Babylonian Talmud

Rodkinson 1918 — source 4, scan section 16

to prevent the priests and Levites from unduly interfering with the affairs of the people. The prehistoric Mishna, which always formed the law, in con- formity with the existing custom, and not vice versa,^ found four different New Year's days in four different months, and, with the object in view of making the custom uniform in all Jewish communities, taught its adherents to observe four dis- tinct New Year's days, at the beginning of the four respec- tive months in which certain duties were accomplished. Thus the text of the opening Mishna of this tract, prior to its revision by Rabbi Jehudah Hanassi, read as follows: "There are four different New Year's days; viz., the first day of Nis- san, the first of Elul, the first of Tishri, and the first of She- bhat." The different purposes for which these days were estab- lished as New Year's days were well known at that time, and it was therefore deemed unnecessary to specify them. At the time * Facts corroborating this statement will be found in our periodical Bakay, Vol. II., p. 20 et seq. INTRODUCTION TO TRACT ROSH HASHANA. xxi of the new edition of the Mishna, by Rabbi Jehudah Hanassi (the Prince), when the Temple was out of existence, and conse- quently tithes were no more biblically obliga'tory (the authority of the priests having been abrogated and reverted to the house of David, the great-grandfather of the editor), the latter refer- ring to the first day of Nissan and the first day of Elul as New Year's days, added, by way of commentary, the words, " for kings and cattle-tithe." He also cited the opinions of R. Eliezer and R. Simeon, that the New Year's Day for cattle-tithe should not be celebrated separately, but on the general New Year's Day; viz., on the first day of Tishri, as under the then existing circumstances there was no necessity to guard against the confusion of tithes accruing from one year to the other. From this it may be con- cluded that R. Jehudah Hanassi, in citing the above opinions, alluded to them as being in conformity with his own opinion. To that end he also cites the opinions of the schools of Shamai and Hillel respectively. From the statement in the Mishna to the effect that " there are four periods in each year on which the world is judged," it appears that in the Mishnaic period the New Year's day was considered a day of repentance ; and since the principal features of repentance are devotion to God and prayers for forgiveness of sin. Rabbi states, in the Mishna, that devotion is the only require- ment during the days of penitence, i.e., the days between New Year's Day and the Day of Atonement. The legend relating that on the New Year's day books (recording the future of each person) were opened was yet unknown in Rabbi's time. The story told by R. Kruspedai in the name of R. Johanan, that "on New Year's Daybooks are opened," etc., is taken from the Boraitha which teaches: " Three books are opened on the day of judgment." This Boraitha, however, does not refer to the New Year's day, but to the day of final resurrection, as explained by Rashi, and that R. Kruspedai quotes his story in the name of R. Johanan proves nothing; for in many instances where teachers were desirous of adding weight to their opin- ions, they would quote some great teacher as their authority. R. Johanan himself permitted this method. After Rabbi Jehudah Hanassi had completed the proper Mishnaic arrangement regarding the number of New Year's days, xxii INTRODUCTION TO TRACT ROSH HASHANA. making the principal one " the Day of Memorial " (the first of Tishri) ; after treating upon the laws governing the sounding of the cornet in an exceedingly brief manner — he dwells upon the custom in vogue at the Temple of covering the mouth of the cornet or horn with gold, and declares the duty of sounding the cornet properly discharged if a person passing by the house of worship can hear it. He arranges the prayers accompanying this ceremony in a few words, and then dilates at great length upon the Mishnayoth treating of the lunar movements by which alone the Jews were guided in the arrangement of their calendar, upon the manner of receiving the testimony of witnesses, concerning the lunar movements, and upon the phases of the moon as used by Rabban Gamaliel. He then elaborates upon the tradition handed down to him from his ancestors (meaning thereby the undisputably cowect regulations), and also upon the statutes ordained by R. Johanan ben Zakkai, enacting that the sages of each generation are the sole arbiters of all regulations and ordinances, and may themselves promulgate decrees even though the bases for such be not found in the Mosaic code. He also confirms the right of the chief Beth Din (supreme court of law), but not of a lower Beth Din, of each respective period, alone to arrange the order of the holidays, on account of the already apparent discontent of the masses, who were bent upon taking the management of these subjects into their own hands. Thus he dilates upon this feature with the minutest exactness and supports his assertions with the decision of his grandfather Rabban Gamaliel, as well as with the decisions of Rabbi Dosa ben Harkhinas and Rabbi Jehoshua, to the effect that each generation has only to look for guidance to the Beth Din exist- ing in its own time, and that the opinion rendered by such a Beth Din is as binding and decisive as that of Moses, even though it appear to be erroneous. Such are the contents of this tract, certainly most important from an historical and archaeological point of view. Proceed, then, and study! SYNOPSIS OF SUBJECTS OF TRACT ROSH HASHANA* CHAPTER I. MiSHNA I. The first Mishna ordains New Year's Days, viz.: For kings, for the cattle-tithe, for ordinary years, and for the planting of trees. A king who ascends the throne on the 29th of Adar must be considered to have reigned one year as soon as the first of Nissan comes. The Exodus from Egypt is reckoned from Nissan. When Aaron died Sihon was still living. He heard that Aaron was dead and that the clouds of glory had departed. The rule about Nissan only concerned the kings of Israel ; but for the kings of other nations, they reckoned from Tishri. Cyrus was a most upright king, and the Hebrews reckoned his years as they did those of the kings of Israel. One is guilty of procrastination. Charity, tithes, the glean- ings of the field, that which is forgotten to be gathered in the field, the produce of corners of the field. One is culpable if he does not give forthwith that which he has vowed for charity. In the case of charity it must be given immediately, for the poor are always to be found. The Feast of Weeks falls on the fifth, sixth, or seventh of Sivan. How the law against delay affects a woman. In which month is grain in