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Week 42 - Tuesday - 12 September 2000

ROSH HASHANAH: CHAPTER 4: MISHNAH 8

For the sake of the shofar of Rosh Hashanah, they may not pass beyond the Shabbat boundary, and they may not pull down a heap, nor climb up a tree, nor ride on an animal, nor swim on the water, nor may one cut it, whether with something whose use is forbidden because of shevut, or with a thing whose use transgresses a Torah prohibition. But if he wants to put into it water or wine, he puts. They do not prevent the children from blowing, but they occupy themselves with them until they learn; and the person who occupied himself thus did not fulfill, and the person who hears from a person thus occupied did not fulfill.

Kehati

This mishnah teaches that although the blowing of the shofar on Rosh Hashanah is a Torah commandment, the holy day is not violated for it, and not even a Rabbinic prohibition may be transgressed for the blowing of the shofar.

For the sake of the shofar of Rosh Hashanah, they may not pass beyond the Shabbat boundary - on Rosh Hashanah one may not go out beyond the Shabbat boundary of two thousand amot in order to bring a shofar or in order to hear the blowing of the shofar. The Gemara explains the reason for this: the blowing of the shofar is a positive precept, whereas the commandment to make the holy day a day of rest is both a positive commandment and a prohibition. A positive precept, for it is written, "In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall be a solemn rest to you" (Lev. 23:24), and a prohibition, as it is written, "You shall do no manner of servile work" (ibid., v. 25), and a positive precept does not override a positive precept and a prohibition. Rabbeinu Nissim comments, "The Sages reinforced their words to the same degree as the Torah; since the blowing of the shofar does not override the Torah prohibition against performing melakhah, it does not override the Rabbinic prohibitions of shevut,"

And they may not pull down a heap - of stones which fell on the shofar in order to extract it because it is prohibited to move the stones on the holy day, because they are muktzeh;

Nor climb up a tree - on Rosh Hashanah, in order to take the shofar from the top of a tree, for the Sages prohibited the climbing of a tree on a holy day, lest a person pluck a branch; nor ride on an animal - an ill person who cannot walk may not ride on an animal, for it is prohibited lest a person cut a switch to lead the animal; nor swim on the water - which is forbidden by Rabbinic law lest a person make for himself a watercraft; nor may one cut it - in order to make it fit for blowing, whether with something whose use is forbidden because of shevut - e.g., cutting it with a knife, which is used for permitted activities or with a thing whose use transgresses a Torah prohibition - e.g., with a saw, the use of which is prohibited by Torah law. Another opinion reverses the interpretations of these two clauses: "whether with something…because of shevut" - e.g., with a sickle, which is not normally used to cut a shofar, and is only a shevut prohibition, since it is an unusual way of performing the task, "or whether with a thing whose use transgresses a Torah prohibition" - e.g., with a knife, which is normally used for this purpose, thus being an actual melakhah, forbidden by Torah law (Gemara, Rashi).

But if he wants to put into it water or wine - to clean it to produce a clear sound, he puts - he is permitted to do this on Rosh Hashanah, for this is not considered repairing the instrument.

They do not prevent the children from blowing - on Rosh Hashanah, but they occupy themselves with them until they learn - i.e., not only do they not have to prevent the children when they blow of their own accord, but adults are even permitted to occupy themselves with them to teach them to blow. The Gemara states, "even on Shabbat"; Rabbeinu Nissim states that Rosh Hashanah that falls on Shabbat is meant; so also, the Jerusalem Talmud which explains that only on Shabbat which is Rosh Hashanah is it permitted to occupy oneself with children, to teach them to blow the shofar, but not on an ordinary Shabbat. Rambam, however, implies the opposite, that this refers only to a Shabbat that is not Rosh Hashanah (Hil. Shofar 2:7). The commentators also differ as to which "children" does the mishnah refer. According to Rashi, the reference is to children who have already reached the age at which they can be educated, and since they must be educated to perform the commandments, not only need adults not prevent them from blowing of their own accord, but they are even permitted to occupy themselves with them until they learn to blow. A baraita cited in the Gemara, however, refers to children who have not reached educational age and therefore teaches that they do not prevent them, but neither do they occupy themselves with them so that they will learn. According to another opinion, the opposite is the case, it being permitted to occupy oneself only with children who have not reached the age of education, in order to teach them to blow the shofar, and so also Rambam: "The children who did not reach the age of education are not prevented from blowing on a Shabbat that is not the holy day of Rosh Hashanah, so that they will learn. And an adult may occupy himself with them, in order to teach them. On the holy day - whether a minor who reached the age of education, or a minor who did not reach the age of education, it is allowed only because the blowing of the shofar is only a shevut" prohibition (Hil. Shofar 2:7; see Maggid Mishneh),

And the person who occupied himself thus - blowing the shofar on Rosh Hashanah in order to practice, did not fulfill - his own obligation to blow, because he did not intend to fulfill his obligation, and the person who hears from a person thus occupied - even though he intended to fulfill his obligation by listening to the shofar sounds, did not fulfill - because the person blowing did not have the intention of blowing on his behalf; the law is that intent is required both on the part of the listener and of the person who blows.

