## Rosh Hashanah Daf 2a

###### Rosh Hashanah 2a:1
[Rosh Hashanah 2a:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/2a:1)

**אַרְבָּעָה רָאשֵׁי שָׁנִים** הֵם, בְּאֶחָד בְּנִיסָן — רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה לַמְּלָכִים וְלָרְגָלִים.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**MISHNA:** **They are four** days in the year that serve as the **New Year,** each for a different purpose: **On the first of Nisan is the New Year for kings;** it is from this date that the years of a king’s rule are counted. **And** the first of Nisan is also the New Year **for** the order of **the Festivals,** as it determines which is considered the first Festival of the year and which the last.


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

בְּאֶחָד בֶּאֱלוּל — רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה לְמַעְשַׂר בְּהֵמָה. רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמְרִים: בְּאֶחָד בְּתִשְׁרִי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**On the first of Elul is the New Year for animal tithes;** all the animals born prior to that date belong to the previous tithe year and are tithed as a single unit, whereas those born after that date belong to the next tithe year. **Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Shimon say:** The New Year for animal tithes is **on the first of Tishrei.**


###### Rosh Hashanah 2a:3
[Rosh Hashanah 2a:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/2a:3)

בְּאֶחָד בְּתִשְׁרִי — רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה לַשָּׁנִים וְלַשְּׁמִיטִּין וְלַיּוֹבְלוֹת, לִנְטִיעָה וְלִירָקוֹת.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**On the first of Tishrei is the New Year for** counting **years,** as will be explained in the Gemara; **for** calculating **Sabbatical Years and Jubilee Years,** i.e., from the first of Tishrei there is a biblical prohibition to work the land during these years; **for planting,** for determining the years of *orla*, the three-year period from when a tree has been planted during which time its fruit is forbidden; **and for** tithing **vegetables,** as vegetables picked prior to that date cannot be tithed together with vegetables picked after that date.


###### Rosh Hashanah 2a:4
[Rosh Hashanah 2a:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/2a:4)

בְּאֶחָד בִּשְׁבָט — רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה לָאִילָן כְּדִבְרֵי בֵּית שַׁמַּאי. בֵּית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים: בַּחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר בּוֹ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**On the first of Shevat is the New Year for the tree;** the fruit of a tree that was formed prior to that date belong to the previous tithe year and cannot be tithed together with fruit that was formed after that date; this ruling is **in accordance with the statement of Beit Shammai.** But **Beit Hillel say:** The New Year for trees is **on the fifteenth of** Shevat.


###### Rosh Hashanah 2a:5
[Rosh Hashanah 2a:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/2a:5)

**גְּמָ׳** לַמְּלָכִים, לְמַאי הִלְכְתָא? אָמַר רַב חִסְדָּא: לִשְׁטָרוֹת.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**GEMARA:** The New Year **for kings; with regard to what *halakha*** is it mentioned in the mishna? Why is it necessary to set a specific date to count the years of a king’s rule, rather than counting them from the day that he ascends to the throne? **Rav Ḥisda said:** It is **for** determining the validity of **documents.**


###### Rosh Hashanah 2a:6
[Rosh Hashanah 2a:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/2a:6)

דִּתְנַן: שִׁטְרֵי חוֹב הַמּוּקְדָּמִין — פְּסוּלִין, וְהַמְאוּחָרִין — כְּשֵׁרִין.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
It was the common practice to date documents in accordance with the years of the king’s rule; therefore, it was important that these years begin at a fixed time, so that one knows whether a particular document was antedated or postdated, **as we learned** in a mishna: **Antedated promissory notes,** i.e., promissory notes dated prior to the date on which the loan actually took place, **are invalid** because a loan document creates a lien on the borrower’s property. By dating the document earlier than the loan itself, the lender has a fraudulent mortgage on the property, which can be used against any future purchaser. Therefore, the Sages ordained that an antedated promissory note does not establish a lien, even from the true date of the loan. **But postdated** promissory notes bearing a date that is later than the date when the loan actually took place **are valid,** as postdating the note presents no opportunity for defrauding a purchaser.


###### Rosh Hashanah 2a:7
[Rosh Hashanah 2a:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/2a:7)

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: מֶלֶךְ שֶׁעָמַד בְּעֶשְׂרִים וְתִשְׁעָה בַּאֲדָר, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִגִּיעַ אֶחָד בְּנִיסָן — עָלְתָה לוֹ שָׁנָה. וְאִם לֹא עָמַד אֶלָּא בְּאֶחָד בְּנִיסָן — אֵין מוֹנִין לוֹ שָׁנָה עַד שֶׁיַּגִּיעַ נִיסָן אַחֵר.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**The Sages taught** in a *baraita*: If **a king ascended** to the throne **on the twenty-ninth of Adar,** the month preceding Nisan, **once the first of Nisan arrives,** although he reigned for only one day, **a year is counted toward his** reign; his first year of rule is completed from the first of Nisan. **But if he ascended** to the throne **only on the first of Nisan,** one **counts** an additional **year toward his** reign **only** when **the next Nisan arrives.**


###### Rosh Hashanah 2a:8
[Rosh Hashanah 2a:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rosh%20Hashanah/r/2a:8)

אָמַר מָר: מֶלֶךְ שֶׁעָמַד בְּעֶשְׂרִים וְתִשְׁעָה בַּאֲדָר, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִגִּיעַ אֶחָד בְּנִיסָן — עָלְתָה לוֹ שָׁנָה. הָא

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**The Master said,** citing the *baraita*: If **a king ascended** to the throne **on the twenty-ninth of Adar, once the first of Nisan arrives a year is counted toward his** reign. The Gemara comments: **This**