민수기 10:38의 Halakhah

However, according to Ramban (Glosses to Rambam’s Sefer Ha-mitzvot), there is no biblical obligation to pray every day, because, in his opinion, the extrapolation from the verses that Rambam mentions is not a bona fide exegesis, but merely an asmakhta (reference). Rather, the Men of the Great Assembly instituted daily prayers but based their enactment on biblical verses. Ramban maintains that only in times of trouble is there a biblical commandment to pray to God, as we learn from the mitzva of the trumpets (ḥatzotzrot), where it says (Bamidbar 10:9), “When you go to war against an enemy that attacks you in your land, you shall sound a teru’a (short blasts) on the trumpets. You will then be recalled before the Lord your God and will be delivered from your enemies.”

It is of singular interest that after a lapse of millennia the opportunity now present itself for the performance of a virtually forgotten mizvah. All are familiar with the shofar and the mizvot attendent upon it. There is yet a second wind instrument associated with mizvot with which we are less well acquainted. Scripture commands the fashioning of two trumpets of hammered silver to be blown by the kohanim for purposes of assembling the congregation and as a signal to continue on the journey through the wilderness. These trumpets were also to be blown on festivals in conjunction with the sacrificial offerings. Furthermore, in the event of warfare, the trumpets were to be sounded in order that "… you shall be remembered before the Lord your God and you shall be saved from your enemies" (Num. 10:9). The possibility that this latter exhortation be applicable in our own day in face of the dangers besetting the State of Israel is discussed in two articles which appeared recently. Rabbi Judah Gershuni, in the Tevet 5730 issue of Or ha-Mizraḥ, and Rabbi Chaim Shrage Frank, in the Tammuz 5730 issue of Ha-Ma'ayan, cover much the same ground and reach similar conclusions.

There is considerable discussion and controversy among early authorities with regard to the details of the performance of this mizvah and as to when the trumpets are to be blown alone and when together with the shofar as indicated in Psalms 98:6, "With trumpets and the voice of the shofar shall you sound the teru'ah before the King, God." Some authorities maintain that the trumpets together with the shofar are to be sounded only on the Temple Mount; in other locales the shofar alone is to be blown. Rabbi Frank explains that this opinion is based upon Numbers 10:9, "… and you shall be remembered before the Lord your God." According to this line of reasoning, only the Temple site is considered to be "before God." Nowadays, considerations of ritual purity preclude entry onto the Temple Mount. Rabbi Frank, however, brings evidence that all of Jerusalem is considered to be an extension of the Temple with regard to the sounding of trumpets. He adds that the shofar need not be sounded together with the trumpets other than at the actual site of the Temple, since the relevant passage in Psalms indicates that both instruments are employed simultaneously only "before the King, God." Rabbi Frank maintains that while the entire city of Jerusalem is "before God," nevertheless the site of divine kingship is limited to the Temple Mount proper. Hence the rest of Jerusalem is not "before the King, God." Therefore, argues Rabbi Frank, trumpets unaccompanied by the shofar must be sounded in Jerusalem in the event of impending misfortune.

The commandment of blowing the trumpets in the Temple and in war: To blow trumpets in the Temple each day as every sacrifice is offered, and also at a time of troubles, as it is stated (Number 10:9), "When you come to war, etc." and it is written after it also (Number 10:10), "And on your joyous occasions, and your fixed festivals and new moon days, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt-offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace-offerings, etc." And even though the verse warns about a joyous occasion, a fixed festival and a new moon day, this is not precise. As they would blow with the trumpets over the sacrifice every day in the Temple. And so is it explained in Rosh HaShannah 29a: "Everyone is obligated in the blowing of the shofar - priests, Levites, and Israelites." And the Talmud wonders about this in the Gemara, "Is this not obvious? [For] if they are not obligated, who would be obligated?" And it responds to it, "It was necessary [to say] priests, for it may enter your mind to say, 'Since it is written (Numbers 29:1), "It is a day of blowing, etc.," [you might have said that with regard to one who is obligated to sound only one day, he is obligated to sound the shofar on Rosh HaShanah.] But these priests, since they are [obligated] all year long, as it is written (Numbers 10:10), "you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt-offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace-offerings, etc." [you might say that they are not obligated].'" The Talmud then asks, "Are they similar? There it is a trumpet and here it is a shofar!" Nevertheless, we learned [from this] that throughout the whole year - meaning to say on each and every day - there were trumpets in the Temple. And they said in Tractate Arakhin 13a that we do not reduce to less than twenty-one blasts in the Temple and we do not increase to over forty-eight.

