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The Jerusalem TalmudJerusalem Talmud Rosh Hashanah 2.5

The Jerusalem Talmud

Jerusalem Talmud Rosh Hashanah 2.5

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English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

MISHNAH: The president of the Court says, sanctified, and all people repeat after him, sanctified, sanctified. One sanctifies it whether it was seen in its time or not seen in its time. Rebbi Eleazar ben Rebbi Sadoq says, if it was not seen in its time one does not sanctify it since Heaven already sanctified it.

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English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

HALAKHAH: Rebbi Simeon ben Yoḥai stated: You shall sanctify the Fiftieth Year. You shall sanctify years, [but] one does not sanctfy months. But did we not state: “The president of the court says: sanctified”? What means sanctified? Confirmed. It was stated: For sanctifying months one starts with the most senior person. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Ada said, the Mishnah says this: “The president of the Court says: sanctified.” It was stated, for intercalation of the year one starts from the side. Rebbi Zebida said, but this lower house do not proceed in this way, for they did not hear what Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Marius and Rebbi Jonah, Rebbi Abba, Rebbi Ḥiyya said in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: For lengthening the month one starts with the most senior person, for intercalating the year one starts from the side. When Rebbi Joḥanan was participating as the most junior person, they told him, say: “this year is sanctified in its intercalation.” He said, “this year is sanctified in intercalation.” Rebbi Jonathan said, look at the language which the smith’s son taught us. If he had said, “in its intercalation,” I would have said that this refers to the eleven days by which the solar year exceeds the lunar one, but “in intercalation”, that the Sages added thirty days to it [and intercalated it.] Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa, Rebbi Yasa in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: For intercalation one follows the date of ordination. In the Academy one follows usage; each one gives his opinion at his place and sums up. For example, Rebbi Ḥanina started, Rebbi Joḥanan and Rebbi Simeon ben Laqisch summed up. Rebbi Abba bar Zavda started, Rebbi Ḥiyya, Rebbi Yasa and Rebbi Immi summed up. Rebbi Ḥaggai started, Rebbi Jonah and Rebbi Yose summed up. Rebbi Cahana was ordained before Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa, but Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa participated in intercalation before Rebbi Cahana was invited. He said, the person who formulated the tradition does not respect it for himself.

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English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba was standing praying. Rebbi Cahana came and stood behind him in prayer. When Rebbi Ḥiyya had finished, he sat down in order not to walk by him. [Rav Cahana spent a long time praying.] After he finished, he told him, is that your way to make your superiors suffer? He told him, I am a descendant of the House of Eli, of whom it is written: if the sin of the House of Eli would forever be atoned for by sacrifice and offering. By sacrifice and offering it cannot be atoned for, [but] it can be atoned for by prayer. He prayed for him, he reached old age while his fingernails remained red like those of a small child.

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English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

They preferred an old man to Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish for intercalation but had to remove him by the other door. He said, this be their reward. He did not hear what Rebbi Crispus said in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: It happened that the year was intercalated by three cow hands. One said, in Adar, early and late grain sprout together. Another one said, if in Adar the East wind blows, open your jaws and go towards it. Another one said, in Adar the ox will die naked and try to strip off his hide under the fig tree. And we see that this year nothing of these applies. They intercalated the year on their word. Rebbi Ḥelbo said, because the Court agreed with them. Did not Rebbi Ze`ira say, but they all have to agree to the same reason? But since they all agree with one another it was that they all agreed as to the reason.

5
English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

Why was Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish offended by this? He was worried about what Rebbi Eleazar said, since Rebbi Eleazar said: My hand will be against the prophets who see vain things and who conjure lies, in my people’s council they shall not be; that is the secret of intercalation; in the documents of the House of Israel they will not be inscribed; that is ordination; and to the earth of Israel they shall not come; that is the Land of Israel. Rebbi Eleazar said, when I came here, I said, I have one. When they ordained me, I said, I have two. When I was asked to participate in the intercalation, I said, I have all three with me.

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English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

Rebbi Abba bar Zavda in the name of Rav: The reason of Rebbi Eleazar ben Rebbi Ṣadoq: When the Heavenly Court sees that the earthly Court did not sanctify it, they sanctify it.

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Jerusalem Talmud Rosh Hashanah 2.5English
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Jerusalem Talmud Rosh Hashanah 2.50%

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The Jerusalem Talmud, edition, translation and commentary by Heinrich W. Guggenheimer (Berlin: De Gruyter, 1999–2015). CC BY. Text from Sefaria (sefaria.org); commentary notes omitted. · Source ↗

Hebrew/Aramaic text: The Jerusalem Talmud, edition by Heinrich W. Guggenheimer (Berlin: De Gruyter, 1999–2015), via Sefaria (sefaria.org). Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/). Changes: footnotes and HTML formatting removed.

The Jerusalem Talmud, edition, translation and commentary by Heinrich W. Guggenheimer (Berlin: De Gruyter, 1999–2015). CC BY. Text from Sefaria (sefaria.org); commentary notes omitted. · Source ↗

English translation: The Jerusalem Talmud, translation and commentary by Heinrich W. Guggenheimer (Berlin: De Gruyter, 1999–2015); commentary notes omitted, via Sefaria (sefaria.org). Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/). Changes: footnotes and HTML formatting removed.

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