Siman - Rosh Hashanah Daf 16

This Daf includes many of the well-known hashkafic sources for Rosh Hashanah, including how frequently one is judged, why the shofar is blown, the three sefarim that are open, etc.  

• Five different opinions regarding when one is judged

The next Mishnah states: בארבעה פרקים העולם נידון – At four junctures during the year the world is judged. The Gemara asks who the Tanna of the Mishnah is, as it is clear that it is not in accordance with the following four Tannaim mentioned in a Baraisa:

· Rebbe Meir says that all matters are judged on Rosh Hashanah, and their g’zar din is on Yom Kippur.

· Rebbe Yehudah says that all matters are judged on Rosh Hashanah, and their g’zar din is in its proper time. On Pesach for the grain, on Shavuos for the fruit of the tree, etc.

· Rebbe Yose says אדם נידון בכל יום – Man is judged every day, as it says in the passuk, "ותפקדנו לבקרים" – You inspect him in the morning.

· Rebbe Nassan says אדם נידון בכל שעה – Man is judged every moment, as it is stated at the end of the same passuk, "לרגעים תבחננו" – Every moment you examine him. The Gemara concludes that the Tanna is a Tanna from the academy of Rebbe Yishmael, who holds that the world is judged at four junctures .

• מלכיות זכרונות ושופרות

The Gemara brings a Baraisa that teaches what Hakadosh Boruch Hu tells Bnei Yisroel to do at each of the four junctures in order to receive favorable judgments. When it comes to Rosh Hashanah, He says, אמרו לפני בראש השנה מלכיות זכרונות ושופרות – Recite before Me on Rosh Hashanah the pesukim of kingship, remembrance and shofar; מלכיות כדי שתמליכוני עליכם – Pesukim of kingship, in order to accept My sovereignty upon yourselves; זכרונות כדי שיעלה זכרוניכם לפני לטובה – Pesukim of remembrance, so that your remembrance should rise before me favorably; ובמה – And with what should these pesukim be recited? בשופר – With a shofar. Rebbe Abahu said: Why do we blow with a shofar of a ram? Hakadosh Boruch Hu said: “Blow before Me using a shofar of a ram, כדי שאזכור לכם עקדת יצחק בן אברהם – so that I will remember for your sake akeidas Yitzchak ben Avraham, ומעלה אני עליכם כאילו עקדתם עצמכם לפני – and I will consider it for you as if you had bound yourselves before Me.”

•  שלשה ספרים נפתחין בראש השנה

Rebbe Keruspedei said in the name of Rebbe Yochanan: שלשה ספרים נפתחין בראש השנה – Three books are opened on Rosh Hashanah – אחד של רשעים גמורין ואחד של צדיקים גמורין ואחד של בינוניים – one for the completely wicked,and one for the completely righteous, and one for the intermediate people. צדיקים גמורין נכתבין ונחתם לאלתר לחיים – The completely righteous are written and sealed immediately for life; רשעים גמורין נכתבין ונחתמין לאלתר למיתה – The completely wicked are written and sealed immediately for death; בינוניים תלויין ועומדין מראש השנה ועד יום הכפורים – the intermediate people are held in abeyance from Rosh Hashanah until Yom Kippur: זכו נכתבין לחיים לא זכו לנכתבין למיתה – If they merit it, they are written for life; if they do not merit it, they are written for death.