Rosh Hashanah ( he, רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה) is the name of a text of Jewish law originating in the

Mishnah The Mishnah or the Mishna (; he, מִשְׁנָה, "study by repetition", from the verb ''shanah'' , or "to study and review", also "secondary") is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions which is known as the Oral Tor ...

which formed the basis of tractates in both the

Babylonian Talmud The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cent ...

and the

Jerusalem Talmud The Jerusalem Talmud ( he, תַּלְמוּד יְרוּשַׁלְמִי, translit=Talmud Yerushalmi, often for short), also known as the Palestinian Talmud or Talmud of the Land of Israel, is a collection of rabbinic notes on the second-century ...

of the same name. It is the eighth tractate of the order ''

Moed Moed ( he, מועד, "Festivals") is the second Order of the Mishnah, the first written recording of the Oral Torah of the Jewish people (also the Tosefta and Talmud). Of the six orders of the Mishna, Moed is the third shortest. The order of ...

''. The text contains the most important rules concerning the calendar year, together with a description of the inauguration of the months, laws on the form and use of the

shofar A shofar ( ; from he, שׁוֹפָר, ) is an ancient musical horn typically made of a ram's horn, used for Jewish religious purposes. Like the modern bugle, the shofar lacks pitch-altering devices, with all pitch control done by varying ...

and laws related to the religious services during the

Jewish holiday Jewish holidays, also known as Jewish festivals or ''Yamim Tovim'' ( he, ימים טובים, , Good Days, or singular , in transliterated Hebrew []), are holidays observed in Judaism and by JewsThis article focuses on practices of mainstre ...

of Rosh Hashanah.

Mishna

The

commences with an account of the four beginnings of the religious and the civil year ( 1:1); it speaks of the four judgement-days of the pilgrim festivals and Rosh ha-Shanah ( 1:2); of the six months in which the messengers of the

Sanhedrin The Sanhedrin (Hebrew and Aramaic: סַנְהֶדְרִין; Greek: , ''synedrion'', 'sitting together,' hence ' assembly' or 'council') was an assembly of either 23 or 71 elders (known as "rabbis" after the destruction of the Second Temple), ...

announce the month ( 1:3); of the two months, the beginnings of which witnesses announce to the Sanhedrin even on the Sabbath ( 1:4), and even if the moon is visible to every one ( 1:5);

Gamliel Gamaliel (''Heb.'' גמליאל), also spelled Gamliel, is a Hebrew name meaning "God (אל) is my (י-) reward/recompense (גמל)" indicating the loss of one or more earlier children in the family. A number of influential individuals have had the ...

even sent on the Sabbath for forty pairs of witnesses from a distance (1:6); when father and son (who as relatives may otherwise not witness together) behold the new moon they must set out for the ''

beth din A beit din ( he, בית דין, Bet Din, house of judgment, , Ashkenazic: ''beis din'', plural: batei din) is a Rabbinic Judaism, rabbinical court of Judaism. In ancient times, it was the building block of the legal system in the Biblical Land of ...

'' (1:7), since they do not absolutely belong to those that are legally unfit for this purpose (1:8). The weak and sick are borne on litters, and are protected against the attacks of the

Sadducee The Sadducees (; he, צְדוּקִים, Ṣədūqīm) were a socio- religious sect of Jewish people who were active in Judea during the Second Temple period, from the second century BCE through the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE. Th ...

s; they must be provided with food, for witnesses were bound to journey even on the Sabbath (1:9). Others went along to identify the unknown (2:1). In olden times bonfire-signals on the mountains announced to all as far as Babylon that the month had been sanctified. The custom of having witnesses and messengers was introduced after the Sadducees had attempted to practice deception (2:2, 2:3, 2:4). The large court called ''

Bet Ya'azeḳ Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los A ...

'' was the assembly-place for the witnesses (2:5); bountiful repasts awaited them, and dispensations from the Law were granted to them (2:6); the first pair of witnesses was questioned separately concerning the appearance of the moon, but all other witnesses were questioned at least cursorily. The Mishnah makes the point that all witnesses must be made to feel their testimony is valued to ensure witnesses continue to come to courts (2:6). Then the ''

av bet din The ''av beit din'' ( ''ʾabh bêth dîn'', "chief of the court" or "chief justice"), also spelled ''av beis din'' or ''abh beth din'' and abbreviated ABD (), was the second-highest-ranking member of the Sanhedrin during the Second Temple period, ...

