R. Yossi b. Harkinas sagt: Auf Rosch Haschana sagt der Gebetsführer "Hachalitzeinu, OL rd unser Gott, an diesem Tag von Rosch Chodesch" [("Hachalitzeinu" :) Gib uns Eifer und gürte uns mit Kraft, wie in (Numeri 32:17). : "Nechaletz chushim" ("Wir werden bewaffnet fertig werden"). Eine andere Interpretation: "Rette uns und rette uns", wie in (Psalm 140: 2): "Chaltzeini, OL rd, von einem bösen Mann"], "ob heute oder morgen". [Wenn es (Rosh Chodesh) heute ist, hachalitzeinu heute; und wenn morgen, hachalitzeinu morgen.] Und am nächsten Tag sagt er: "... ob heute oder gestern." Und die Weisen stimmten ihm nicht zu [sowohl in Bezug auf die Erwähnung von Rosh Chodesh auf Rosh Hashanah als auch in Bezug auf die Festlegung "ob heute oder morgen". Vielmehr sagt er: "Hachalitzeinu", an beiden Tagen unqualifiziert und erwähnt Rosh Chodesh überhaupt nicht. Die Halacha entspricht den Weisen.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Eruvin
והחליצנו – strengthen us and exchange our strength like (Numbers 32:17): “And we will hasten as shock-troops”; another interpretation: save us and rescue us like (Psalms 140:2): “Rescue me, O LORD from evil men.”
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English Explanation of Mishnah Eruvin
Introduction
In the previous mishnayot we learned that the sages and Rabbi Judah debate whether or not one day of Rosh Hashanah is the real day and the other is only observed because we don’t know which day Rosh Hashanah really is, or whether both days of Rosh Hashanah are treated as one extended day, neither of which is considered to be of doubtful status. In the final mishnah of this chapter we see that this debate has ramifications for the prayers recited as well.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Eruvin
אם היום אם מחר – if today, he will strengthen us today, and if tomorrow, he will strengthen us tomorrow.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Eruvin
Rabbi Dosa ben Harkinas says: the person who goes in front of the ark on [the first day of] of Rosh Hashanah says: “Strengthen us, o Lord our God, on this first day of the month, whether it be today or tomorrow”; and on the following day he says: ‘[Strengthen us...] whether it be today or yesterday.” But the sages did not agree with him. According to Rabbi Dosa ben Harkinas, in the prayers themselves one must include a mention of the fact that it is uncertain which day Rosh Hashanah really is. The prayer to which the mishnah refers is the Amidah, also called the Shmonah Esrei (the Eighteen). On the first day he must mention “whether it be today or tomorrow” and on the second day “whether it be today or yesterday.” Again, the sages disagree because they hold that we don’t treat the two days as if one was certain and one was doubtful but rather we treat them as one long extended holiday. In the Talmud it teaches that this debate is not only about Rosh Hashanah but Rosh Hodesh (the first of the new month) as well. The sages hold that prayer is not the time for making legal stipulations. While the status of these two days may indeed be somewhat doubtful, at least to certain sages, it doesn’t seem appropriate to mention this doubt in prayer, at the point where a person is pouring one’s heart out to God and asking for strength. The expression of such doubts during prayer might lead to doubts concerning the rabbis’ ability in general to dictate when holidays are, or at least lead to doubts concerning the efficacy of the community’s prayers.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Eruvin
ולא הודו לו חכמים – not to mention that of the New Moon/Rosh Hodesh on Rosh Hashanah/the New Year, and not to make the condition, if today, or if tomorrow, but rather, he says, strengthen us undefined on the two days and he doesn’t mention the New Moon at all. And the Halakha is according to the Sages.
