ראש השנה 27 — Soncino English Talmud

¹AND ITS MOUTH WAS OVERLAID WITH GOLD. But has it not been taught: ‘If it was overlaid with gold at the place where the mouth is applied, it is not valid; if not at the place where the mouth is applied, it is valid’? — Abaye replied: When this state ment is made in our Mishnah, it also refers to the place where the mouth is not applied. THERE WERE TWO TRUMPETS, ONE ON EACH SIDE OF IT. But can two distinct sounds be caught at once? Has it not been taught: ‘"Remember" and "observe" were spoken in a single utterance, a thing which transcends the capacity of the [human] mouth to utter and of the [human] ear to hear’? — It was for this reason that the blast of the shofar was prolonged. This implies that if one heard the end of the blast without the beginning he has performed his duty; and from this it would follow that if he heard the beginning of the blast without the end he has equally performed his duty. Come now and hear [a refutation of this idea]: ‘If he blew teki'ah at the beginning [of the service] and prolonged the second so as to make it equal to two, this only counts as one’. Why should this be? Why should not it [the second blast] be counted as divided into two? — We do not divide a teki'ah into two. Come and hear [another objection]: If one blew into a pit or a cistern or a barrel, if the sound of the shofar came out [pure], he has performed his duty, but if an echo came out [with it], he has not performed his duty. Why should this be? Cannot he have performed his duty [by hearing] the beginning of the blast, before the sound is confused [with the echo]? — The truth is that two utterances proceeding from one man cannot be distinguished, but proceeding from two men they can be distinguished. But if they proceed from two men can they be distinguished? Have we not learnt: ‘In the recital of the Torah [in synagogue] one may read and another translate; what is not allowed is that one should read and two translate’. — The fact is that our case resembles that mentioned in the next clause [of this quotation]: ‘In the recital of Hallel and the Megillah even ten may read’. This shows that since an interest is taken in these, the hearer pays close attention. So here, since an interest is taken, he pays close attention and hears [the two sounds]. Why then is the blast of the shofar prolonged? — So that people should know that the proper ceremony of the day is with the shofar. ON FAST DAYS THEY USED CURVED SHOFARS OF RAMS’ HORNS THE MOUTHS OF WHICH WERE OVERLAID WITH SILVER. Why in the other case should gold have been used and here silver? — If you like I can reply that for all public gatherings silver is used, as it is written, Make thee two trumpets of silver, or if you like I can say that the Torah wished to spare Israel unnecessary expense. [If that is so], we should use silver in the other case also? — Even so, this consideration is outweighed by that of paying respect to the holyday. R. Papa b. Samuel was minded to follow the instructions of the Mishnah, but Raba said to him, These instructions were laid down only for the Sanctuary. It has been taught to the same effect: Where do these rules apply? To the Sanctuary; but in the provinces, where the trumpets are in place there is no shofar, and where the shofar is in place there are no trumpets. R. Halafta adopted the same custom in Zepphoris and R. Hananiah b. Teradion in Sikni, and when this was reported to the Sages they said: This was not the practice save only in the gates of the East and the Mount of the Temple. Said Raba — or it may be R. Joshua b. Levi: What is the Scriptural warrant for this? — Because it is written, With trumpets and the sound of the shofar shout ye before the king, the Lord: before the king, the Lord, we require trumpets and the sound of the shofar, but elsewhere not. THE JUBILEE IS ON A PAR WITH THE NEW YEAR FOR BLOWING THE HORN AND FOR BLESSINGS. R. Samuel b. Isaac asked: What authority do we follow in saying nowadays [on New Year] the prayer, ‘This day is the beginning of thy works, the commemoration of the first day’? What authority? R. Eliezer, who said that the world was created in Tishri. R. ‘Ena raised an objection [against this view]: [It is stated], THE JUBILEE IS ON A PAR WITH THE NEW YEAR FOR BLOWING THE TRUMPET AND FOR BLESSINGS. [Now how can this be on your view] seeing that there is [the prayer], ‘This day is the beginning of thy works, the commemoration of the first day’? — The statement of the Mishnah refers to the other [features]. R. Shisha the son of R. Idi reported the discussion thus. ‘R. Samuel b. Isaac said: This statement of our Mishnah, THE JUBILEE IS ON A PAR WITH THE NEW YEAR FOR BLOWING THE HORN AND FOR BLESSINGS. — which authority does it follow? Not that of R. Eliezer. For if you were to say it follows R. Eliezer, seeing that he holds that the world was created in Tishri, what would you make of "This day is the commencement of thy works, the commemoration of the first day", which is said on New Year and is not said on the Jubilee? — [The answer is that] the Mishnah speaks only of the other [features]’. MISHNAH. A SHOFAR WHICH HAS BEEN SPLIT AND STUCK TOGETHER IS NOT VALID. IF FRAGMENTS OF SHOFARS ARE STUCK TOGETHER [TO MAKE ONE], IT IS NOT VALID.^ᵃ^ᵇ^ᶜ^ᵈ^ᵉ^ᶠ^ᵍ^ʰ^ⁱ^ʲ^ᵏ^ˡ^ᵐ^ⁿ^ᵒ^ᵖ^ᵠ^ʳ^ˢ^ᵗ^ᵘ^ᵛ^ʷ^ˣ^ʸ^ᶻ^ᵃᵃ^ᵃᵇ

^ᵃnote:Because the blast has to be made with a shofar, and not with gold.
