## Rosh Hashanah Daf 16b

###### Rosh Hashanah 16b:1
[Rosh Hashanah 16b:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/16b:1)

וְתוֹקְעִין וּמְרִיעִין כְּשֶׁהֵן עוֹמְדִין — כְּדֵי לְעַרְבֵּב הַשָּׂטָן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**and** then **sound** again **a *tekia* and a *terua* while they are standing** in the *Amida* prayer? He answers: **In order to confuse the Satan,** for this double blowing of the *shofar* demonstrates Israel’s love for the mitzva, and this will confuse Satan when he brings his accusations against Israel before the heavenly court, and the Jewish people will receive a favorable judgment.


###### Rosh Hashanah 16b:2
[Rosh Hashanah 16b:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/16b:2)

וְאָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק: כׇּל שָׁנָה שֶׁאֵין תּוֹקְעִין לָהּ בִּתְחִלָּתָהּ — מְרִיעִין לָהּ בְּסוֹפָהּ. מַאי טַעְמָא — דְּלָא אִיעַרְבַּב שָׂטָן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And Rabbi Yitzḥak said,** playing on the double meaning of the word *meri’in*, which can mean either sound a *terua* or cause misfortune: **Any year during which,** due to some mishap, **the *shofar* was not sounded at its beginning will suffer evil** and misfortune **at its end. What is the reason? Because Satan was not confused,** and he was able to put forward his accusations, so that the Jewish people would be punished.


###### Rosh Hashanah 16b:3
[Rosh Hashanah 16b:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/16b:3)

וְאָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק: כׇּל שָׁנָה שֶׁרָשָׁה בִּתְחִלָּתָהּ — מִתְעַשֶּׁרֶת בְּסוֹפָהּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״מֵרֵאשִׁית הַשָּׁנָה״ — ״מֵרֵשִׁית״ כְּתִיב. ״וְעַד אַחֲרִית״ — סוֹפָהּ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהּ אַחֲרִית.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ The Gemara brings a series of statements in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak, all of which relate to judgment: **And Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Any year that is poor [*rasha*]** and troubled **at its beginning will be made rich at its end, for it is stated: “From the beginning [*mereishit*] of the year”** (Deuteronomy 11:12). The word ***meireishit* is written** defectively, without an *alef*, so that it may also be understood in the sense of *rashut*, poverty. The verse continues: **“And until the end [*aḥarit*]** of the year,” which means **that the end** of the year **will have** expectations of good things **in the end [*aḥarit*].**


###### Rosh Hashanah 16b:4
[Rosh Hashanah 16b:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/16b:4)

וְאָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק: אֵין דָּנִין אֶת הָאָדָם אֶלָּא לְפִי מַעֲשָׂיו שֶׁל אוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״כִּי שָׁמַע אֱלֹהִים אֶל קוֹל הַנַּעַר בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא שָׁם״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And Rabbi Yitzḥak said: A man is judged only according to his deeds at the time** of his judgment, and not according to his future deeds, **as it is stated** with regard to Ishmael: **“For God has heard the voice of the lad where he is”** (Genesis 21:17). Although Ishmael and his descendants would act wickedly in the future, his prayer was heard and answered because he was innocent at the time.


###### Rosh Hashanah 16b:5
[Rosh Hashanah 16b:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/16b:5)

וְאָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק: שְׁלֹשָׁה דְּבָרִים מַזְכִּירִין עֲוֹנוֹתָיו שֶׁל אָדָם, אֵלּוּ הֵן: קִיר נָטוּי, וְעִיּוּן תְּפִלָּה, וּמוֹסֵר דִּין עַל חֲבֵירוֹ. דְּאָמַר רַבִּי אָבִין: כָּל הַמּוֹסֵר דִּין עַל חֲבֵירוֹ — הוּא נֶעֱנָשׁ תְּחִלָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַתֹּאמֶר שָׂרַי אֶל אַבְרָם חֲמָסִי עָלֶיךָ״, וּכְתִיב: ״וַיָּבֹא אַבְרָהָם לִסְפּוֹד לְשָׂרָה וְלִבְכּוֹתָהּ״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Three matters evoke a person’s sins,** and **they are:** Endangering oneself by sitting next to **an inclined wall** that is about to collapse; **expecting prayer** to be accepted, as that leads to an assessment of one’s status and merit; **and passing a case against another** to Heaven, **for Rabbi Avin said: Anyone who passes a case against another** to God **is punished first.** Praying for God to pass judgment on another causes one’s own deeds to be examined and compared with the deeds of the other, **as it is stated: “And Sarai said to Abram: My anger be upon you;** I have given my maid into your bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes; let the Lord judge between me and you” (Genesis 16:5), **and it is written** afterward: **“And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her”** (Genesis 23:2). Sarah called upon Heaven to pass judgment between her and her husband, and therefore she was punished and died first.


