This month of learning is sponsored in memory of Dr. Chaya R. Gorsetman, Chaya bat Esriel v’Naomi z’l during the period of shloshim by her husband, children, and grandchildren. “We especially wanted to sponsor Talmud learning in honor of Chaya because Chaya learned gemara with her father, Esriel, starting in the sixth grade. This was an unusual opportunity for women at that time and Esriel loved Gemara and made it come alive for Chaya. This experience impacted her life’s work, educating novice teachers to give children the tools to nurture their wonder and natural curiosity, in order to make them lifelong learners. As part of her educational philosophy and life, Chaya championed greater involvement and engagement of women in Orthodox Jewish life, so it feels especially meaningful to sponsor learning through Hadran, an organization dedicated to inspiring and enabling Jewish women across the world to learn Talmud. Finally, Chaya was a serious davener who developed a deep connection to HKBH through tefillah. Chaya especially loved Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur tefillah and along with her husband, Fred, she founded a minyan for the Yamim Noraim in Riverdale. Accordingly, the sponsorship of Masechet Rosh Hashanah carries extra honor to her legacy.
What are the sources upon which both Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua derive each of the dates of the events discussed – the creation of the world, birth and death date of Avraham and Yaakov, and of Yitchak, Sarah, Rachel, and Chana’s prayers were answered (to have children), the release of Joseph from jail, Jews stopped being slaves in Egypt, the Exodus from Egypt, and the future redemption. They have another debate regarding the date of the flood which is dependent on their debate regarding the creation of the world. Rabbi Eliezer who holds that the world was created in Nissan holds that the flood began on 17 Cheshvan. Rabbi Yehuda who holds that the world was created in Tishrei holds that the flood began on 17 Iyar.