^ᵇnote:As much as to say, if the shofar and the trumpets are blown together, the sound of the shofar will not be distinguished.
^ᶜnote:B.B. 64a.
^ᵈnote:In the version of the Ten Commandments in Ex. XX, the fourth commandment commences with the words Remember the Sabbath day, whereas in Deut. V it commences with ‘Observe’; and the Rabbis explain the discrepancy in this way.
^ᵉnote:Seeing that in this case he hears distinctly only the end of the shofar blast, after the trumpets have ceased.
^ᶠnote:This is a quotation from the Mishnah on 33b, where an explanation will be found in the notes.
^ᵍnote:So that the beginning would count as the end of the first series of teki'ah teru'ah teki'ah, and the end of it would count as the beginning of the second series.
^ʰnote:V. infra 28a.
^ⁱnote:And so the shofar and the trumpets can be distinguished here.
^ʲnote:It was usual in ancient times to read after each verse of the Torah the authorized Aramaic translation (targum) of it.
^ᵏnote:Lit., ‘only one should not’.
^ˡnote:So in Meg. loc. cit. Our texts have here ‘two should read and two translate’.
^ᵐnote:Meg. 21b.
^ⁿnote:The book of Esther.
^ᵒnote:V. loc. cit. for notes.
^ᵖnote:Lit., ‘endeared’. I.e., a greater interest than in the Torah, since they come more rarely.
^ᵠnote:Num. X, 2. V. supra.
^ʳnote:Lit., ‘had mercy on the money of Israel’.
^ˢnote:I.e., to use both shofar and trumpets.
^ᵗnote:I.e., on fast days.
^ᵘnote:I.e., on New Year and Jubilees.
^ᵛnote:perhaps Sogana in Galilee mentioned in Josephus, Vita, 51.
^ʷnote:I.e., the gates of the East on the Temple Mount. According to some, however, the ‘gates of the East’ were in the Women's Court (v. Rashi).
^ˣnote:Ps. XCVIII, 6.
^ʸnote:I.e., in the Temple.
^ᶻnote:In the Musaf ‘Amidah for New Year, v. P.B., p. 250.
^ᵃᵃnote:Which cannot be said on the Day of Atonement of the Jubilee.
^ᵃᵇnote:Because it is like two shofars.

²IF A HOLE IN A SHOFAR HAS BEEN STOPPED UP, IF IT INTERFERES WITH THE BLOWING IT IS NOT VALID, BUT OTHERWISE IT IS VALID. IF ONE BLOWS INTO A PIT OR A CISTERN OR A BARREL, IF HE CAN HEAR THE SOUND OF THE SHOFAR [PURE] HE HAS PERFORMED HIS DUTY, BUT IF HE HEARS THE ECHO [ALSO], HE HAS NOT PERFORMED HIS DUTY. SIMILARLY IF ONE WAS PASSING BEHIND A SYNAGOGUE OR IF HIS HOUSE WAS ADJOINING THE SYNAGOGUE AND HE HEARD THE SOUND OF THE SHOFAR OR OF THE MEGILLAH [BEING READ], IF HE LISTENS WITH ATTENTION HE PERFORMS THE RELIGIOUS PRECEPT [BY SO HEARING], BUT OTHERWISE HE DOES NOT; ALTHOUGH ONE HEARS EQUALLY WITH THE OTHER, [YET THERE IS A DIFFERENCE, BECAUSE] THE ONE LISTENED WITH ATTENTION WHILE THE OTHER DID NOT LISTEN WITH ATTENTION. GEMARA. Our Rabbis taught: ‘If the horn was too long and it has been shortened, it is valid. If it has been scraped till it becomes thin like a wafer, it is valid. If it is overlaid at the spot where the mouth is applied, it is not valid, if not at the spot where the mouth is applied, it is valid. If it is overlaid with gold on the inside, it is not valid, if on the outside, if the sound is thereby changed from what it was before, it is not valid, but otherwise it is valid. If it had a hole which has been stopped up, if this interferes with the blast it is not valid, but otherwise it is valid. If one shofar is put inside another shofar, if one can hear the sound of the inner one he thereby performs his religious duty, but if he hears the sound of the outer one he does not thereby perform his religious duty. Our Rabbis taught: If it was scraped whether on the inside or the outside, it is valid. If it was scraped till it became [thin like] a wafer, it is valid. If one shofar is placed within another, if one hears the sound of the inner one he thereby performs his religious duty, but if he hears the sound of the outer one he does not thereby perform his religious duty. If he turns it inside out and blows it, he does not thereby perform his religious duty. Said R. Papa: Do not take this to mean [merely], ‘if he turned it inside out like a coat’, but even if he widened the narrow part and narrowed the wide part. What is the reason? — As stated by R. Mattenah; for R. Mattenah said: And thou shalt carry along: we