Judgment on Rosh Hashanah
8a–b
R. Naḥman bar Isaac said: [When the mishnah says that the first of Tishri is the new year for years, it is] with regard to judgment, [as on that day God judges the world for the whole year,] as it is written: [A land that the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are always upon it,] from the beginning of the year until the end of the year (Deuteronomy 11:12); from the beginning of the year judgment is passed as to what will happen at the end [of the year].
From where [is it known] that [the day of judgment is in] Tishri? As it is written: Blow a shofar at the new moon, at the covered time for our festival day (Psalm 81:4). Which is the festival day on which the moon is covered, [i.e., hidden]? You must say [that] this is Rosh Hashanah, [which is the only festival that occurs at the beginning of a month, when the moon cannot be seen]. And it is written [in the next verse]: For this is a statute for Israel, a judgment of the God of Jacob (Psalm 81:5), [implying that this is the day of judgment].
[With regard to this same verse,] the sages taught [in a baraita]: For this is a statute for Israel, a judgment of the God of Jacob (ibid.); this teaches that the heavenly court does not assemble for judgment until the earthly court has sanctified the month, [once the Sanhedrin has declared that day as Rosh Hashanah]. [ . . . ]
16a–b
R. Judah says: All are judged on Rosh Hashanah, and their sentence is sealed each in its [own] time: On Passover, [the sentence is sealed] concerning grain; on Shavuot, concerning fruits [that grow on] a tree; on the festival [of Sukkot], they are judged concerning water; and mankind is judged on Rosh Hashanah, and the sentence is sealed on Yom Kippur.
R. Yosi says: A person is judged every day, [and not just once a year,] as it is stated: You visit him every morning (Job 7:18). [ . . . ]
R. Kruspedai said that R. Yoḥanan said: Three books are opened on Rosh Hashanah [before the Holy One]: One of wholly wicked [people], and one of wholly righteous [people], and one of middling [people]. 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 Hashanah until Yom Kippur, [their fate remaining undecided. If] they merit, [through the good deeds that they perform during this period,] they are written for life; [if] they do not [so] merit, they are written for death.
Notes
Words in brackets appear in the original translation.
Credits
Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 2: Emerging Judaism.
