Study Rosh Hashanah folio 4B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
לקט שכחה ופאה, כיון שעברו עליהן שלשה רגלים — עובר ב״בל תאחר״. רבי שמעון אומר: שלשה רגלים כסדרן, וחג המצות תחלה.
or for gleanings, forgotten sheaves, or produce of the corner of the field, 3 obligatory agricultural gifts that must be given to the poor, once 3 Festivals have passed they transgress the prohibition: You should not delay. R' Shimon says: These 3 Festivals must be in their proper order, with the festival of Passover first.
רבי מאיר אומר: כיון שעבר עליהן רגל אחד — עובר ב״בל תאחר״. רבי אליעזר בן יעקב אומר: כיון שעברו עליהן שני רגלים — עובר ב״בל תאחר״. רבי אלעזר ברבי שמעון אומר: כיון שעבר עליהן חג הסוכות — עובר עליהן ב״בל תאחר״.
R' Meir says: Once even one Festival has passed, one transgresses the prohibition: You should not delay. R' Eliezer ben Ya’akov says: Once two Festivals have passed, one transgresses the prohibition: You should not delay. R' Elazar, son of R' Shimon, says: Once the festival of Sukkot has passed, one transgresses the prohibition: You should not delay.
מאי טעמא דתנא קמא — מכדי מינייהו סליק, למה לי למהדר ומיכתב: ״בחג המצות ובחג השבועות ובחג הסוכות״? שמע מינה ל״בל תאחר״.
The Talmud proceeds to explain the various opinions: What is the rationale of the first tanna? Since the entire chapter (Deuteronomy, chapter 16) has just concluded a discussion of the 3 pilgrimage Festivals, why, after stating: “3 times a year should all your males appear before YHWH your God” (Deuteronomy 16:16), do I need the Torah to write again: “On the festival of Passover, and on the festival of Shavuot, and on the festival of Sukkot; and they should not appear before YHWH empty-handed” (Deuteronomy 16:16)? Rather, learn from here that the verse comes to teach with regard to the halakha of: You should not delay, that one does not transgress the prohibition unless these 3 Festivals have passed.
ורבי שמעון אומר: אינו צריך לומר ״בחג הסוכות״, שבו דיבר הכתוב, למה נאמר — לומר שזה אחרון.
And R' Shimon, who said that one does not transgress the prohibition against delaying unless these 3 Festivals have passed in order, says in explanation of his opinion: It was not necessary for the verse to say again “on the festival of Sukkot,” of which the immediately preceding text was speaking. Why, then, is it stated? It is to teach that this must be the last one, i.e., that the 3 Festivals must pass in order, so that Sukkot is the last of the 3.
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.