The commandment of blowing the trumpets in the Temple and in war: To blow trumpets in the Temple each day as every sacrifice is offered, and also at a time of troubles, as it is stated (Number 10:9), "When you come to war, etc." and it is written after it also (Number 10:10), "And on your joyous occasions, and your fixed festivals and new moon days, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt-offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace-offerings, etc." And even though the verse warns about a joyous occasion, a fixed festival and a new moon day, this is not precise. As they would blow with the trumpets over the sacrifice every day in the Temple. And so is it explained in Rosh HaShannah 29a: "Everyone is obligated in the blowing of the shofar - priests, Levites, and Israelites." And the Talmud wonders about this in the Gemara, "Is this not obvious? [For] if they are not obligated, who would be obligated?" And it responds to it, "It was necessary [to say] priests, for it may enter your mind to say, 'Since it is written (Numbers 29:1), "It is a day of blowing, etc.," [you might have said that with regard to one who is obligated to sound only one day, he is obligated to sound the shofar on Rosh HaShanah.] But these priests, since they are [obligated] all year long, as it is written (Numbers 10:10), "you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt-offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace-offerings, etc." [you might say that they are not obligated].'" The Talmud then asks, "Are they similar? There it is a trumpet and here it is a shofar!" Nevertheless, we learned [from this] that throughout the whole year - meaning to say on each and every day - there were trumpets in the Temple. And they said in Tractate Arakhin 13a that we do not reduce to less than twenty-one blasts in the Temple and we do not increase to over forty-eight.

The commandment is practiced by priests at the time of the Temple, as the commandment to blow the trumpets is incumbent upon them, and like the matter that is written about them in the movements of the encampments (Numbers 10:8), "And the sons of Aharon, the priests, will blow with the trumpets." And lest you say that they did not blow over the sacrifices, but rather the Levites, this is not so. As behold, they explicitly said (Mishnah Tamid 7:3), "They gave him the wine to pour [for the libation]. The assistant stood on the horn [of the altar] with two handkerchiefs in his hand. Two priests stood in the table of (used for) fats and two trumpets were in their hands. They blew a teki'ah (long steady sound), then a teruah (a series of very short sounds) and then again a teki'ah." Behold, it is elucidated that this commandment was performed by the priests, and that it was a constant commandment to them, meaning to say that they would blow every day, and not only on a holiday or the day of the new month. However, I have seen that Rambam wrote (Mishnah Torah, Vessels of the Sanctuary and Those who Serve Therein 3:5), "On all the festivals and on the the new moon days, the priests would sound the trumpets and the Levites would sing." It seems from his words that his opinion is that on other days, even the Levites blow the trumpets. And if the priests transgressed this and did not blow at the time of a sacrifice, and so [too,] if they did not blow at a time of trouble, they will have nullified this positive commandment.

