means separate blasts for each additional offering is R. Aha's alone and his own interpretation might well be refuted.
^ᵃᵉnote:Not to be confused with R. Aha b. Hanina.
^ᵃᶠnote:The Baraitha.
^ᵃᵍnote:The paragraphs of the sacrifices (v. Num. XXVIII) are to be read on the respective days. Since, owing to doubt, two days instead of one, are kept as the first day of the Festival, thus diminishing the Intermediate Days by one, which of the paragraphs is to be omitted?
^ᵃʰnote:And the others then follow in order.
^ᵃⁱnote:That of the second to the sixth being moved one day forward.
^ᵃʲnote:The days of Tabernacles.
^ᵃᵏnote:Sc. Ps. LXXXII, i.e., the Psalm of the seventh, which is the last day.
^ᵃˡnote:In the case of the Pentateuchal texts dealing with the respective sacrifices on the different days of the Festival, that are included in the additional prayers of the respective days.
^ᵃᵐnote:Lit., ‘to skip’. Sc. on the first day of the Intermediate Days, concerning which there is doubt whether it is the second or the third day of the Festival, the paragraphs relating to the second and the third (Num. XXIX, 17-22) are recited; on the second day which might be the third or the fourth, the paragraphs relating to the third and the fourth (ibid 20-25) are recited; on the third day, which might be the fourth or the fifth, the paragraphs relating to the fourth and fifth (ibid. 23-28) are recited, and so on. None of the paragraphs is thus omitted. This is the custom followed nowadays.

²MISHNAH. ON THE FIRST FESTIVAL DAY OF TABERNACLES THERE WERE OFFERED THIRTEEN BULLOCKS, TWO RAMS AND ONE HE-GOAT. FOURTEEN HE-LAMBS THEREFORE REMAINED FOR THE OTHER EIGHT COURSES OF PRIESTS. ON THE FIRST DAY, SIX OFFERED TWO EACH AND THE REMAINING [TWO] ONE EACH. ON THE SECOND DAY FIVE [COURSES] OFFERED TWO EACH AND THE REMAINING [FOUR] ONE EACH. ON THE THIRD DAY FOUR [COURSES] OFFERED TWO EACH AND THE REMAINING [SIX] ONE EACH. ON THE FOURTH DAY THREE OFFERED TWO EACH AND THE REMAINING [EIGHT] ONE EACH. ON THE FIFTH DAY TW OFFERED TWO EACH AND THE REMAINING [TEN] ONE EACH. ON THE SIXTH DAY ONE OFFERED TWO AND THE REMAINING [TWELVE] ONE EACH. ON THE SEVENTH DAY ALL WERE EQUAL. ON THE EIGHTH DAY THEY AGAIN CAST LOTS AS ON THE OTHER PILGRIM FESTIVALS. IT WAS ENJOINED THAT [THE COURSE] THAT OFFERED BULLOCKS ON ONE DAY SHOULD NOT OFFER THEM ON THE MORROW, BUT THAT THEY SHOULD TAKE THEIR TURNS IN ROTATION. GEMARA. Must we say that our Mishnah represents the view of Rabbi, and not that of the Rabbis, since it has been taught, For the bullock which is offered on the Eighth Day lots are cast as at first, these are the words of Rabbi, but the Sages ruled, One of the two courses which did not have a third turn in the bullocks offered it? — You may even say that it represents the view of the Rabbis, for do not two courses also require the casting of lots? Whose view is followed in that which has been taught, All the courses repeated a second and a third time, with the exception of two courses who repeated a second time but not a third one? Must we say that it follows that of Rabbi, and not that of the Rabbis? — You may even say that it follows that of the Rabbis, but the statement that they did not repeat a third time refers to the bullocks of the Festival. What then does this teach