require [the horn to be] of the shape in which it is carried along. Our Rabbis taught: ‘If the least quantity is added to it whether of its own material or of another material, it is not valid. If there was a hole in it and it is stopped up, whether with its own material or another material, it is not valid. R. Nathan, however, says, if with its own material it is valid, but if with another material it is not valid’. ‘If with its own material it is valid’: Said R. Johanan: This is the case only if the greater part of the original is left. From this we infer that if it is stopped with another material, even though the greater part of the original was left it may not be used. Some attach R. Johanan's remark to the latter clause: ‘If with another material it is not valid’: Said R. Johanan: This is the case only if the greater part of the original was removed. From this we infer that if the stoppage is made with the same material, even though the greater part of the original is gone it is valid. ‘If it was overlaid with gold on the inside it is not valid, if on the outside, if its sound becomes different from what it was before, it is not valid, but otherwise it is valid. If it is split lengthwise it is not valid, but if breadthwise, if enough is left to produce a blast it is valid, but otherwise it is not valid.’ How much is enough to produce a blast? — R. Simeon b. Gamaliel explained: Enough to allow of it being held in the hand and leaving something showing on either side. ‘If its sound is thin or thick or dry, it is valid, since all sounds emitted by a shofar can pass muster’, They sent to inform the father of Samuel: If one pierced it [the horn] and blew with it, he has performed his religious duty. Is not this obvious? All shofars are pierced! — R. Ashi explained: [It means], if he pierced the inset bone. You might think that although it is of the same material it makes a partition; we are therefore told [that this is not so]. IF ONE BLOWS INTO A PIT OR A CISTERN etc. R. Huna said: This rule applies only to those standing on the edge of the pit, but those standing in the pit perform their religious duty thereby. It has been taught to the same effect: ‘If one blows into a pit or a cistern, he performs his religious duty’. But have we not learnt, HE DOES NOT PERFORM HIS RELIGIOUS DUTY? You must therefore understand it in the sense of R. Huna's dictum. Some put the two statements in opposition, [thus]: We have learnt, IF ONE BLOWS INTO A PIT OR A CISTERN HE DOES NOT PERFORM HIS RELIGIOUS DUTY. But has it not been taught, ‘He does perform his religious duty’? — R. Huna replied: There is no contradiction; the one statement speaks of those standing on the edge of the pit, the other of those standing in the pit. Rabbah said:^ᵃᶜ^ᵃᵈ^ᵃᵉ^ᵃᶠ^ᵃᵍ^ᵃʰ^ᵃⁱ^ᵃʲ^ᵃᵏ^ᵃˡ^ᵃᵐ^ᵃⁿ^ᵃᵒ^ᵃᵖ^ᵃᵠ^ᵃʳ^ᵃˢ^ᵃᵗ^ᵃᵘ

^ᵃᶜnote:The Talmud Yerushalmi reads here, ‘If it (the hole) interfered with the blowing before it was closed, the shofar is not valid after it was closed’. Our version, however, rather implies that if the stoppage restores the shofar to its original condition, it may be used. V. Tosaf. s.v. cehb.
^ᵃᵈnote:Heb. ,us , a pit faced with cement.
^ᵃᵉnote:V. Glos.
^ᵃᶠnote:Lit., ‘if he applies his heart’.
^ᵃᵍnote:Lit., ‘he reduced it to its coating’.
^ᵃʰnote:This apparently means, on the top opposite the exact spot to which the mouth is applied. V. Tosaf. s.v. uvpm
^ᵃⁱnote:Because the blast is then made by gold.
^ᵃʲnote:V. supra n. 1.
^ᵃᵏnote:Because as the sound comes from the air between the two shofars, it is as if made by two or three shofars. V. Tosaf. s.v. ot .
^ᵃˡnote:By means of softening it with hot water.
^ᵃᵐnote:,rcgvu Lev. XXV, 9. E.V. Then shalt thou make proclamation with. Lit., ‘cause to pass’.
^ᵃⁿnote:By the ram when alive.
^ᵃᵒnote:The quotation is here interrupted with a gloss on the last clause.
^ᵃᵖnote:The quotation from the Baraitha is here resumed.
^ᵃᵠnote:The quotation is again interrupted.
^ᵃʳnote:Lit., ‘are valid’.
^ᵃˢnote:I.e., the horn is pierced to make a shofar.
^ᵃᵗnote:A bone which grows from the animal's head inside the horn, and which is usually removed to make the shofar.
^ᵃᵘnote:Var. lec. Raba.