###### Rosh Hashanah 16b:6
[Rosh Hashanah 16b:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/16b:6)

וְאָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק: אַרְבָּעָה דְּבָרִים מְקָרְעִין גְּזַר דִּינוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם, אֵלּוּ הֵן: צְדָקָה, צְעָקָה, שִׁינּוּי הַשֵּׁם, וְשִׁינּוּי מַעֲשֶׂה. צְדָקָה, דִּכְתִיב: ״וּצְדָקָה תַּצִּיל מִמָּוֶת״. צְעָקָה, דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיִּצְעֲקוּ אֶל ה׳ בַּצַּר לָהֶם וּמִמְּצוּקוֹתֵיהֶם יוֹצִיאֵם״. שִׁינּוּי הַשֵּׁם, דִּכְתִיב: ״שָׂרַי אִשְׁתְּךָ לֹא תִקְרָא אֶת שְׁמָהּ שָׂרָי כִּי שָׂרָה שְׁמָהּ״, וּכְתִיב: ״וּבֵרַכְתִּי אוֹתָהּ וְגַם נָתַתִּי מִמֶּנָּה לְךָ בֵּן״. שִׁינּוּי מַעֲשֶׂה, דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיַּרְא הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם״, וּכְתִיב: ״וַיִּנָּחֶם הָאֱלֹהִים עַל הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לַעֲשׂוֹת לָהֶם וְלֹא עָשָׂה״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And Rabbi Yitzḥak said: A person’s sentence is torn up on** account of **four** types of **actions. These are:** Giving **charity, crying out** in prayer, **a change of** one’s **name, and a change of** one’s **deeds** for the better. An allusion may be found in Scripture for all of them: Giving **charity, as it is written: “And charity delivers from death”** (Proverbs 10:2); **crying out** in prayer, **as it is written: “Then they cry to the Lord in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses”** (Psalms 107:28); **a change of** one’s **name, as it is written:** “As for **Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be”** (Genesis 17:15), **and it is written** there: **“And I will bless her, and I will also give you a son from her”** (Genesis 17:16); **a change of** one’s **deeds** for the better, **as it is written: “And God saw their deeds”** (Jonah 3:10), **and it is written** there: **“And God repented of the evil, which He had said He would do to them, and He did not do** it” (Jonah 3:10).


###### Rosh Hashanah 16b:7
[Rosh Hashanah 16b:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/16b:7)

וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים: אַף שִׁינּוּי מָקוֹם, דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיֹּאמֶר ה׳ אֶל אַבְרָם לֶךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ״, וַהֲדַר: ״וְאֶעֶשְׂךָ לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל״. וְאִידַּךְ: הָהוּא זְכוּתָא דְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא דְּאַהַנְיָא לֵיהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And some say: Also, a change of** one’s **place** of residence cancels an evil judgment, **as it is written: “And the Lord said to Abram: Go you out of your county”** (Genesis 12:1), **and afterward** it is written: **“And I will make of you a great nation”** (Genesis 12: 2). The Gemara explains: **And the other** one, i.e., Rabbi Yitzḥak, who does not include a change of residence in his list, holds that in the case of Abram, **it was the merit** and sanctity **of Eretz Yisrael that helped him** become the father of a great nation.


