Study Bava Batra folio 121A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
מועדי ה׳ נאמרו, שבת בראשית לא נאמרה. בן עזאי אומר: מועדי ה׳ נאמרו, הפרת נדרים לא נאמרה.
The Festivals of YHWH were stated, but Shabbat, which commemorates Creation, was not stated. Ben Azzai says: The Festivals of YHWH were stated, but the dissolution of vows was not stated. This concludes the baraita.
רבי יוסי בר נתן גמיר לה להא מתניתא, ולא ידע ליה לפרושה. אזל בתריה דרב ששת לנהרדעא, ולא אשכחיה. אזל בתריה למחוזא, אשכחיה. אמר ליה: מאי ״מועדי ה׳ נאמרו, שבת בראשית לא נאמרה״?
The Talmud recounts: R' Yosei bar Natan learned this baraita and did not know how to explain it. He followed Rav Sheshet to Neharde’a in order to ask him about it, but he did not find him there. He followed him to Meḥoza and found him, and he said to him: What is meant by R' Yosei HaGelili’s statement: The Festivals of YHWH were stated, but Shabbat, which commemorates Creation, was not stated? What does he mean, as Shabbat of Creation is explicitly mentioned in that section of the Torah (Leviticus 23:3)?
אמר ליה: מועדי ה׳ צריכין קידוש בית דין, שבת בראשית אינה צריכה קידוש בית דין. סלקא דעתך אמינא: הואיל וכתיבי גבי מועדות, תיבעי קידוש בית דין כמועדות; קא משמע לן.
Rav Sheshet said to him: The Festivals of YHWH require sanctification by the court. This means that the start of the month, which is dependent upon the appearance of Rosh Chodesh, which determines the Festivals, can be established only by a court composed of experts. Shabbat, which commemorates Creation, does not require sanctification by the court. Shabbat is sanctified every week independent of any court action. It may enter your mind to say: Since Shabbat is written adjacent to the Festivals, it should require sanctification by the court as do the Festivals. R' Yosei HaGelili teaches us that Shabbat does not require this.
מאי ״מועדי ה׳ נאמרו, הפרת נדרים לא נאמרה״? מועדי ה׳ צריכין מומחין, הפרת נדרים אינה צריכה מומחין.
R' Yosei bar Natan asked: What is meant by ben Azzai’s statement: The Festivals of YHWH were stated, but the dissolution of vows was not stated? After all, the Torah writes explicitly about the dissolution of vows. Rav Sheshet answered him: The Festivals of YHWH require experts to determine when the months begin and when the Festivals will be observed, but the dissolution of vows does not require experts.
Text data via Sefaria: William Davidson Edition - English and William Davidson Edition - Vocalized Aramaic, CC-BY-NC; edition provenance: Koren. Display terminology has been modernized for readability.