'' (head of the Court) called out to a large assembly, "Sanctified!" all the people cried out aloud after him (2:8). Rabban

Gamliel II Rabban Gamaliel II (also spelled Gamliel; he, רבן גמליאל דיבנה; before -) was a rabbi from the second generation of tannaim. He was the first person to lead the Sanhedrin as '' nasi'' after the fall of the Second Temple in 70 CE. ...

had representations of the moon which he showed to the witnesses. There once arose a dispute between him and Rabbi Yehoshua regarding the

Tishri Tishrei () or Tishri (; he, ''tīšrē'' or ''tīšrī''; from Akkadian ''tašrītu'' "beginning", from ''šurrû'' "to begin") is the first month of the civil year (which starts on 1 Tishrei) and the seventh month of the ecclesiastical yea ...

moon; the latter, in obedience to the '' nasi'', came on foot to Jamnia on the day which he had calculated to be the

Day of Atonement Yom Kippur (; he, יוֹם כִּפּוּר, , , ) is the holiest day in Judaism and Samaritanism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, the first month of the Hebrew calendar. Primarily centered on atonement and repentance, the day's o ...

, and the two scholars made peace (iii.). There were various obstacles to the sanctification of the months, as when time was lacking for the ceremony, or when there were no witnesses present before the ''bet din''. In the first case the following day became the new moon; in the second case the ''bet din'' alone performed the sanctification. The Mishnah discusses also the laws of the

(3:2); the horn of the cow may not be used (3:2); the form of the trumpet for Rosh haShanah, the fast-day, and

Yovel The Jubilee ( he, יובל ''yōḇel;'' Yiddish: ''yoyvl'') is the year at the end of seven cycles of ''shmita'' (Sabbatical years) and, according to biblical regulations, had a special impact on the ownership and management of land in the Land ...

is determined (3:3-5); damage to the shofar and means of repair are indicated (3:6); in times of danger the people that pray assemble in pits and caves (3:7); one passing a synagogue who hears the shofar fulfills his obligation only if he intended to fulfill it (3:7); they are exhorted to be firm by being reminded of Moses' uplifted hands in the war with the

Amalekite Amalek (; he, עֲמָלֵק, , ar, عماليق ) was a nation described in the Hebrew Bible as a staunch enemy of the Israelites. The name "Amalek" can refer to the nation's founder, a grandson of Esau; his descendants, the Amalekites; or the ...

s (3:8). Deaf-mutes, insane, and children are legally unfit for blowing the shofar. Johanan ben Zakkai established that the shofar be blown at

Yavneh Yavne ( he, יַבְנֶה) or Yavneh is a city in the Central District of Israel. In many English translations of the Bible, it is known as Jabneh . During Greco-Roman times, it was known as Jamnia ( grc, Ἰαμνία ''Iamníā''; la, Iamnia) ...

and the surrounding places even if the festival fell on Shabbat, while at one time this was done only in the

Temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

(4:1); he also fixed the ''

lulav ''Lulav'' (; he, לולב) is a closed frond of the date palm tree. It is one of the Four Species used during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. The other Species are the '' hadass'' ( myrtle), '' aravah'' (willow), and ''etrog'' (citron). When ...

'' outside of the Temple for seven days, and forbade the eating of new grain on the second day of

Passover Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holiday that celebrates the Biblical story of the Israelites escape from slavery in Egypt, which occurs on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, the first month of Aviv, or spring. ...

(4:2); he extended the time for examining witnesses until the evening, and had them come to Yavneh even in the absence of the ''av bet din'' (4:3). The Mishnah then discusses of the order of Rosh Hashanah

Mussaf Mussaf (also spelled Musaf or Musof) is an additional service that is recited on Shabbat, Yom Tov, Chol Hamoed, and Rosh Chodesh. The service, which is traditionally combined with the Shacharit in synagogues, is considered to be additional to th ...

prayers (4:4); of the succession of the ''Malkhuyot'', ''Zikhronot'', and ''Shofarot''; of the Bible verses concerning the kingdom of God, Providence, and the trumpet-call of the future (4:5), and of the leader in prayer and his relation to the '' teki'ah'' (4:6); descriptions of the festival are given in reference to the shofar (4:7); then follows the order of the traditional trumpet-sounds (4:8); and remarks on the duties of the leader in prayer and of the congregation close the treatise (4:9).

