Amazingly the first 32 dappim of massekhet Rosh Hashana only tangentially or not at all deal with the holiday of Rosh Hashanah. Starting with today’s daf TB Rosh Hashana 32 until the end of the massekhet on daf TB Rosh Hashana 35, we delve into the unique observances of Rosh Hashanah.
Central to every worship service is the Amida, the standing prayer. Think of the
Amida as a sandwich. Every sandwich
is constructed basically the same way. Between two slices of bread there is a filling,
for example peanut butter and jelly or chicken salad. Similarly every Amida is constructed basically the same
way. Every Amida begins with three
blessings of praise, avot-patriarchs
and in liberal prayer books matriarchs, gevurot-God’s
powers, and the kedusha-the
sanctification of God’s name. Every Amida
concludes with blessings of thanksgiving culminating in the prayer for peace, Sim Shalom.
The middle of every weekday Amida contains 12 requests, for example for
healing or forgiveness. On Shabbat and holidays the requests are removed
because to recite them is inappropriate on such holy days. They are replaced
with a special blessing concerning the holiness of the day. Today’s daf discusses the special addition of
the malkhiyot (kingship), zikhranot (remembrance) and shofarot sections for Rosh Hashana. To
fulfill the mitzvah of shofar, we
blow the shofar at the conclusion of each one of these three sections.
Interesting there is a disagreement amongst the rishonim when do we recite the special Rosh Hashanah Amida. Some like the Ba’al Maor claimed
that we recite this special Amida at
every service along with the accompanying shofar blasts. Nevertheless, most rishonim decide that this special Amida is only recited during the Rosh
Hashana Musaf service and this is our
custom today.
Ever since the printing of the prayer book
this service has become standardized. Back in the day the prayer leader or
hazzan could improvise certain sections. Today’s daf contains some basic information concerning these three special
sections, malkhiyot (kingship), zikhranot (remembrance) and shofarot. The Gemara is pretty
straightforward and I recommend that you study it yourself. I’ll share with you
the reasons for some of more prominent customs we follow today.
“MISHNA: One does not
recite fewer than ten verses in the blessing of Kingship, or
fewer than ten verses in the blessing of Remembrances, or fewer than
ten verses in the blessing of Shofarot. Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Nuri
says: If one recited three from each of them, he has fulfilled his
obligation…
“GEMARA: The Gemara asks: These ten
verses of Kingship, to what do they correspond? Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said:
They correspond to the ten praises that David said in the book of Psalms.
The Gemara asks: There are many more praises than that in the
book of Psalms. The Gemara answers that he means those in which it is
written by them: “Praise Him with the blast of the shofar” (Psalms
150:3). In that chapter the phrase “Praise Him” appears ten times.
“Rav Yosef said: The ten verses correspond to the
Ten Commandments, which were said to Moses at Sinai. Rabbi Yoḥanan said:
They correspond to the ten utterances through which the world was created.
The Gemara asks: Which are these ten utterances? The Gemara explains:
This is referring to the ten times that the phrase “And He said” appears
in the story of Creation in the first two chapters of Genesis.
״The Gemara asks: Does it refer to the
repetition of the phrase: “And He said” in Genesis? There are only nine
such phrases, not ten. The Gemara answers that the phrase “In the beginning”
is also considered an utterance, as it is written: “By the word of the
Lord were the heavens made” (Psalms 33:6), which indicates that all of
creation came into existence through a single utterance, after which all matter
was formed into separate and distinct entities by means of the other nine
utterances…
Rav Huna
said
that Shmuel
said: The halakha is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yoḥanan
ben Nuri. (If only three verses
are recited for each one of the three sections, one has fulfilled his
obligation-gg).
“MISHNA: One does not mention
verses of Remembrance, Kingship, and Shofar that have a theme of
punishment. When reciting the ten verses, one begins with verses
from the Torah and concludes with verses from the Prophets. Rabbi
Yosei says: If he concluded with a verse from the Torah, he has fulfilled
his obligation…
“GEMARA:
The Gemara cites examples of verses that may not be used in Rosh HaShana
prayers because they deal with punishment. With regard to verses of Kingship,
for example: “As I live, says the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand, and with
an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out, will I be King over you”
(Ezekiel 20:33). And although Rav Naḥman said about this verse: With
regard to any anger like this, let the Holy One, blessed be He, express
that anger upon us and let Him redeem us, if that is the process
necessary for redemption, since the verse was said with anger it
is not included, as one does not mention anger on Rosh HaShana.
“Similarly, verses of remembrance
that speak of a punishment may not be used in Rosh HaShana prayers, for
example: ‘So He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes
away, and does not come again’ (Psalms 78:39). Nor verses of shofar,
which refer to calamity, for example: ‘Sound the shofar in Giva,
and the trumpet in Rama; sound an alarm at Beit Aven, behind you, O Benjamin’
(Hosea 5:8).
“The Gemara states: One
does not recite a verse dealing with the remembrance of an individual,
even if it is for good, for example: ‘Remember me, O Lord, when You show
favor to Your people’ (Psalms
106:4), and, for example: ‘Remember me, my God, for good” (Nehemiah 5:19).’”
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