us? — It is this that we were taught, that he who offered bullocks on the one day shall not offer them on the morrow, but they must all take their turns in rotation. R. Eleazar stated, To what do those seventy bullocks [that were offered during the seven days of the Festival] correspond? To the seventy nations. To what does the single bullock [of the Eighth Day] correspond? To the unique nation. This may be compared to a mortal king who said to his servants, ‘Prepare for me a great banquet’; but on the last day he said to his beloved friend, ‘Prepare for me a simple meal that I may derive benefit from you’. R. Johanan observed, Woe to the idolaters, for they had a loss and do not know what they have lost. When the Temple was in existence the altar atoned for them, but now who shall atone for them? MISHNAH. AT THREE PERIODS IN THE YEAR ALL THE COURSES OF THE PRIESTS SHARED EQUALLY IN THE FESTIVAL SACRIFICES AND IN THE DIVISION OF THE SHEWBREAD. ON PENTECOST THEY USED TO SAY TO THE PRIEST, ‘HERE IS UNLEAVENED BREAD FOR YOU, HERE IS LEAVENED BREAD’. THE COURSE OF PRIESTS WHOSE PERIOD OF SERVICE WAS FIXED [FOR THAT FESTIVAL WEEK] OFFERED THE DAILY OFFERING, VOW-OFFERINGS AND FREEWILL-OFFERINGS AND ALL OTHER CONGREGATIONAL OFFERINGS; AND IT OFFERED THEM ALL. GEMARA. But are not the emurim the Most High's? - R. Hisda replied, [The meaning is], that which is prescribed [to be offered] on the Festivals. Our Rabbis taught, Whence do we know that all the courses share equally in the sacrifices of the Festival? Since Scripture explicitly stated, And come with all the desire of his soul . . . and minister. As it might be said that the same applies to all the days of the year Scripture explicitly teaches ‘From one of thy gates’ [meaning this:] I have said so, [saith the Lord], Only when all Israel enter by one gate. AND IN THE DIVISION OF THE SHEWBREAD. Our Rabbis taught, Whence do we know that all the courses share equally in the division of the shewbread?^ᵃⁿ^ᵃᵒ^ᵃᵖ^ᵃᵠ^ᵃʳ^ᵃˢ^ᵃᵗ^ᵃᵘ^ᵃᵛ^ᵃʷ^ᵃˣ^ᵃʸ^ᵃᶻ^ᵇᵃ^ᵇᵇ^ᵇᶜ^ᵇᵈ^ᵇᵉ^ᵇᶠ^ᵇᵍ^ᵇʰ^ᵇⁱ^ᵇʲ^ᵇᵏ^ᵇˡ^ᵇᵐ^ᵇⁿ^ᵇᵒ^ᵇᵖ^ᵇᵠ^ᵇʳ^ᵇˢ^ᵇᵗ^ᵇᵘ^ᵇᵛ^ᵇʷ^ᵇˣ^ᵇʸ^ᵇᶻ^ᶜᵃ^ᶜᵇ^ᶜᶜ^ᶜᵈ^ᶜᵉ^ᶜᶠ^ᶜᵍ^ᶜʰ^ᶜⁱ^ᶜʲ^ᶜᵏ^ᶜˡ^ᶜᵐ^ᶜⁿ^ᶜᵒ

^ᵃⁿnote:As prescribed in Num. XXIX, 13 and 16, a total of sixteen beasts.
^ᵃᵒnote:Ibid. 13.
^ᵃᵖnote:Since there were twenty-four courses (v. Ta'an., Sonc. ed., pp. 136 and 142f) of priests all of whom were entitled to share in the Festival sacrifices, and sixteen of these were occupied with the sixteen beasts (ct. n. 7).
^ᵃᵠnote:Of the eight courses.
^ᵃʳnote:Of the fourteen lambs.
^ᵃˢnote:A total of fourteen.
^ᵃᵗnote:When the number of bullocks was reduced by one (cf. Num. XXIX, 17), and only fifteen courses were occupied with the twelve bullocks, two rams and one he-goat.
^ᵃᵘnote:Of the remaining (24 — 15 = ) 9.
^ᵃᵛnote:When the number of bullocks was again reduced by one. From the second day to the seventh day the number was reduced by one on each successive day (v. Num. XXIX, 17-32).
^ᵃʷnote:Of the remaining (24 — 14 = ) 10.
^ᵃˣnote:A total of fourteen.
^ᵃʸnote:Cf. p. 267, n. 15 mut. mut.
^ᵃᶻnote:Cf. p. 267, n. 16.
^ᵇᵃnote:When the number of beasts, seven bullocks, two rams, fourteen he-lambs (Num. XXIX, 32) and one he-goat (ibid. 34) was equal to the number of the courses of priests.
^ᵇᵇnote:Sc. each course offered one beast.
