Rosh Hashana 7

Some highlights from today's daf:

• an animal can be eaten on the day it is born if it is blemished - fit for slaughter - and if we are sure that it has fully gestated
• if we think that a blemished animal might be premature, we must wait 8 days before eating it.
• an animal fit for sacrifice from birth must wait 8 days before the sacrifice
• as a first born, this unblemished animal counts its first year from day 8 even if viable from birth because it is not fit for sacrifice for those first eight days

• We learn that the first of Nisan is the New Year for months from verses in Exodus (12:2-6) and Deuteronomy (16:1)
• Heirs' obligations to offer on Festivals and women's obligations to rejoice on Festivals -- and thus to "not delay" are reiterated
• Leap years might be declared at different times of year.
• A complicated system determining the Jewish calendar is introduced
• The first of Nisan is connected to this cycle as well because we count toward Pesach from Purim
• Different interpretations of the start of the year based on Torah verses and rabbinical analysis of the months of the year

• The first of Nisan is said to be the New Year for shekels
• This may refer to old/new contributions of shekels
• A baraita teaches that Nisan begins a new year for all annual rental contracts

• The first of Elul is said by our Mishna to be the New Year for Animal tithes
• A note teaches that owners of Kosher animals were tithed three times each year
• The animals walked single file through a gate where every tenth animal was marked with red paint as the tithe - these were sacrificed as peace-offerings, their blood sprinkled on the altar, and they were eaten by the owners and not the priests

• Were there really four New Years?  or perhaps there were six...?
• Does a New Year require an action for that year to commence?
• How are the Festivals related to the New Years?

Today's daf opened up questions that I am ill-prepared to struggle with at this time.  The combination of the Jewish calendar, the debate around the Jewish calendar, months of the year and details of the Festivals threw me way off track.  Hopefully I will continue to grasp more of the rabbis' conversations as I walk through their words.