Talmud zu Bamidbar 29:1

HALAKHAH: “If the holiday of the New Year,” etc. Rebbi Abba bar Pappos said, Rebbi Joḥanan and Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish were sitting and questioning. They said, we have stated: “if the holiday of the New Year falls on a Sabbath, at the Temple they were blowing but not in the countryside.” If it is a word of the Torah, in the countryside it also should push aside⁴Since any positive commandment which must be performed at a fixed date pushes the Sabbath aside, such as the daily and Sabbath sacrifices in the Temple and circumcision on the eighth day.; if it is not a word of the Torah also in the Temple it should not push aside. Cahana passed by. They said, this is a [an important]⁵Corrector’s addition. man whom we may ask. They went and asked him. He said to them, one verse says, a day of sounding; another verse says, a remembrance of sounding⁶In Num. 29:1, New Year’s Day is called a day of sounding, but in Lev. 23:24 it is remembrance of sounding.. How is that? If it falls on a weekday, a day of sounding. If it falls on a Sabbath, a remembrance of sounding, one mentions it but does not blow. Rebbi Ze`ira told the colleagues to go and listen to Rebbi Levi preaching since it would be impossible that he would let a weekly reading go by without enlightenment. He came and said before them, one verse says, a day of sounding; another verse says, a remembrance of sounding. How is that? If it falls on a weekday, a day of sounding. If it falls on a Sabbath, a remembrance of sounding, one mentions it but does not blow⁷That this argument is treated as a novelty a full generation after R. Joḥanan shows that Cahana’s explanation was not disseminated.. Then also in the Temple it should not push aside⁸The Babli 29b accepts this as proof that the prohibition of blowing the shofar outside the Temple on the Sabbath must be purely rabbinic.. It was stated, on the first of the month⁹Both in Num. 29:1 and Lev. 23:24 this is the definition of the day.. Then also anywhere they know that it is the first of the month it should push aside¹⁰Since it is known with certainty which day is a Sabbath, but the exact date of New Year’s day depends on a declaration from the calendar court, it should be clear that at a distance from the court, in Temple times at a distance from Jerusalem, one cannot blow the shofar on a 30^th of Elul which is a Sabbath. (This argument is disputed in the Babli 29b).. Rebbi Simeon ben Yoḥai stated, and you shall sacrifice¹¹Lev. 23:24., at the place where the sacrifices are offered. The colleagues said before Rebbi Jonah. Is it not written, you shall convey a sounding shofar in the seventh month¹²Lev. 25:9. The verse continues, on the tenth of the month, on the Day of Atonement,you shall convey a shofar in all your Land. There can be no doubt that on a day of Atonement in a Jubilee year which is a Sabbath the shofar has to be sounded in all the Land of Israel, not just at the Temple. Since it was established in Halakhah 3:5 that the rules of New Year’s Day and Day of Atonement in a Jubilee year are identical, there seems to be no reason not to blow the shofar on a Sabbath outside the Temple., etc? He said to them, this one you convey in all your Land, therefore not another one¹³While this argument is attributed here to an Amora of the generation before the last, it is given in Sifra Behar Parashah 2(5): “Why does the verse say, on the tenth of the month, on the Day of Atonement? Since it says, on the Day of Atonement, would I not know that it is on the tenth of the month? But to tell you that on the tenth of the month it pushes the Sabbath aside in all of your Land, but the sound of New Year’s day does not push the Sabbath aside in all of your Land, only at the place of the Court.” This argument justifies Rabban Joḥanan ben Zakkai’s decision to have the shofar blown at Jabneh.. They said to him, or we might say, this one you convey in your Land, therefore another one both in your Land and outside the Land. Rebbi Jonah said, if it were written “convey a shofar in your Land”, I would have said that here he restricted and at another place he extended. But in all your Land, here he extended and at another place he restricted¹³While this argument is attributed here to an Amora of the generation before the last, it is given in Sifra Behar Parashah 2(5): “Why does the verse say, on the tenth of the month, on the Day of Atonement? Since it says, on the Day of Atonement, would I not know that it is on the tenth of the month? But to tell you that on the tenth of the month it pushes the Sabbath aside in all of your Land, but the sound of New Year’s day does not push the Sabbath aside in all of your Land, only at the place of the Court.” This argument justifies Rabban Joḥanan ben Zakkai’s decision to have the shofar blown at Jabneh..