^ᵇᶜnote:When there was but one bullock, one ram and seven he-lambs to be offered (Num. XXIX, 36) a number that did not suffice to provide even one beast for each course of priests.
^ᵇᵈnote:As prescribed in Yoma 22a.
^ᵇᵉnote:So that twenty-two of the courses had three turns with the bullocks and only two had no more than two turns (cf. Rashi a.l.).
^ᵇᶠnote:Which states ON THE EIGHTH DAY THEY AGAIN CAST LOTS, presumably for all the twenty-four courses.
^ᵇᵍnote:Sc. by all the twenty-four courses, as if the Festival has just begun, and not merely by those who had only two turns in the bullocks (cf. prev. n. but one).
^ᵇʰnote:Cf. supra n. 8.
^ᵇⁱnote:The Sages.
^ᵇʲnote:To determine which of them should have the privilege of offering the bullock of the Eighth Day.
^ᵇᵏnote:Of course they do.
^ᵇˡnote:The offering of a bullock during the seven days of Tabernacles.
^ᵇᵐnote:Tosef. Suk. IV, 15.
^ᵇⁿnote:Since according to the Rabbis, who regard the offering of the bullock of the Eighth Day as connected with the offerings on the previous seven days, only one course did not offer a third time.
^ᵇᵒnote:Lit., ‘what’.
^ᵇᵖnote:But not to the bullock of the Eighth Day.
^ᵇᵠnote:The statement that twenty-two repeated three times and two repeated only twice.
^ᵇʳnote:Is it not obvious that seventy bullocks divided among twenty-four courses means that twenty-two offered three each and the remaining two courses two each?
^ᵇˢnote:Cur. edd. in parenthesis, ‘Eliezer’.
^ᵇᵗnote:Cf. prev. n. but one.
^ᵇᵘnote:Seventy is the traditional number of Gentile nations, and the seventy bullocks are offered to make atonement for them.
^ᵇᵛnote:Israel.
^ᵇʷnote:By their destruction of the Temple.
^ᵇˣnote:That it is no longer in existence.
^ᵇʸnote:Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles.
^ᵇᶻnote:Sc. those prescribed for respective Festivals. The word used is emurim which usually signifies that part of the sacrifice which is burnt upon the altar. The Gemara explains this infra.
^ᶜᵃnote:If there was a Sabbath during the Festival. Cf. Lev. XXIV, 5-9. The shewbread was removed from the table and distributed among the priests on the Sabbath day (cf. Men. 52b).
^ᶜᵇnote:If it happened to be on a Sabbath.
^ᶜᶜnote:When he was given his share.
^ᶜᵈnote:Sc. shewbread. The twelve loaves of the shewbread were unleavened.
^ᶜᵉnote:The two loaves prescribed as a Pentecost offering. These were leavened. Each priest must receive a share from the leavened as well as from the unleavened. It is not enough to give him a larger share in the one to make up for the share due to him in the other (cf. Kid. 53a, Men. 73a).
^ᶜᶠnote:Each course officiated in turn for one week during which they offered and received the dues from all the sacrifices of that week.
^ᶜᵍnote:That have not been prescribed for the Festival. It is only in the sacrifices that were prescribed for the Festival in question that all the courses have an equal share.
^ᶜʰnote:This apparently superfluous statement is explained in the Gemara infra.
^ᶜⁱnote:Rendered in our Mishnah SACRIFICES (cf. supra p. 269, n. 14).
^ᶜʲnote:Burnt upon the altar. How then can they be shared among the priests?
^ᶜᵏnote:R. Hisda connects emurim with amur ‘stated’, ‘declared’, referring to the sacrifices prescribed to be offered by individuals on a Festival; the festive peace-offerings of the breast and shoulder belonged to the priests, and the burnt-offerings brought on appearing in the Temple of which the hide was given to the priests. V. Hag., Sonc. ed., p. 2, nn. 1-2.
^ᶜˡnote:Deut. XVIII, 6, 7. ‘Levite’ in this verse refers to the priests. On all other days the offering belonged to the officiating course (cf. Lev. VII, 9).
^ᶜᵐnote:Deut. XVIII, 6; emphasis on ‘one’.
^ᶜⁿnote:I.e., into the one city of Jerusalem.
^ᶜᵒnote:Sc. during the Festivals.