## Rosh Hashanah Daf 24b

###### Rosh Hashanah 24b:1
[Rosh Hashanah 24b:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/24b:1)

שֶׁל חֲמִשָּׁה וְשֶׁל שִׁשָּׁה וְשֶׁל שְׁמוֹנָה. וְשֶׁל שִׁבְעָה — לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה, אֲפִילּוּ שֶׁל שְׁאָר מִינֵי מַתָּכוֹת. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּר יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: אַף שֶׁל עֵץ לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה, כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁעָשׂוּ מַלְכֵי בֵּית חַשְׁמוֹנַאי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
a candelabrum **of five or of six or of eight** lamps. **But one may not fashion** a candelabrum with **seven** lamps **even** if he constructs it **from other kinds of metal** rather than gold, as in exigent circumstances the candelabrum in the Temple may be fashioned from other metals. **Rabbi Yosei bar Yehuda says: Also, one may not fashion** a candelabrum **of wood, in the manner that the kings of the Hasmonean monarchy fashioned** it. When they first purified the Temple they had to prepare the candelabrum out of wood, as no other material was available. Since this candelabrum is fit for the Temple, it is prohibited to fashion one of this kind for oneself.


###### Rosh Hashanah 24b:2
[Rosh Hashanah 24b:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/24b:2)

אָמְרוּ לוֹ: מִשָּׁם רְאָיָיה?! שַׁפּוּדִין שֶׁל בַּרְזֶל הָיוּ וְחִיפּוּם בְּבַעַץ. הֶעֱשִׁירוּ — עֲשָׂאוּם שֶׁל כֶּסֶף, חָזְרוּ הֶעֱשִׁירוּ — עֲשָׂאוּם שֶׁל זָהָב.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The other Sages **said to** Rabbi Yosei bar Yehuda: **From there** you seek to bring **a proof?** There the branches of the candelabrum **were** comprised of **spits [*shippudin*] of iron and they covered them with tin.** Later, when **they grew richer** and could afford a candelabrum of higher-quality material, **they fashioned them from silver.** When **they grew even richer, they fashioned them from gold.** Still, Abaye proves from this *baraita* that the prohibition against forming an image applies only to items that can be reconstructed in an accurate manner. Since this is not possible in the case of the moon, Rabban Gamliel’s forms were permitted.


###### Rosh Hashanah 24b:3
[Rosh Hashanah 24b:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/24b:3)

וְשַׁמָּשִׁין שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּמוֹתָן מִי שְׁרֵי? וְהָתַנְיָא: ״לֹא תַעֲשׂוּן אִתִּי״ — לֹא תַּעֲשׂוּן כִּדְמוּת שַׁמָּשַׁיי הַמְשַׁמְּשִׁין לְפָנַי בַּמָּרוֹם! אָמַר אַבָּיֵי: לֹא אָסְרָה תּוֹרָה אֶלָּא דְּמוּת אַרְבָּעָה פָּנִים בַּהֲדֵי הֲדָדֵי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **And is it** really **permitted** to form images of **those attendants** concerning **which it is impossible to reproduce their likeness? Isn’t it taught** in a *baraita* that the verse: **“You shall not make with Me** gods of silver” (Exodus 20:19), comes to teach: **You shall not make images of My attendants that serve before Me on high.** Apparently, this includes the sun and the moon. **Abaye said:** This does not include the sun and the moon, as **the Torah prohibited only** the fashioning of **an image of** all **four faces** of the creatures of the Heavenly Chariot **together** (see Ezekiel, chapter 1). However, all other images, which are not the likeness of the ministering angels, are permitted.


###### Rosh Hashanah 24b:4
[Rosh Hashanah 24b:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/24b:4)

אֶלָּא מֵעַתָּה פַּרְצוּף אָדָם לְחוֹדֵיהּ תִּשְׁתְּרֵי? אַלְּמָה תַּנְיָא: כׇּל הַפַּרְצוּפוֹת מוּתָּרִין חוּץ מִפַּרְצוּף אָדָם! אָמַר רַב הוּנָא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַב אִידִי: מִפִּרְקֵיהּ דְּאַבָּיֵי שְׁמִיעָא לִי: ״לֹא תַעֲשׂוּן אִתִּי״ — לֹא תַּעֲשׂוּן אוֹתִי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara raises a difficulty: **However, if** that is **so, let** the fashioning of an image of **a human face [*partzuf* ] alone be permitted. Why,** then, **is it taught** in a *baraita*: **All faces are permitted** for ornamental purposes, **except for the face of a person? Rav Huna, son of Rav Idi, said: From a lecture of Abaye I heard** that there is a different reason why one may not form an image of a human face, as the verse states: **“You shall not make with Me [*iti*]”** (Exodus 20:19). This can be read as: **You shall not make Me [*oti*].** Since man is created in the image of God, it is prohibited to form an image of a human being.


