Transitions, New Beginnings, and New Regrets

(1) 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.

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.

On the first of Tishrei is the New Year for counting years, 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.

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.

(2) At four times of the year the world is judged:

On Passover judgment is passed concerning grain;

on Shavuot concerning fruits that grow on a tree

on Rosh HaShanah, all creatures pass before God like an army unit, as it is stated: “The One Who fashions their hearts alike, Who considers all their deeds” (Psalms 33:15);

and on the festival of Sukkot they are judged concerning water, i.e., the rainfall of the coming year.

(16) Three times a year—on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, on the Feast of Weeks, and on the Feast of Booths—all your males shall appear before your God in the place that [God] will choose. They shall not appear before empty-handed...

(13) All will be judged at the beginning of the year and their judgment will be sealed on the Day of Atonement. [These are] words of R. Me'ir.

R. Yehudah says in the name of R. Akiba: All are judged at the beginning of the year, and the judgment of each individual is sealed in its time: at the Passover for the grain, at the Feast of Weeks for the fruit of the trees, and at the Feast of Tabernacles for the water, And the judgment of each individual will be sealed on the Day of Atonement.

R. Yose says: Humanity is judged every day; because it says: "That You visit a person daily[, test a person every moment]".

There are Tannaim who state, all is judged on New Year’s Day and judgment is passed for every item on New Year’s Day.

There are Tannaim who state, all is judged on New Year’s Day and judgment is passed for every item on the Day of Atonement.

There are Tannaim who state, all is judged on New Year’s Day and judgment is passed for every item on its proper time.

There are Tannaim who state, every item is judged on its proper time and judgment is passed for every item on its proper time.

Our Mishnah follows him who said, all is judged on New Year’s Day and judgment is passed for every item on its proper time, as we have stated: “and on Tabernacles they are judged about water.”

The words of Rav imply that all is judged on New Year’s Day and judgment is passed for every item on New Year’s Day, since it is stated in the prayer of Rav upon blowing shofar: “This is the day, the beginning of Your works, remembrance of the First Day, for it is a decree for Israel, a law for the God of Jacob. On it will be proclaimed for countries which one will be for war, and which one for peace, which one for famine, and which one for plenty. And creatures will be counted on it, to remember them for life or for death.”

This does not follow Rebbi Yose, since Rebbi Yose said, an individual is judged every moment. What is the reason? You are counting him in the mornings; in moments You are examining him. You are counting him in the mornings, this refers to his provisions; in moments You are examining him, this refers to his food.

From which judgment are those dying who die between New Year’s day and the Day of Atonement? If you want to say, from the coming year, up to then it did not come. If you want to say from the past year, he was weak the entire year to die in this way.

He had not learned what Rebbi Crispus said in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan, there are three ledgers. One for perfectly just people, one for perfectly evil people, and one for average ones. Those of the one for the perfectly just already took judgment of life from New Year’s Day. Those of the one for the perfectly evil already took their verdict from New Year’s Day. Those of the average ones already were given the ten days of repentance between New Year’s day and the Day of Atonement. If they repented, they were inscribed with the just ones; otherwise they are inscribed with the evil ones. What is the reason? May they be erased from the book, these are the evil ones; of life, these are the just ones; and with the just ones not being inscribed, these are the average ones.

Rebbi Ḥananiah the colleague of the rabbis asked, does the blessed Holy One not see what is going to be?

He did not learn what Rebbi Simon said in the name of Rebbi Joshua ben Levi: The blessed Holy One only judges a person according to their present state.

What is the source? Do not fear, for God heard the lad’s voice as he is there.

(8) “And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed” (Exodus 17:11). It may be asked: Did the hands of Moses make war when he raised them or break war when he lowered them? Rather, the verse comes to tell you that as long as the Jewish people turned their eyes upward and subjected their hearts to their Parent in Heaven, they prevailed, but if not, they fell.