###### Rosh Hashanah 16b:8
[Rosh Hashanah 16b:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/16b:8)

וְאָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק: חַיָּיב אָדָם לְהַקְבִּיל פְּנֵי רַבּוֹ בָּרֶגֶל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״מַדּוּעַ אַתְּ הוֹלֶכֶת אֵלָיו הַיּוֹם לֹא חֹדֶשׁ וְלֹא שַׁבָּת״, מִכְּלָל דִּבְחֹדֶשׁ וְשַׁבָּת אִיבְּעִי לַהּ לְמֵיזַל.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara cites two more statements in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak, relating to the Festivals: **And Rabbi Yitzḥak said: A person is obligated to** go out and **greet his teacher on a Festival, as it is stated** that the husband of the Shunamite woman asked, when she was readying herself to go to the prophet: **“Why will you go to him today; it is neither the New Moon nor Shabbat”** (II Kings 4:23). **By inference,** we learn **that on the New Moon and on Shabbat,** which in this context means a Festival that is a day of rest, **she was required to go.**


###### Rosh Hashanah 16b:9
[Rosh Hashanah 16b:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/16b:9)

וְאָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק: חַיָּיב אָדָם לְטַהֵר אֶת עַצְמוֹ בָּרֶגֶל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וּבְנִבְלָתָם לֹא תִגָּעוּ״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And Rabbi Yitzḥak said: A person is obligated to purify himself on a Festival, as it is stated: “And their carcasses you shall not touch;** they are impure to you” (Leviticus 11:8). This verse is referring to the Festivals, as taught in the following *baraita*.


###### Rosh Hashanah 16b:10
[Rosh Hashanah 16b:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/16b:10)

תַּנְיָא נָמֵי הָכִי: ״וּבִנְבָלָתָם לֹא תִגָּעוּ״, יָכוֹל יְהוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מוּזְהָרִין עַל מַגַּע נְבֵילָה, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״אֱמוֹר אֶל הַכֹּהֲנִים בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן״, בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן מוּזְהָרִין, בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵין מוּזְהָרִין.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**This is also taught** in a *baraita*: The verse states: **“And their carcass you shall not touch.”** One **might** have thought **that** ordinary **Jews are prohibited from touching an animal carcass.** Therefore, **the verse states: “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron,** and say to them: There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people” (Leviticus 21:1). It is derived from here that **the sons of Aaron are prohibited** from defiling themselves, but **the children of Israel,** i.e., non-priests, **are not prohibited** from doing so.


###### Rosh Hashanah 16b:11
[Rosh Hashanah 16b:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/16b:11)

וַהֲלֹא דְּבָרִים קַל וָחוֹמֶר: וּמָה טוּמְאָה חֲמוּרָה — כֹּהֲנִים מוּזְהָרִין, יִשְׂרְאֵלִים אֵינָן מוּזְהָרִין. טוּמְאָה קַלָּה — לֹא כׇּל שֶׁכֵּן? אֶלָּא, מָה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ״וּבְנִבְלָתָם לֹא תִגָּעוּ״ — בָּרֶגֶל.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**But are** these **matters not an *a fortiori*** inference? **If,** with regard to **severe impurity,** i.e., contact with a human corpse, **priests are prohibited** from defiling themselves, while ordinary **Israelites are not prohibited** from doing so, in the case of **light impurity,** e.g., touching an animal carcass, is it **not all the more so** that Israelites be permitted to defile themselves? **Rather, what** is the meaning when **the verse states: “And their carcass you shall not touch?”** It means that **on a Festival** all are obligated to purify themselves.


###### Rosh Hashanah 16b:12
[Rosh Hashanah 16b:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/16b:12)

אָמַר רַבִּי כְּרוּסְפָּדַאי אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: שְׁלֹשָׁה סְפָרִים נִפְתָּחִין בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה, אֶחָד שֶׁל רְשָׁעִים גְּמוּרִין, וְאֶחָד שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים גְּמוּרִין, וְאֶחָד שֶׁל בֵּינוֹנִיִּים. צַדִּיקִים גְּמוּרִין — נִכְתָּבִין וְנֶחְתָּמִין לְאַלְתַּר לְחַיִּים, רְשָׁעִים גְּמוּרִין — נִכְתָּבִין וְנֶחְתָּמִין לְאַלְתַּר לְמִיתָה, בֵּינוֹנִיִּים — תְּלוּיִין וְעוֹמְדִין מֵרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה וְעַד יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים, זָכוּ — נִכְתָּבִין לְחַיִּים, לֹא זָכוּ — נִכְתָּבִין לְמִיתָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ The Gemara goes back to discuss the Day of Judgment. **Rabbi Kruspedai said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Three books are opened on Rosh HaShana** before the Holy One, Blessed be He: **One of wholly wicked** people, **and one of wholly righteous** people, **and one of middling** people whose good and bad deeds are equally balanced. **Wholly righteous** people **are immediately written and sealed for life; wholly wicked** people **are immediately written and sealed for death;** and **middling** people **are left** with their judgment **suspended from Rosh HaShana until Yom Kippur,** their fate remaining undecided. If **they merit,** through the good deeds and mitzvot that they perform during this period, **they are written for life;** if **they do not** so **merit, they are written for death.**


