Monday, September 8, 2008

Rosh Hashanah 4:6

Mishnah

The order of the blessings (during the Musaf prayer on Rosh Hashanah):

  • Avot (The blessing ending Magen Avraham)
  • Gevurot (Mechayeh HaMeitim)
  • Kedushat Hashem and include the Malchuyot (Mentioning of Hashem's Kingship) with them, and this is without the shofar being blown.
  • Kedushat HaYom and the shofar is blown.
  • Zichronot and the shofar is blown.
  • Shofarot and the shofar is blown.
  • And then, Avodah, Hodayah, and Birkat Kohanim (the last 3 blessings of every prayer).

These are the words of Rebbi Yochanan ben-Nuri

Yerushalmi

In Yehudah (the southern part of Eretz Yisrael), the custom is like Rebbi Akiva (which is brought in the next halachah, which is the next part of this mishnah), and in the Galil, the custom is according to Rebbi Yochanan ben-Nuri. But even if one did not according to the prevalent custom, he has still discharged his obligation.

[And when they sanctified the year in Usha (that is to say, one time when the Sanhedrin declared the new year in Usha), on the first day Rebbi Yishmael, son of Rebbi Yochanan ben-Berokah was the chazan, and he did according to Rebbi Yochanan ben-Nuri. Rabban Shimon ben-Gamliel said: We didn't do like that in Yavneh (the prior seat of the Sanhedrin). On the second day, Rebbi Chananyah, son of Rebbi Yose HaGlili was the chazan, and did according to Rebbi Akiva. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said: We did like this in Yavneh.]

Rebbi Abahu said in the name of Rebbi Elazar: In any case, if one transgresses (i.e. does against the prescribed method) and mentions "Adir BaMeluchah", he did not fulfill his obligation, except for The Holy G-d (Ha'El HaKadosh) of Rosh Hashanah, during Musaf. (Adir BaMeluchah counts as part of Malchuyot) Then a person has done according to Rebbi Yochanan ben-Nuri (see Mishnah above).

Rabban Shimon ben-Gamliel says that you mention the holiness of the day with the Zichronot. In this matter he is like Rebbi Akiva (in that Kedushat HaYom is coupled with the Shofar).

(That is to say that according to Rabban Shimon ben-Gamliel and Rebbi Akiva, we have Avot, Gevurot, Kedushat Hashem, Malchuyot, Zichronot, Shofarot, Avodah, Hoda'ah, Birkat HaKohanim, and the only difference is if Kedushat HaYom is on Malchuyot or Zichronot).

Why do they disagree regarding the placement of the Holiness of the Day (Kedushat HaYom)?

Rabban Shimon ben-Gamiel says that it should always be the middle blessing. (On Shabbat it is #4 of 7, which is the middle) So too here, where there are 9 blessings, it should be # 5.

Rebbi Akiva says that just like on other days that it is always the 4th blessing, so too it should be here.

(Here we depart from the Halachah that we have today, which is according to the Bavli)

One opinion: You need to say (for the 3rd blessing's ending) "HaEl HaKadosh".

Another opinion: "HaEl HaKadosh uMarbeh Lisloach" (The Holy G-d and Abundantly Forgives)

In (regular weekday) prayer, one says "G-d of David and Builder of Yerushalayim", and on the prophets (i.e. after the Haftarah), one says "G-d of David, (that) sprouts forth salvation".

(The Gemara now discusses the essence of the blessing for the Holiness of the Day.)

Rosh Hashanah that falls on Shabbat: There are those that say you open with Yom Tov and end the blessing with Shabbat, and there are those that teach that you open with Shabbat and end with Yom Tov. Rebbi says that you open with Shabbat and end with Shabbat, and Yom Tov is in the middle.

Rebbi Yehudah bar-Pazi says in the name of Rebbi Yehoshua ben-Levi: Halachah is like Rebbi.

(Per Korban HaEidah, this is at odds with what we do today, wherein for the end of the blessing we mention Shabbat and Yom Tov, the Gemara here means that we only mention Shabbat. P'nei Moshe says that it is slightly different from our current practice. The blessing would go "Mekadesh Yom HaZikaron v'Yom HaShabbat", which is opposite of what we do.)

Bavli (32a)

The Gemara here brings proof texts for the need to receite the blessings of Malchuyot, Zichronot, and Shofarot.

Then the Gemara asks where to mention it. It is the same as in the Yerushalmi but 2 differences: Rebbi Akiva is replaced with Rebbi, and the order of the text is reversed, Rebbi first, then Rabban Shimon ben-Gamliel.

After this, the Gemara tells us regarding the Rosh Hashanah in Usha, which is in the red brackets above in the Yerushalmi. But here, instead of bringing it as a support for the statements regarding the local customs, it brings a difficulty: How could it be that the Sanhedrin had 2 days of Rosh Hashanah? For it is taught in a Baraita: Since the time of Ezra, Elul has never had a leap day. Therefore it would always be known when Rosh Hashanah is.

To resolve this, the Bavli says that the first day and the second day (green above) means one year and the following year.

1 comment:

Eretz Yisroel in the Lens said...

On the second day, Rebbi Chananyah, son of Rebbi Yose HaGlili was the chazan, and did according to Rebbi Akiva. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said: We did like this in Yavneh.]
Where is this found?