⁹This paragraph is part of a text in Yebamot12:2 (Notes 50–59,ז). A ram’s horn of idolatry¹⁰The ram's horn used on New Year's Day. or a seduced city¹¹The usufruct of any implements of idolatrous worship is forbidden. The horn is only permitted since Divine Commandments are not for enjoyment or use. The Babli, Roš Haššanah28a, agrees.. Rebbi Eleazar said, it is qualified. Rebbi Ḥiyya stated, it is qualified. Rebbi Hoshaia stated, it is disqualified¹²The Babli, Roš Haššanah28a, disagrees in this case since a ram's horn in a “seduced city” must be burned and therefore is considered to be ashes even if not burned. Arguments of this kind are absent in the Yerushalmi.. Everybody agrees about a lulav that it is disqualified. What is the difference between a ram’s horn and a lulav? Rebbi Yose said, about a lulav it is written: You shall take for yourselves¹Lev.23:40: You shall take for yourselves on the First Day a fruit of the splendor tree, date-tree palms, a branch of the rope tree, and brook-willows. The lulav is the young palm branch. While in the verse it is called “palm”, because the leaves of the palm-tree spread out from the spine of the branch like fingers of a hand, it is traditional to take a young branch with the leaves still tightly clinging to its spine. From this the name לולב “tube” (cf. Note 27)., from what is your own⁶Babli 29b; Sifra Emor Pereq17(2). The paragraph is a much shortened version of Lev.r. 30(6), starting with R. Ḥiyya’s statement and ending with the lesson “woe to this one …”. Not from what is forbidden for usufruct. But here, a day of horn blowing it shall be for you¹³Num. 29:1.. Rebbi Eleazar said, there he fulfills his obligation by the thing itself¹⁴It is a general rule that a stolen or robbed object has to be returned in kind to its owner only if it is unchanged. Once the thief or robber has changed it so its original shape cannot be restored, it becomes the property of its current holder and the original owner only has a claim for its money’s worth and eventual fines (Or zarua § 274). Therefore it is the robber’s property and even in the case of a lulav could be used on the holiday.. But here he fulfills his obligation by the sound. Is there a sound which is forbidden for usufruct?

Where do they disagree¹³Num. 29:1.? If he robbed it smoothed. But if he robbed it and smoothed it, he owes him money¹⁴It is a general rule that a stolen or robbed object has to be returned in kind to its owner only if it is unchanged. Once the thief or robber has changed it so its original shape cannot be restored, it becomes the property of its current holder and the original owner only has a claim for its money’s worth and eventual fines (Or zarua § 274). Therefore it is the robber’s property and even in the case of a lulav could be used on the holiday.. If he robbed a lulav from one, a myrtle branch from another, and a willow branch from a third and tied them together¹⁵The Babli 30a holds that this case certainly is disqualified since the tie is reversible and a reversible change does not transfer ownership.? Let us hear from the following: A robbed sukkah, there are Tannaim who stated, it is qualified; there are Tannaim who stated, it is disqualified. Rebbi Simon in the name of Rebbi Joshua ben Levi: He who said, it is qualified, if he robbed the real estate¹⁶Since he changed the real estate by building a sukkah on it. The Babli 31a disagrees since (1) real estate cannot be robbed since the owners eventually will be able to reclaim their property by proving their title in court (a principle accepted in the Yerushalmi, Peah2:7 Note 132, Kilaim7:5 Note 72, Bava qamma10:6 Note 66) and (2) the sukkah is only a temporary building.. He who said, it is disqualified, if he robbed the agricultural waste. It is impossible that he not tie them together¹⁷Therefore even if he robbed the material for the roof it should become the robber’s property.. If he places it from the top. The rabbis of Caesarea in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: In every case it is disqualified¹⁸They hold that only permanent change can effect a transfer of ownership, the doctrine of the Babli.. What is the robbed one which is disqualified¹⁹This question does not contradict the statement of the rabbis from Caesarea. Accepting their reasoning, what are the limits of “robbing a sukkah”?? Any time a person enters another’s sukkah without his knowledge²⁰The Babli 31a characterized this as R. Eliezer’s minority opinion.. As the following. Gamliel the twin made himself a sukkah on the market²¹Using public property for a sukkah without proper authorization is robbing the public.. Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish passed by and told him, who gave you permission?