At the end of the prayers of forgiveness²¹⁷Prayers of forgiveness, seliḥot, סליחות; see footnote 14. we say seven times, “He is the God,” (and one time the “שמע ישראל”), and three times the, “Blessed be His glorious kingdom forever and ever,”²¹⁸See the end of the footnote on the Ne'ilah Service, number 191. This is how the Ne'ilah Service ends. (see above section 61,²¹⁹In the Shulḥan Arukh, Oraḥ Ḥayyim, chapter 61, there are twenty-six paragraphs which contain the laws concerned with how one is to pronounce it and what is to be one's personal conviction when reciting the Shema prayer. (מנהגים).²²⁰Minhagim, מנהגים; see footnote 13.) and we blow the shofar, (תקיעה, שברים, תרועה, תקיעה).²²¹The shofar, שופר, is a ram's horn which has been prepared to use as a musical instrument. The word is mentioned sixty-nine times in the Bible as well as numerous times in talmudic and post-talmudic literature.
The shofar was used to proclaim significant events in Judaism. It proclaimed the Jubilee Year (Leviticus 25:9-11) every fiftieth year proclaiming freedom throughout the land. Its most noted use is on Rosh HaShanah which is also called yom teru'ah, "a day of blowing", (Numbers 29:1). It was also used to declare war (Judges 3:27) and to induce fear (Amos 3:6).
In Temple times the shofar was not exclusively a ram's horn. Any curved animal's horn from a sheep, goat, mountain goat, antelope, or a gazelle was possible. The use of the ram's horn became popular because of its association with the Akedah, the sacrifice of Isaac read on Rosh HaShanah when the shofar is sounded. A ram was substituted for Isaac in the biblical account (Genesis 22) which is read on the second day of Rosh HaShanah. The shofar may have carved designs on it as long as the mouthpiece is natural. It may not be painted. It may not have a hole.
The Bible only refers to two trumpet sounds, teki'ah and teru'ah (Numbers 10: 5-8) the Mishna (RH. 4:9) describes teki'ah as one long blast and teru'ah as three wavering crying blasts. It prescribes three sets of shofar sounds since the word teru'ah is mentioned three times in the Bible, (Leviticus 23:24, 25:9, and Numbers 29:1). In talmudic times there was a disagreement about what exactly the sounds of the shofar should be and Rabbi Ahbahu decided the issue by compromise. The shofar was to be sounded three times which included different notes of shevarim, which are broken sounds and teru'ah, nine staccato notes. The sounding is one set of teki'ah, shevarim - teru'ah, teki'ah, and two sets of the following: teki'ah, shevarim, teki'ah, and teki'ah, teru'ah, teki'ah. The teki'ah begins as a low note swelling to a higher one. The teru'ah is a series of staccato blasts and the shevarim alternates higher and lower notes. The concluding note of each of the two series is a teki'ah gedolah, a great, long blast, which derives its origin from Exodus 19:13, "When the ram's horn soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount."
The shofar used to be sounded on the second day of the month of Elul marking the beginning of the penitential season. Today it is sounded daily except for the last day of the month of Elul at the Morning Service until Rosh Ha-Shanah is over and it is sounded at the end of the Ne'ilah Service at the conclusion of Yom Kippur.
On Rosh HaShanah, Psalm 47 is recited seven times before the shofar is sounded. This is a reminder of the walls of Jericho being circled seven times before they fell to the sound of the shofar.
The shofar may only be sounded during the day. It is not sounded when Rosh HaShanah falls on the Sabbath, lest one violate the laws of the Sabbath by carrying the shofar into the synagogue. When the Temple was in existence the shofar was blown there on the Sabbath.
Throughout Jewish history the shofar was blown to announce a death, on fasts, at excommunications (see footnote 29), and at funerals. On Friday afternoons it was sounded six times to announce various work stopping times and the times to light the candles and usher in the Sabbath. Today it is used to inaugurate a new president in Israel.
According to the Sephardi rite the shofar is sounded at the end of the Ne'ilah Service as follows: teki'ah, one rising blast; shevarim, three blasts alternating high and low; teru'ah, seven staccato blasts; and teki'ah, one rising note.
Albert L. Lewis, E. J., v. 14, pp. 1442-47.
The following comment is given by Magen Avraham, (see footnote 33.): 623:4 - "And they blow (the shofar)": Even though they still have not "separated" (said Havdalah, see footnote 226) in the prayer (and it is still not actually night), nevertheless since (the blowing of the shofar is a matter of) wisdom (art and know-how) and not work, and the rabbis were not too strict about it, (did not prohibit it at this occasion), since the day has already passed (Tur, טור, see footnote 23). And even though he wrote that one should complete it (the shofar blowing) close to sunset, this should complete it (the shofar blowing) close to sunset, this means that the stars still have not come out (indicating nightfall), nevertheless this is twilight, and see the end of chapter 299, (in the Shulḥan Arukh, Oraḥ Ḥayyim).
Hagah: There are those who say that we only blow the shofar once (תקיעה),²²²The Ashkenazi rite states that at the end of the Ne'ilah Service only one long shofar blast is sounded, teki'ah gedolah, תקיעה גדולה. (מרדכ והגהות מיימוני סוף הלכות ואגור י״כ),²²³Mordekhai and Hagahot Maimuniyyot, the end of the Laws of Yom Kippur, and Agur, מרדכי והגהות מיימוניי סוף הלכות י״כ ואגור.
For Mordekhai, מרדכי; see footnote 24.
For Hagahot Maimuniyyot, הגהות מיימוני; see footnote 27.
Agur, אגור, is a halakhic work that deals basically with the subject matter found in Tur Oraḥ Ḥayyim and Yoreh De'ah, (see footnote 23). It was written by Jacob b. Judah Landau, a fifteenth century German talmudist. He was educated in Germany by his famous father Judah who died in 1464. Judah was a favorite pupil of Jacob Moellin (see footnote 8) and a relative of Jacob Weil (see footnote 27) who was the head of a large yeshivah and a well respected posek, an halakhic decision maker.
Jacob emigrated at some time in his life to Italy along with the great wave of Jewish emigration from Germany and in Pavia in 1460 he met Joseph Colon from whom he drew many rulings and quotes. While in Pavia he wrote Ḥazon a work introduced by the words "How could it be?" In 1487 Jacob went to Naples. He worked there as a proofreader for the new Hebrew Press established there, which published his work, Ha-Agur along with Ḥazon.
Ha-Agur is an anthology and a summation of German-Jewish scholarship on the laws contained in Oraḥ Ḥayyim and Yoreh De'ah down to Jacob's own time. He based himself on the Tur of Jacob b. Asher (see footnote 23). Jacob wanted to assemble all the data on a particular halakhah, (but omitted the arguments), lay down the halakhah, and then include any new rulings by people such as Israel Isserlein (see footnote 96), Jacob Weil (see footnote 27), Joseph Colon, and particularly his father Judah. The work is organized similar to the Tur and is distinguished by the interweaving of varied material from many different works. Landau, who was well versed in Kabbalah interlaced those theories together with the halakhic material as an aid to arriving at decisions. The work reveals a great deal of the teachings of the German scholars in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.
Israel Moses Ta-Shma, E. J., v. 10, p. 1393. and thus we do it in these lands, we sound the shofar after we say the Kaddish²²⁴Kaddish, קדיש; see footnote 177. after the Closing Service, but in a few places the custom is to blow the shofar before the Kaddish.