Ask A Question on the daf

Introduction to Rosh Hashanah

1) [line 3] MA'ASER BEHEMAH
(a) Every year, a person must collect all of the kosher animals that were born during that year into a corral. As they leave the corral through a narrow opening, one by one, the owner counts them and marks every tenth one as Ma'aser Behemah. The Mitzvah of Ma'aser Behemah is stated in Vayikra (27:32), "v'Chol Ma'asar Bakar va'Tzon, Kol Asher Ya'avor Tachas ha'Shevet, ha'Asiri Yiheyeh Kodesh la'Sh-m." ("All of the herds and flocks shall be tithed as they are counted under the rod, every tenth one being consecrated to HaSh-m.")
(b) Ma'aser Behemah is eaten by its owner. If it has no Mum (blemish or defect), it is offered as a Korban on the Mizbe'ach and eaten by its owner in Yerushalayim. If it has a Mum, the owner may slaughter and eat it anywhere.

2) [line 6] SHEMITIN
The Torah requires that farmers desist from working the land every seventh year, as described in Vayikra 25:1-7. The fruits that grow during the seventh (Shevi'is) year are holy to the extent that 1. they must be considered ownerless; anyone may come into any field and pick the fruit that he intends to eat. 2. The fruits may not be bought and sold in a normal fashion (see Insights). 3. The Torah requires that the fruits of Shevi'is be used only for eating or drinking (in the normal manner of eating for that type of fruit) or for burning to provide light (in the case of oil). They may not be wasted or used for medicinal purposes or animal fodder, etc.

3) [line 6] YOVLOS
(a) The year after 7 Shemitah cycles of 7 years each is called the Yovel year. There is an argument among the Tana'im (Nedarim 61a) as to whether the 50th year is not counted as one of the years of Shmitah, or whether it is part of the count and is itself *both* the Yovel and the 1st year of the next Shemitah cycle.
(b) The Halachos of the Shemitah year apply in the Yovel year with regard to not working the land and maintaining the sanctity of the fruits that grow (see previous entry). In addition, at the start of the Yovel year, all Jewish slaves (Eved Ivri, see Background to Erchin 25:10 and 29:2) are set free and all properties that were sold since the previous Yovel year are returned to their original owners. On Yom ha'Kipurim of the Yovel Year, Beis Din blows a Shofar to denote that the time has come to set free all of the slaves, as the Torah states in Vayikra 25:9.
(c) There is an argument among the Tana'im as to what is considered the beginning of the Yovel year. According to the Chachamim, Yovel starts with the Shofar blast of Yom ha'Kipurim. According to Rebbi Yochanan ben Berokah, it begins at Rosh ha'Shanah, and the Shofar blast only denotes the completion of the process of freeing the slaves (Rosh Hashanah 8b)

4) [line 6] NETI'AH (ORLAH)
(a) In the first three years after a fruit tree is planted, its fruits are called Orlah and are Asurim b'Hana'ah, as it states in Vayikra 19:23.
(b) If a person eats a k'Zayis of Orlah fruit, he receives Malkos. If he derives benefit from Orlah (or any other food that is Asur b'Hana'ah), according to most Rishonim he is punished with Malkos (TOSFOS Chulin 120a DH Ela), while according to others, he is only punished with Makas Mardus, a Rabbinic institution of Malkos. (RAMBAM Hilchos Ma'achalos Asuros 8:16 -- see also Mishneh l'Melech to Yesodei ha'Torah 5:8)

5) [line 10] SHETAREI CHOV HA'MUKDAMIN - loan documents, the date of which precedes the date that the documents were signed

6) [line 4] D'IMNU ALEI - the ministers voted to appoint him as the next king
7) [line 12] SHATA L'VEI TEREI LO MANINAN - we do not count one year for two kings
8) [line 24] CHODESH ZIV - the month of Iyar
9) [line 29] DILMA MI'TISHREI MANINAN - perhaps we count the years since Yetzi'as Mitzrayim (the Exodus from Egypt) based on Tishrei; i.e. the month of Tishrei that followed Yetzi'as Mitzrayim began the second year of the count

Next daf