###### Rosh Hashanah 24b:5
[Rosh Hashanah 24b:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/24b:5)

וּשְׁאָר שַׁמָּשִׁין מִי שְׁרֵי? וְהָא תַּנְיָא ״לֹא תַעֲשׂוּן אִתִּי״ — לֹא תַּעֲשׂוּן כִּדְמוּת שַׁמָּשַׁיי הַמְּשַׁמְּשִׁין לְפָנַי בַּמָּרוֹם, כְּגוֹן אוֹפַנִּים וּשְׂרָפִים וְחַיּוֹת הַקּוֹדֶשׁ וּמַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת! אָמַר אַבָּיֵי: לֹא אָסְרָה תּוֹרָה אֶלָּא שַׁמָּשִׁין שֶׁבַּמָּדוֹר הָעֶלְיוֹן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **And is it permitted** to form images of **other attendants? Isn’t it taught** in another *baraita* that the verse: **“You shall not make with Me** gods of silver” (Exodus 20:19), teaches that **you shall not make images of My attendants that serve before Me on high, for example, *ofanim* and seraphim and the sacred *ḥayyot* and the ministering angels. Abaye said: The Torah prohibited only** those **attendants that are** found **in the upper Heaven,** i.e., the supreme angels in the highest firmament, but not the celestial bodies, e.g., the sun and the moon, despite the fact that they too are located in heaven.


###### Rosh Hashanah 24b:6
[Rosh Hashanah 24b:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/24b:6)

וְשֶׁבַּמָּדוֹר הַתַּחְתּוֹן מִי שְׁרֵי? וְהָתַנְיָא: ״אֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׁמַיִם״ — לְרַבּוֹת חַמָּה וּלְבָנָה כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת, ״מִמַּעַל״ — לְרַבּוֹת מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת! כִּי תַּנְיָא הָהִיא — לְעׇבְדָם.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara raises another difficulty: **And is it permitted** to form images of **those** bodies found **in the lower heaven? Isn’t it taught** in a *baraita*: “You shall not make for yourself any graven image, nor any manner of likeness, of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth” (Exodus 20:3). The phrase **“that is in heaven”** comes **to include** the **sun,** the **moon,** the **stars, and** the **constellations.** The term **“above”** serves **to include the ministering angels.** Apparently, it is prohibited to form an image even of the celestial bodies found in the lower Heaven. The Gemara answers: **When that** *baraita* **is taught,** it is in reference to the prohibition **against worshipping them.** However, there is no prohibition against forming an image in their likeness.


###### Rosh Hashanah 24b:7
[Rosh Hashanah 24b:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/24b:7)

אִי לְעׇבְדָם, אֲפִילּוּ שִׁלְשׁוּל קָטָן נָמֵי! אִין הָכִי נָמֵי, דְּתַנְיָא: ״אֲשֶׁר בָּאָרֶץ״ — לְרַבּוֹת הָרִים וּגְבָעוֹת יַמִּים וּנְהָרוֹת אֲפִיקִים וְגֵאָיוֹת, ״מִתַּחַת״ — לְרַבּוֹת שִׁלְשׁוּל קָטָן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **If** that *baraita* is referring to **the prohibition against worshipping them,** then **even a tiny worm** should **also** be prohibited. The Gemara answers: **Yes, it is indeed so, as it is taught** in the same *baraita* with regard to the continuation of the verse, **“in the earth”** comes **to include mountains and hills, seas and rivers, streams and valleys; “beneath”** comes **to include a tiny worm.** If so, it is indeed possible to explain that the entire *baraita* is referring to the prohibition against idol worship.


###### Rosh Hashanah 24b:8
[Rosh Hashanah 24b:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/24b:8)

וַעֲשִׂיָּיה גְּרֵידְתָּא מִי שְׁרֵי? וְהָתַנְיָא: ״לֹא תַעֲשׂוּן אִתִּי״ — לֹא תַּעֲשׂוּן כִּדְמוּת שַׁמָּשַׁיי הַמְשַׁמְּשִׁין לְפָנַי, כְּגוֹן חַמָּה וּלְבָנָה כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara raises yet another objection: **And is the mere fashioning** of images of the celestial bodies **permitted? Isn’t it taught** in another *baraita*: **“You shall not make with Me** gods of silver” (Exodus 20:19). This verse teaches that **you shall not make images of My attendants that serve before Me, for example** the **sun,** the **moon,** the **stars and** the **constellations.** This is explicit proof that it is prohibited to form images of the sun and the moon; consequently, the solution proposed by Abaye is rejected, leaving the difficulty with Rabban Gamliel’s diagram unresolved.


###### Rosh Hashanah 24b:9
[Rosh Hashanah 24b:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/24b:9)

שָׁאנֵי רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל, דַּאֲחֵרִים עָשׂוּ לוֹ. וְהָא רַב יְהוּדָה, דַּאֲחֵרִים עָשׂוּ לוֹ, וַאֲמַר לֵיהּ שְׁמוּאֵל לְרַב יְהוּדָה: שִׁינָּנָא, סַמִּי עֵינֵיהּ דְּדֵין!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara proposes an alternative resolution: The case of **Rabban Gamliel is different, as others,** i.e., gentiles, **fashioned** those images **for him,** and it is prohibited only for a Jew to fashion such images; there is no prohibition against having them in one’s possession. The Gemara raises a difficulty: **But** there is the case of **Rav Yehuda, as others fashioned for him** a seal in the form of a human being, **and Shmuel said to Rav Yehuda,** who was his student: **Sharp-witted one, blind this one’s eyes,** i.e., disfigure the image, as it is prohibited even to have the image of a human being in one’s possession.