Tosefta

Curious as is the order of subjects followed in this treatise, in which several mishnaic sources have been combined, the ''

Tosefta The Tosefta ( Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: תוספתא "supplement, addition") is a compilation of the Jewish oral law from the late 2nd century, the period of the Mishnah. Overview In many ways, the Tosefta acts as a supplement to the Mishnah ( ...

'' follows it, adding comments that form the basis of the '' Gemara'' in both Talmuds. The contents of the Mishnah with the corresponding sections of the Tosefta are as follows: General calendar for the year, 1:1-4 = Tosefta 1:1-13. Regulations concerning the months' witnesses, 1:5-2:1 (connecting with 1:4) = Tosefta 1:15-2:1 (abbreviated). Historical matter regarding fire-signals and messengers and their reception on the Sabbath, 2:2-6 = Tosefta 2:2 (abbreviated). The continuation of the laws of 2:1 concerning witnesses (2:7, 8), and the questioning of witnesses, and the sanctification of the months are entirely lacking in the Tosefta. Historical data concerning Gamaliel and the dispute with Joshua, 2:8-9 = Tosefta 2:3 (a mere final teaching). Continuation of the laws of 2:7 concerning witnesses, 3:1 = Tosefta 3:1, 2. Regulations regarding the shofar and its use, 3:2-5 = Tosefta 3:3-6a.

Aggadic Aggadah ( he, ''ʾAggāḏā'' or ''Haggāḏā''; Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: אַגָּדְתָא ''ʾAggāḏəṯāʾ''; "tales, fairytale, lore") is the non-legalistic exegesis which appears in the classical rabbinic literature of Judaism ...

teaching on devotion = Tosefta 3:6b. Final remarks on the shofar and on its obligations, 3:6-end = Tosefta 4:1. Ordinances of Johanan ben Zakkai concerning Rosh ha-Shanah and the Sabbath, and other matters = Tosefta 4:2. Order of worship, 4:5-end = Tosefta 4:4-end. Mishnah 2:7 seems to have been transposed according to Tosefta 4:3, but it belongs there according to its contents. In quoting many of Gamliel's ordinances the Mishnah emphasizes the authority of the patriarchal house by recounting the dispute between the patriarch and his deputy Joshua and showing how the latter was forced to yield. The ''Tosefta'' omits the ordinances of Gamliel and of Johanan ben Zakkai, and the dispute of the two leaders of the school-house, nor does it mention anything of the power of any

tannaitic ''Tannaim'' ( Amoraic Hebrew: תנאים , singular , ''Tanna'' "repeaters", "teachers") were the rabbinic sages whose views are recorded in the Mishnah, from approximately 10–220 CE. The period of the ''Tannaim'', also referred to as the M ...

dignitary; the ''Tosefta'' is here a product of the time of the Amoraim. The dignity of the ''nasi'' is not emphasized, because acumen and scholarship prevailed in the schoolhouse, and there was no desire to let old precedences (see ''

Eduyot Tractate Eduyot (Hebrew: עדויות, lit. "testimonies") is the seventh tractate in the order Nezikin of the Mishnah. When, after the destruction of the Temple, it became necessary, through the removal of R. Gamaliel II from the office of patriar ...

'') come to the fore again. Even the Mishnah contains some additions from the time of the Amoraim (see, for example, 4:2, where a gap must be filled from the Tosefta).

References

External links

Rosh Hashanah text in Hebrew Full Hebrew and English text of the Mishnah for tractate Rosh Hashana
on Sefaria
Full Hebrew and English text of the Talmud Bavli for tractate Rosh Hashana
on Sefaria
Full Hebrew and English text of the Talmud Yerushalmi for tractate Rosh Hashana
on Sefaria {{Authority control Rosh Hashanah Talmud

Mishna

Tosefta

References

See also

External links