Sukkah, Daf Nun Daled, Part 6

 

Introduction

Earlier on this daf, R. Aha had stated that on days of multiple holidays they would have blasts for each musaf offering. The Talmud raises a difficulty on this position.

 

מיתיבי: ראש חדש שחל להיות בשבת – שיר של ראש חדש דוחה שיר של שבת.

ואי איתא – לימא דשבת ולימא דראש חדש!

 

An objection was raised: If Rosh Hodesh fell on Shabbat, the Psalm of Rosh Hodesh supersedes the Psalm of Shabbat.

Now if the law were [as R. Aha stated], why should not one say both that of the Rosh Hodesh and that of Shabbat?

 

A baraita teaches that if Rosh Hodesh falls on Shabbat, the Levites sing the psalm of Rosh Hodesh and not the psalm for Shabbat. But if we sound shofar blasts for each musaf sacrifice, as R. Aha holds, why not sing a separate psalm for each as well.

 

אמר רב ספרא: מאי דוחה – דוחה לקדם.

 

R. Safra replied: What is meant by "supersedes"? It supersedes it to be recited first.

 

R. Safra interprets the baraita to mean that the psalm for Rosh Hodesh doesn’t set aside the psalm for Shabbat. It simply comes first. But both are recited.

 

ואמאי? תדיר ושאינו תדיר – תדיר קודם!

אמר רבי יוחנן: לידע שהוקבע ראש חדש בזמנו.

 

But why? That which is frequent takes precedence over that which is not frequent?

R. Yohanan said: To let people know that the New Moon has been fixed at its proper time.

 

Normally in halakhah, if something is performed frequently, it is done before something that is performed less frequently. Since Shabbat is more frequent than Rosh Hodesh, it is a bit puzzling why the psalm for Rosh Hodesh is recited first.

R. Yohanan answers by stating that the psalm takes precedence to let people know that the court established Rosh Hodesh at the proper time. Since most people do not actually witness the new moon, it is important for them to be assured that this day is actually Rosh Hodesh.

 

והאי היכירא עבדינן? הא היכירא אחריתא עבדינן, דתנן חלבי תמיד של שחר ניתנין מחצי כבש ולמטה במזרח, ושל מוספין ניתנין מחצי כבש ולמטה במערב, ושל ראש חדש ניתנין תחת כרכוב המזבח ולמטה. ואמר רבי יוחנן: לידע שהוקבע ראש חדש בזמנו.

תרי היכירא עבדינן, דחזי האי – חזי, וחזי בהאי חזי.

 

Do we then use this as a distinguishing sign? Do we not in fact use another distinguishing sign, as we have learned: "The fats of the Morning Tamid offering were placed on the lower half of the Ascent [of the altar] on its east side, while those of the additional offerings were placed on the lower half of the Ascent on its west side; while those of the New Moon were placed beneath the rim of the altar below," and in connection with this R. Yohanan stated that [the reason for this was] that to let people know that the New Moon has been fixed at its proper time?

Two distinguishing signs were made, so that some might see the one while others might see the other.

 

The problem is that there is another distinguishing sign to let people know about the new month the fats were placed in a spot on the way up to the altar different from the other additional offerings. This refers to where they the fats were put before the priests would bring them up to be burned on the altar. In any case, what is important is that there was another distinguishing sign done in the Temple to let people know that it was Rosh Hodesh.

The Talmud answers that there were two distinguishing signs some people noticed one and some noticed another. In any case, both psalms were recited on Shabbat Rosh Hodesh, just as both musaf offerings had their own set of trumpet blasts.