###### Rosh Hashanah 16b:13
[Rosh Hashanah 16b:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/16b:13)

אָמַר רַבִּי אָבִין, מַאי קְרָא: ״יִמָּחוּ מִסֵּפֶר חַיִּים וְעִם צַדִּיקִים אַל יִכָּתֵבוּ״. ״יִמָּחוּ מִסֵּפֶר״ — זֶה סִפְרָן שֶׁל רְשָׁעִים גְּמוּרִין, ״חַיִּים״ — זֶה סִפְרָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים, ״וְעִם צַדִּיקִים אַל יִכָּתֵבוּ״ — זֶה סִפְרָן שֶׁל בֵּינוֹנִיִּים.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rabbi Avin said: What is the verse** that alludes to this? **“Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, but not be written with the righteous”** (Psalms 69:29). **“Let them be blotted out of the book”; this is the book of wholly wicked** people, who are blotted out from the world. **“Of the living”; this is the book of** wholly **righteous** people. **“But not be written with the righteous”; this is the book of middling** people, who are written in a separate book, not with the righteous.


###### Rosh Hashanah 16b:14
[Rosh Hashanah 16b:14](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/16b:14)

רַב נַחְמָן בַּר יִצְחָק אָמַר, מֵהָכָא: ״וְאִם אַיִן מְחֵנִי נָא מִסִּפְרְךָ אֲשֶׁר כָּתָבְתָּ״, ״מְחֵנִי נָא״ — זֶה סִפְרָן שֶׁל רְשָׁעִים, ״מִסִּפְרְךָ״ — זֶה סִפְרָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים, ״אֲשֶׁר כָּתָבְתָּ״ — זֶה סִפְרָן שֶׁל בֵּינוֹנִיִּים.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said:** This matter is derived **from here: “And if not, blot me, I pray You, out of Your book which you have written”** (Exodus 32:32). **“Blot me, I pray You”; this is the book of** wholly **wicked** people, who are blotted out from the world. **“Out of Your book”; this is the book of** wholly **righteous** people, which is special and attributed to God Himself. **“Which You have written”; this is the book of middling** people.


###### Rosh Hashanah 16b:15
[Rosh Hashanah 16b:15](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/16b:15)

תַּנְיָא, בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים: שָׁלֹשׁ כִּתּוֹת הֵן לְיוֹם הַדִּין: אַחַת שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים גְּמוּרִין, וְאַחַת שֶׁל רְשָׁעִים גְּמוּרִין, וְאַחַת שֶׁל בֵּינוֹנִיִּים. צַדִּיקִים גְּמוּרִין — נִכְתָּבִין וְנֶחְתָּמִין לְאַלְתַּר לְחַיֵּי עוֹלָם, רְשָׁעִים גְּמוּרִין — נִכְתָּבִין וְנֶחְתָּמִין לְאַלְתַּר לְגֵיהִנָּם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְרַבִּים מִיְּשֵׁנֵי אַדְמַת עָפָר יָקִיצוּ אֵלֶּה לְחַיֵּי עוֹלָם וְאֵלֶּה לַחֲרָפוֹת לְדִרְאוֹן עוֹלָם״, בֵּינוֹנִיִּים — יוֹרְדִין לְגֵיהִנָּם,

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**It is taught** in a *baraita*: **Beit Shammai say: There will be three groups** of people **on the** great **Day of Judgment** at the end of days: **One of wholly righteous** people, **one of wholly wicked** people, **and one of middling** people. Wholly **righteous** people **will immediately be written and sealed for eternal life. Wholly wicked** people **will immediately be written and sealed for Gehenna, as it is stated: “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall wake, some to eternal life and some to shame and everlasting contempt”** (Daniel 12:2). **Middling** people **will descend to Gehenna** to be cleansed and to achieve atonement for their sins,