Siman - Rosh Hashanah Daf 21
- שמור את חדש האביב
Rav Huna bar Avin sent the following message to Rava: When you see that the solar season of Teves is stretching until the sixteenth of Nissan, עברה לההיא שתא – add a month into that year and do not be concerned about it, for it is written: "שמור את חדש האביב" – Guard the month of the first-ripened produce (i.e. Nissan), which can be interpreted to mean, שמור אביב של תקופה שיהא בחדש ניסן – Guard the ripening (spring) season to ensure that it will begin during the moon’s renewal in the month of Nissan. Now, the moon’s renewal lasts for the first fourteen days of the month, since during this time the moon waxes and becomes increasingly visible; the passuk thus requires that spring begin by the fifteenth of Nissan. If it will not begin until the sixteenth, then being me’aber the chodesh is required.
- The source that witnesses may be mechallel Shabbos to testify regarding Rosh Chodesh
It was taught in a Baraisa: מנין שמחללין עליהן את השבת – From where do we know that the witnesses may be mechallel Shabbos with regard to Rosh Chodesh? The Torah states: "אלה מועדי ה'...אשר תקראו אתם במועדם" – These are the festivals of Hashem, Holy Convocations, that you are to designate in their appropriate time. Rashi explains , that since Beis Din must proclaim Rosh Chodesh in the proper time, we can infer that witnesses may even be mechallel Shabbos to come to Beis Din and testify. יכול כשם שמחללין עד שיתקדשו כך מחללין עד שיתקיימו – From the above passuk it may be thought that just as witnesses may be mechallel Shabbos so that the festivals will be sanctified in their appropriate time, so too messengers may be mechallel Shabbos so that the festivals will be kept in their designated time, the Torah therefore states: "אשר תקראו אתם" – That you are to designate. על קריאתם אתה מחלל ואי אתה מחלל על קיומן – You may be mechallel Shabbos only with regard to the designation of the festival, but you may not be mechallel so that they will be kept in their proper time. Therefore, only witnesses can be mechallel Shabbos, not the messengers.
- Machlokes whether Shlomo Hamelech was as knowledgeable as Moshe
The Gemara brings a machlokes Rav and Shmuel regarding whether Shlomo Hamelech was as knowledgeable as Moshe. One said: חמשים שערי בינה נבראו בעולם – Fifty gates of understanding were created in the world, וכולן ניתנו למשה חסר אחד – and all but one were given to Moshe, as it says, "ותחסרהו מעט מאלקים" – but You have made him slightly lacking in understanding divinity. In a related passuk, in Koheles, it says, "בקש קהלת למצא דברי חפץ" – Koheles sought to find words of delight. בקש קהלת להיות כמשה – This means that Koheles sought to be as knowledgeable as Moshe, and to be granted the forty-nine gates of understanding. A Bas Kol came forth and said to him: "וכתוב ישר דברי אמת" – And words of truth are recorded properly, and it is stated, "ולא קם נביא עוד בישראל כמשה" – And never again has there arisen from amongst the Jewish people, a prophet like Moshe. The other Amora said: בנביאים לא קם במלכים קם – From amongst the Nevi’im, one as prominent as Moshe did not arise, but from amongst the kings, one with such prominence did arise, meaning, Koheles was indeed as knowledgeable as Moshe. However, he was a king, and not a prophet.
