Rosh Hashanah

AND 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;1 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?2 Has it not been taught:3 ‘"Remember" and "observe" were spoken in a single utterance,4 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;5 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’.6 Why should this be? Why should not it [the second blast] be counted as divided into two?7 — 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.8 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.9 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;10 what is not allowed is that11 one should read12 and two translate’.13 — The fact is that our case resembles that mentioned in the next clause [of this quotation]: ‘In the recital of Hallel and the Megillah14 even ten may read’.15 This shows that since an interest is taken in these,16 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,17 or if you like I can say that the Torah wished to spare Israel unnecessary expense.18 [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,19 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 place20 there is no shofar, and where the shofar is in place21 there are no trumpets. R. Halafta adopted the same custom in Zepphoris and R. Hananiah b. Teradion in Sikni,22 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.23 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:24 before the king, the Lord,25 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’?26 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’?27 — 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.28 IF FRAGMENTS OF SHOFARS ARE STUCK TOGETHER [TO MAKE ONE], IT IS NOT VALID. distinguished. Remember the Sabbath day, whereas in Deut. V it commences with ‘Observe’; and the Rabbis explain the discrepancy in this way. as the beginning of the second series. Women's Court (v. Rashi).