⁶⁶Sifra Emor Parashah 11(9), Sifry Num. 73.“From where that there are three sets of three sounds each? The verse says, a day of sound⁶⁷Num. 29:1, a remembrance of sound⁶⁸Lev. 23:24., shofar of sound⁶⁹Lev. 25:9..” So far following Rebbi Aqiba. Following Rebbi Ismael? ⁷⁰Sifry Num. 73.“You shall blow sounding⁷¹Num. 10:5.; and you shall blow sounding a second time⁷²Num. 10:6.; sounding you shall blow for your travels⁷²Num. 10:6.. If you would say that blowing is sounding, is it not written, to assemble the people you shall blow but not sound⁷³Num. 10:7.”

HALAKHAH: “The entire day is qualified to read the Scroll,” as it is written⁹¹Esth.9:1., on the day the enemies of the Jews thought they would rule over them. To read the Hallel, as it is written¹¹²Ps, 118:24., this is the day the Eternal made, let us enjoy and be happy on it. To blow the shofar, as it is written¹¹³Num. 29:1., a day to shofar blowing it shall be for you. To take the lulav, as it is written¹¹⁴Lev. 23:40, you shall take for yourselves on the first day. For the musaf prayer, and for musaf sacrifices, as it is written¹¹⁵Lev. 7:38. The verse continues: to bring their sacrifices to the Eternal., on the day on which He commanded the Children of Israel, etc.

Should one not say the same for Hallel? Not all people are there⁸⁴Since Hallel draws large crowds and they respond in chorus “hallelujah” to the reader’s words (cf. Šabbat16, Note 59), the service also could be mistaken as start of an insurrection.. Then should one not say the same for blowing, not all people are there⁸⁵This makes R. Joḥanan ’s explanation unlikely.? Rebbi Jonah said, it is written, day, day they will seek⁸⁶Is.58:2, read as asserting that on two days of the year everybody comes (early) to the synagogue, New Year’s day and the Seventh day of Tabernacles., that is shofar blowing and willow twigs. Rebbi Joshua ben Levi in the name of Rebbi Alexander heard it from the following: ⁸⁷Ps.17:2.Eternal, listen to sincerity, this is the reading of the shema`. Take note of my song, this is the song of Torah<sup>88</sup>The recitation of the Torah following musical accents.. Listen to my prayer, this is prayer. Disregard swindling lips, this is musaf. What is written afterwards? From before You may my judgment come<sup>89</sup>Ps.17:3. This makes blowing at musaf a Davidic institution, contradicting R. Joḥanan ’s explanation.. Rebbi Aḥa bar Pappus said before Rebbi Ze`ira, there is a difference, since the obligation of the day is in musaf⁹⁰The biblical obligations of the day are all expressed in terms of the musaf sacrifice.. Rebbi Taḥlifa from Caesarea said, the verse says so: A day of shofar blowing, and you shall make⁹¹Num. 29:1–2.. Rebbi Eleazar ben Rebbi Yose in the name of Rebbi Yose bar Qaṣarta: For all sacrifices it is written and you shall offer, but here is written, you shall make⁹²New Year’s Day’s musaf is the only one characterized as doing, not offering. This is taken as a hint that some other activity besides sacrificing is involved, referring to blowing the shofar... The Holy One, praise to Him, said to them, since you came before Me in judgment on New Year’s day and left in peace, I consider it as if you were newly created⁹³One could vocalize בִּרְייָה חֲדָשָׁה “a new creature”..