ROSH HASHANAH: CHAPTER 4: MISHNAH 9

Order of the blowings, three of three each. The length of a teki'ah - is that of three teru'ot. The length of a teru'ah - is that of three wailing notes. If he blew the first one and extended the second one as two - it counts only as one. If one has recited the blessings and afterwards obtained a shofar, he sounds a teki'ah, a teru'ah and a teki'ah, three times. Just as the Reader is obligated, so is every individual obligated. Rabban Gamliel says, A Reader fulfills the obligation on behalf of the many.

Kehati

This mishnah teaches the number and the lengths of the shofar notes.

Order of the blowings - on Rosh Hashanah, three of three each - i.e., they blow three times: the first time for Malkhuyot, the second time for Zikhronot, and the third time for Shofarot; each time they blow three notes - teki'ah, teru'ah, teki'ah. The Gemara explains that this is because the word blowing (teru'ah) is written three times in the Torah (twice in connection with Rosh Hashanah, and once with Yom Kippur of the Yovel year): (1) "In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall be a solemn rest to you, a memorial of blowing of horns [teru'ah]" (Lev. 23:24); (2) "And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month…it shall be a day of blowing the horn [teru'ah] to you" (Num. 29:1); (3) "Then shall you sound the shofar of teru'ah on the tenth day of the seventh month" (Lev. 25:9). It is learned from the analogous use (gezerah shavah) of the word "seventh" in each of the three verses that everything stated regarding Rosh Hashanah applies also to Yom Kippur of the Yovel year, and everything stated regarding Yom Kippur of the Yovel year applies also to Rosh Hashanah. It follows that both on Rosh Hashanah and on Yom Kippur of the Yovel year we are obligated to sound three teru'ah notes, and each teru'ah must be preceded and followed by a simple teki'ah note, for it is written regarding Yom Kippur of the Yovel year, "Then shall you sound the shofar of teru'ah on the tenth day of the seventh month; on Yom Kippur shall you sound the shofar…" A baraita in the Gemara states: "Then shall you sound the shofar" means a straight note, for teru'ah is a divided staccato note while teki'ah is a straight uninterrupted note, and since "shofar" is written both before and after "teru'ah," we learn that each teru'ah not must be preceded and followed by a simple note. Thus the mishnah teaches, "Order of the blowings, three of three each" - by Torah law, teki'ah-teru'ah-teki'ah, must be sounded three times, as explained above. How is the teru'ah note blown? The Gemara was in doubt whether it is like a person's sighing when his heart is greatly distressed, i.e., what we call "shevarim", or whether it is as the wailing of women, what we call "teru'ah", or perhaps both sighing and wailing together, for wailing usually is preceded by sighing, as a troubled person first sighs and then wails. Rabbi Abahu therefore decreed in Caesaria that the shofar should be blown so as to fulfill the requirements, according to all opinions: teki'ah, shevarim-teru'ah, teki'ah, three times; teki'ah, shevarim, teki'ah, three times; teki'ah, teru'ah, teki'ah, three times (R. Yitzhak Alfasi). These total thirty notes, an allusion to which was found in the passage, "it is [yihyeh] a day of blowing the horn" - the numerical value of the word yihyeh is thirty.

The length of a teki'ah - is that of three teru'ot - according to one interpretation (following the Gemara), the length of all the six teki'ah notes is as that of the three teru'ah notes, one teki'ah thus being as long as two teru'ah notes (Rambam; Bartenura). According to another interpretation, the length of the three initial teki'ah notes is that of the three teru'ah notes that follow them, i.e., the length of one teki'ah note is that of one teru'ah note (Rashi; Rabbeinu Nissim); it is self-evident that the length of the three final tekiyot is the same as that of the initial three tekiyot (Rabbeinu Nissim)

Length of a teru'ah - that of three wailing notes - three short, successive notes. A baraita in the Gemara, however, states: "The length of a teru'ah is that of three shevarim," i.e., as three sighs (as we are accustomed to blow "shevarim"). The Gemara explains that this mishnah and the baraita disagree regarding the teru'ah. According to one interpretation of this mishnah, each wailing note consists of three short notes. Hence, "length of a teru'ah - as three wailing notes" means, nine short notes (see Bartenura). According to this interpretation, the mishnah and the baraita do not differ concerning the length of the teru'ah, but only its nature. According to the baraita, the teru'ah is as three sighs (that we call "shevarim"), and according to the mishnah, it consists of nine staccato notes (as is our practice).

