What comes first? TY Shekalim 22

 Yesterday we started the eighth chapter, the final chapter, of our massekhet. Today with daf TY Shekalim 22 we finish our journey through it.

“Apropos to our Mishna’s mention of the Sabbath and Rosh Hodesh (the New Month) mussaf (additional sacrifice-gg) offerings, the Gemara asks: “If the mussaf offerings of Rosh Hodesh have to be brought on the same day (i.e. Rosh Hodesh falls on the Sabbath) which takes precedence?

“The Gemara cites an answer: Rabbi Yirimayah thought of saying: If the mussaf offerings of the Sabbath and the mussaf offerings of Rosh Hodesh have to be brought on the same day, the mussaf offerings of Rosh Hodesh takes precedence.

“The Gemara gives the basis for this assumption: Rabbi Yirimayah’s proof is from the following law: if the Leviim (Levites-gg) have to sing both the song of the Sabbath and the song of Rosh Hodesh, the song of Rosh Hodesh takes precedence. Rabbi Yirimayah reasoned that just as the song of Rosh Hodesh comes first, so does its mussaf.

“The proof is deflected: Rabbi Yoseh said: It is different there, for Rabbi Chiya said in the name of Rabbi Yokhanan that the song of Rosh Hodesh takes precedence in order to publicize and make it known that (the day) is Rosh Hodesh.[1] But here, in the case of the Sabbath and Rosh Hodesh mussaf offerings, the mussaf offerings of the Sabbath takes precedence because of the rule, Any (mitzvah) there’s more frequent than other takes precedence over the other. In light of this rule, the mussaf offering of the Sabbath, which is brought more frequently than that of Rosh Hodesh should be offer first. What does one do? One slaughters the mussaf offerings of the Sabbath, and recites the song of Rosh Hodesh over them.” (Art Scroll translation)

This law of any (mitzvah) there’s more frequent than other takes precedence over the other- תדיר ואינו תדיר-תדיר קודם explains many of the synagogue procedures. For example when Rosh Hodesh and Hanukkah fall on the Sabbath the order of the readings are as following: the weekly Torah portion (because it is read 52 times a year), the Rosh Hodesh reading (because it is read 12 times a year), and finally the Hanukkah reading (because it is read only eight times a year)

Tomorrow on to TB Yoma, all about Yom Kippur!

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[1] During this time period Rosh Hodesh was a moving target because it was determined by the court only after witnesses came to Jerusalem and testified they saw the new moon. Offering the Rosh Hodesh mussaf first was a means to inform the people that the new month had arrived. Thank goodness we have a set calendar to refer to.