daf bit: Rosh Hashana 14

[cellio]

The first mishna in Rosh Hashana talks about the four different new years (kings, tithes, years, and trees). Thirteen pages later the g'maa begins the discussion of the last of these. The mishna says that the new year for trees is 1 Shevat according to Beit Shammai but 15 Shevat according to Beit Hillel. This is one of many disagreements between Hillel and Shammai, which sets the stage for the following g'mara. Note that Beit Hillel isn't always more lenient than Beit Shammai; sometimes they are lenient about different things. There are cases where Beit Hillel is more stringent on a point than Beit Shammai.

The g'mara relates a story of Rabbi Akiva following stricter interpretations from both Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai. The g'mara then challenges this: is it right to adopt the harder rule from each side? If you follow Hillel, follow Hillel for both strict and lenient rulings! And if you follow Shammai, follow Shammai! One who adopts the lenient positions of both is a bad man, while one who adopts the more stringent rulings of both, about him it is said: "but the fool walks in darkness" (Eccl. 2:14). The g'mara then clarifies that R. Akiva was uncertain of how one of them ruled, but that he was in fact following only one of these traditions. (So he was mistaken, not walking in darkness.) (14b)

(There's more to the story than this; the g'mara goes on to discuss other sources R. Akiva might have been following, so maybe it wasn't even Hillel or Shammai to begin with.)

Comments

[amaebi.livejournal.com]

You so make me want a Mishnah. :D