Sukkah

— [No.] As it might have been said that it is also in agreement with the view of the Rabbis, and that its purpose1 was to exclude the view of R. Johanan who laid down that if a man heard the nine Teki'ahs2 in nine hours3 during the day he has still fulfilled his obligation, therefore he informed us [that it agrees only with the view of R. Judah]. Might it not be suggested that it is indeed so?4 — If it were so,5 what could be meant by ‘no interval whatever’? ON THE EVE OF THE SABBATH IN THE INTERMEDIATE DAYS OF THE FESTIVAL etc. But [the sounding of the trumpet] on the tenth step6 he does not mention. In agreement with whose view then is our Mishnah? — It is in agreement with that of R. Eliezer b. Jacob, for it has been taught: Three blasts on the tenth step. R. Eliezer b. Jacob ruled, Three at the altar. He7 who ruled three on the tenth step omits the three at the altar; and he8 who ruled three at the altar omits the three upon the tenth step. What is the reason of R. Eliezer b. Jacob? — Since one sounded the trumpet for the opening of the gates, why should one sound it on the tenth step? Is it not a gate!9 It is, therefore, preferable that the trumpet should be sounded at the altar. The Rabbis, however, are of the opinion that since one sounds the trumpet for the Water-Drawing,10 why should one sound it at the altar?11 It is, therefore, preferable to sound it upon the tenth step.12 When R. Aha b. Hanina came from the South, he brought a Baraitha with him [which read:] And the sons of Aaron the priests shall blow with trumpets.13 Surely there was no need to state explicitly ‘shall blow’, since it is already written, Ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt-offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace-offerings.14 Why then was it stated, ‘shall blow’? [To teach you that] the sounding of the trumpets is throughout in accordance with the number of the additional offerings.15 He16 taught this [Baraitha] and he also explained it to mean that the trumpet is to be sounded17 for every single additional offering.18 We have learnt, ON THE EVE OF THE SABBATH IN THE INTERMEDIATE DAYS OF THE FESTIVAL THERE WERE [THEREFORE] FORTY-EIGHT BLASTS. Now if it were so,19 why was it not stated20 that on the Sabbath of the Festival21 it was possible to have fifty-one blasts?22 — R. Zera answered, Because the trumpet was not sounded at the opening of the gates on the Sabbath.23 Who is this, Raba exclaimed, who is not concerned about the flour [he grinds out]?24 [The answer is untenable], firstly, because we have learnt EVERY DAY25 and, secondly, even if there were26 the same number,27 it should still have been stated that ‘on the Sabbath of the Festival they blew forty-eight blasts’ since from this statement one could make two deductions, that of R. Eliezer b. Jacob28 and that of R. Aha b. Hanina.29 The fact, however, is, Raba explained, [that the reason30 is] because the trumpet was not sounded for the Water-Drawing on the Sabbath,31 so that32 the number was diminished much.33 But34 why was not the New Year that fell on a Sabbath mentioned35 seeing that on it there are three additional sacrifices: The additional offering of the New Year, the additional offering of the New Moon, and the additional offering of the Sabbath?36 — It was necessary to teach the instance of the eve of the Sabbath in the Intermediate Days of the Festival in order to inform us that the law is in agreement with R. Eliezer b. Jacob.37 Was it then asked why the one was not mentioned instead of the other? [The question in fact is] why is not the one mentioned as well as the other?38 — [The Tanna of our Mishnah] might have mentioned some and omitted others. But what else did he omit to justify this omission also?39 — He omitted the instance of the eve of Passover.40 connected with the tenth step. each of the two additional offerings. deducting the special six sounded on Sabbath eve. day would have been less than the number so given in our Mishnah. mark the distinction between the holy and the profane. the one under discussion have also been omitted. times and sounding three blasts on the trumpet each time, making a total of twenty-seven blasts (cf. Pes, 64a). which added to the twenty-one blasts sounded daily, amounts to forty-eight.