###### Rosh Hashanah 24b:10
[Rosh Hashanah 24b:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/24b:10)

הָתָם, חוֹתָמוֹ בּוֹלֵט הֲוָה, וּמִשּׁוּם חֲשָׁדָא. כִּדְתַנְיָא: טַבַּעַת, חוֹתָמוֹ בּוֹלֵט — אָסוּר לְהַנִּיחָהּ וּמוּתָּר לַחְתּוֹם בָּהּ. חוֹתָמוֹ שׁוֹקֵעַ — מוּתָּר לְהַנִּיחָהּ וְאָסוּר לַחְתּוֹם בָּהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara answers: **There,** in the case of Rav Yehuda, **his was a protruding seal,** i.e., the image projected from the ring, and Shmuel prohibited it **due to** the potential **suspicion** that he had an object of idol worship in his hand. **As it is taught** in a *baraita*: With regard to **a ring,** if **its seal protrudes it is prohibited to place it** on one’s finger, due to the suspicion of idol worship, **but it is permitted to seal** objects **with it.** In this case, the act of sealing creates an image that is sunken below the surface, which is not prohibited. However, if **its seal is sunken, it is permitted to place it** on one’s finger, **but it is prohibited to seal** objects **with it,** as that creates a protruding image.


###### Rosh Hashanah 24b:11
[Rosh Hashanah 24b:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/24b:11)

וּמִי חָיְישִׁינַן לַחֲשָׁדָא? וְהָא הָהִיא בֵּי כְנִישְׁתָּא דְּשַׁף וִיתֵיב בִּנְהַרְדְּעָא, דַּהֲוָה בֵּיהּ אִנְדְּרָטָא, וַהֲווֹ עָיְילִי רַב וּשְׁמוּאֵל וַאֲבוּהּ דִּשְׁמוּאֵל וְלֵוִי וּמְצַלּוּ הָתָם, וְלָא חָיְישִׁי לַחֲשָׁדָא! רַבִּים שָׁאנֵי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **And are we concerned about** arousing **suspicion** in a case of this kind? **But** what about that **certain synagogue that had been** destroyed in Eretz Yisrael and its stones were **relocated and** it was rebuilt so that it **sat in Neharde’a,** and **there was a statue [*andarta*]** of the king **in it. And** nevertheless **Rav and Shmuel and Shmuel’s father and Levi would** all **enter and pray there and they were not concerned about** arousing **suspicion.** The Gemara answers: When **many** Jews are present it **is different,** as a large group is not suspected of having idolatrous intentions. Rather, it is assumed that the statue is there exclusively for purposes of ornamentation.


###### Rosh Hashanah 24b:12
[Rosh Hashanah 24b:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/24b:12)

וְהָא רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל יָחִיד הוּא? כֵּיוָן דְּנָשִׂיא הוּא — שְׁכִיחִי רַבִּים גַּבֵּיהּ. אִיבָּעֵית אֵימָא: דִּפְרָקִים הֲוָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **But isn’t Rabban Gamliel an individual?** According to this reasoning, his images of the moon should have been prohibited, as they would have aroused suspicion. The Gemara answers: **Since he is the *Nasi*,** the head of the Great Sanhedrin, **many** people **were** always **found with him,** and therefore there was no room for suspicion. The Gemara suggests an alternative answer: **If you wish, say** that these images were not whole; rather, they **were** formed **from pieces** of images that had to be put together. Only complete images are prohibited.


###### Rosh Hashanah 24b:13
[Rosh Hashanah 24b:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/24b:13)

וְאִיבָּעֵית אֵימָא: לְהִתְלַמֵּד עֲבַד, וּכְתִיב: ״לֹא תִּלְמַד לַעֲשׂוֹת״ — אֲבָל אַתָּה לָמֵד לְהָבִין וּלְהוֹרוֹת.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara suggests yet another answer: **If you wish, say:** Rabban Gamliel **did** this **to teach himself,** which is not prohibited, as **it is written: “You shall not learn to do** after the abominations of those nations” (Deuteronomy 18:9), which indicates: **However, you may learn to understand and to teach.** In other words, it is permitted to do certain things for the sake of Torah study which would otherwise be prohibited.


###### Rosh Hashanah 24b:14
[Rosh Hashanah 24b:14](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/24b:14)

**מַתְנִי׳** מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁבָּאוּ שְׁנַיִם וְאָמְרוּ: רְאִינוּהוּ שַׁחֲרִית בַּמִּזְרָח,

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**MISHNA:** There was **an incident** in **which two** witnesses **came** to testify about the new moon, **and they said: We saw** the waning moon **in the morning in the east,**