Rosh Hashanah 9B

כאילו התענה תשיעי ועשירי.

as though he fasted on both the 9th and the tenth.

תנו רבנן: ״יובל היא״⁠ — אף על פי שלא שמטו, אף על פי שלא תקעו. יכול אף על פי שלא שלחו ⁠— תלמוד לומר: ״היא״, דברי רבי יהודה.

§ The Talmud continues with the topic of the Jubilee Year. A baraita states: The verse states: “And you should hallow the 50th year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants; it should be a Jubilee for you” (Leviticus 25:10). The words “it should be a Jubilee” come to teach that although they did not release property to its original owners, and although they did not sound the shofar, it is nevertheless a Jubilee Year, and the halakhot of the Jubilee year apply. One might have thought that although they did not send free the slaves it is also still a Jubilee Year. Therefore, the verse states: “It should be,” this being a term of limitation. This teaches that at least one of the essential halakhot of the year must be observed, and if not, it is not a Jubilee Year. This is the statement of R' Yehuda.

רבי יוסי אומר: ״יובל היא״⁠ — אף על פי שלא שמטו, אף על פי שלא שלחו. יכול אף על פי שלא תקעו ⁠— תלמוד לומר: ״היא״.

R' Yosei says: “It should be a Jubilee for you”; although they did not release property to its original owners, and although they did not send free the slaves, it is nevertheless a Jubilee Year. One might have thought that although they did not sound the shofar, it is also still a Jubilee Year. Therefore, the verse states: “It should be.” Some act must be performed. In this case, the shofar must be sounded, otherwise it is not a Jubilee Year.

וכי מאחר שמקרא אחד מרבה, ומקרא אחד ממעיט, מפני מה אני אומר: ״יובל היא״⁠ — אף על פי שלא שלחו, ואין יובל אלא אם כן תקעו? לפי שאפשר לעולם בלא שילוח עבדים, ואי אפשר לעולם בלא תקיעת שופר.

R' Yosei explains his position: Since one verse includes situations where the Jubilee is in force, and another verse excludes such situations, for what reason do I say that it is a Jubilee Year although they did not send free the slaves, but it is a Jubilee Year only if they sounded the shofar? This is since it is possible that there would be no sending free of slaves, as perhaps no one has any slaves to release, but it is impossible that there would be no sounding of the shofar, as a shofar can always be found. Therefore, it must be that it is the sounding of the shofar that is the indispensable criterion for the Jubilee Year.