If he blew the first one - the initial teki'ah before the teru'ah, as prescribed, and extended the second one - the teki'ah following the teru'ah, as the length of two - tekiyot, so as to count as the final teki'ah after the teru'ah, and the initial teki'ah before the next teru'ah, it counts only as one - this teki'ah is counted only as one teki'ah, i.e., the teki'ah following the teru'ah, and he must once again blow the initial teki'ah preceding the next teru'ah.

If one has recited the blessing - the nine blessings of the Musaf prayer, and he did not have a shofar on which to blow Malkhuyot, Zikhronot, and Shofarot, and afterwards obtained a shofar, he sounds a teki'ah, a teru'ah and a teki'ah, three times - teki'ah-teru'ah-teki'ah for Malkhuyot, teki'ah-teru'ah-teki'ah for Zikhronot, and teki'ah-teru'ah-teki'ah for Shofarot. According to the above-mentioned enactment of Rabbi Abahu, he blows ten notes each time, as is the practice of blowing during the blessings of the Amidah. Just as the Reader is obligated - to recite the Rosh Hashanah prayer, and the Shemoneh Esreh (Amidah) prayer every day of the year, so is every individual obligated - to pray, if he knows how to pray, and he does not fulfill his obligation by the prayer of the Reader, whose prayer is valid only on behalf of people who are not versed in prayer. The Jerusalem Talmud observes that it is logical that each individual should himself ask for Divine mercy.

Rabban Gamliel says, A Reader fulfills the obligation on behalf of the many - of those who are not and those who are well versed in prayer, both in the Rosh Hashanah and daily prayer. And why does the public pray silently? So that he can follow the Reader's order of prayer (Gemara). The law regarding the daily prayers follows the opinion of the Sages, that the reader fulfills the obligation only on behalf of those who are not versed in prayer and cannot pray by themselves. However, regarding the Rosh Hashanah prayer, which includes long blessings, with which most people are not familiar, the law follows Rabban Gamliel, that the Reader fulfills the obligation on behalf of those familiar and those unfamiliar with the prayers (Gemara; Rambam, Hil. Tefillah 8:9-10).

Regarding the above-mentioned enactment of Rabbi Abahu, Rabbeinu Nissim relates that Rav Hai Gaon was asked how any doubt can arise concerning a ritual performed every year, and whether until the advent of Rabbi Abahu Israel did not fulfill the obligation of the blowing of the shofar? His answer, briefly, is that in the olden days some would sound a teru'ah of light staccato notes, and others would sound heavy staccato notes that are shevarim, and all would fulfill their obligation. Rabbi Abahu, however, enacted that all Israel would follow the same practice, so that the ordinary people should not see in it a sign of schism. In conclusion, it should be noted that the practice is first to blow the teki'ot according to the order instituted by Rabbi Abahu, before the Musaf prayer; these teki'ot are called the "sitting teki'ot," since the listeners are permitted to sit during these teki'ot. The main teki'ot following the order of the blessings (Malkiyot, Zikhronot, and Shofarot) are called the "standing teki'ot." The Gemara (R. H. 16b) states: "Why do they blow teki'ot and teru'ot when they are seated, and once again blow teki'ot and teru'ot when they are standing? In order to confuse the Accusing Angel." According to another opinion, the "sitting teki'ot" are a later custom, in consideration of ill people and people prevented from staying until the end of the Musaf prayer; according to this interpretation, they explain the passage in the Gemara, "Why do they blow teki'ot and teru'ot sitting…in a different way (Baal Hama'or; see also Melekhet Shelomo). Hameiri interprets "Length of a teru'ah - as three wailing notes" as meaning, three short wailing notes. However, the law is not in accordance with this mishnah, but rather follows the Tanna of the baraita, who holds that the length of the teru'ah is as three shevarim or nine wailings, which are equivalent. Hence, the ruling in the first section of the mishnah, "Length of a teki'ah - as three teru'ot," which according to Hameiri refers to the length of one teki'ah, and not to the length of all the teki'ah notes (as we have explained), and since the Tanna of this mishnah holds that the length of a teru'ah is as three wailings, he states that the length of a teru'ot is that of three teru'ot, i.e., as nine wailings. There is therefore no disagreement regarding the length of the teki'ah, which - according to all opinions - is as nine short notes. The mishnah and the baraita disagree only regarding the length of the teru'ah (as was explained above, following Rambam and Bartenura).

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