Types of Mitzvot:
- Biblical, Torahitic, D'oreita (of the Law)
- Rabbinic, Halachic, D'rabbanan (of the Rabbis)
- Positive Mitzvah: you SHALL do
- Negative Mitzvah: you SHALL NOT do
Part I: The Torahitic Commandment
(23) And the Eternal spoke unto Moses, saying: (24) Speak unto the children of Israel, saying: In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall be a solemn rest unto you, a memorial proclaimed with the blast of horns, a holy convocation. (25) You shall do no manner of servile work; and you shall bring an offering made by fire unto the Eternal.
Part II: What Constitutes a Shofar?
(ב) כל השופרות כשרין חוץ משל פרה, מפני שהוא קרן. אמר רבי יוסי: והלא כל השופרות נקראו קרן, שנאמר (יהושע ו) במשוך בקרן היובל.
(2) All shofars are fit [to be blown on Rosh Hashanah], except for that of a cow because it is [called] a horn [and not a shofar]. Rabbi Yose said, "But are not all shofars [also] called a horn, as it is stated (Joshua 6:5), 'upon a long blast from the ram’s horn'?”
היינו טעמא דרבנן כדרב חסדא דאמר רב חסדא מפני מה אין כהן גדול נכנס בבגדי זהב לפני ולפנים לעבוד עבודה לפי שאין קטיגור נעשה סניגור
The reason of the Rabbis [who exclude the cow's horn from the category of kosher shofarot in our Mishnah] is to be found in the saying of R. Hisda; for R. Hisda said: Why does not the High Priest enter the inner precincts in garments of gold to perform the service there? Because the accuser may not act as defender.
אין קטיגור - זהב העגל ושופר של פרה נמי קטיגור דעגל הוא:
The accuser may not act - the gold of the Golden Calf, and a horn of calf are both called accusers for they are identified with "the Calf".
(א) שופר של ראש השנה מצותו בשל איל וכפוף
ובדיעבד כל השופרות כשרים בין פשוטים בין כפופים
ומצוה בכפופים יותר מבפשוטים
ושל פרה פסול בכל גוונא וכן קרני רוב החיות שהם עצם אחד ואין להם מבפנים זכרות פסולים. (וכן שופר מבהמה טמאה פסול).
The shofar for Rosh Hashanah which is the most desirable for the mitzvah is a shofar that is from a ram and is bent.
After the fact, all shofars are kosher, irrespective of whether they are straight or bent.
The mitzvah is better fulfilled with bent shofars rather than straight shofars.
The horn of a cow is invalid in all circumstances and likewise, horns of most non-domestic animals are invalid. The reason is that they consist of a single bone and don't have a male bone on the inside. (Likewise, a shofar from an unclean animal is invalid.)
Part III: Mitzvah of Hearing
(א) מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה שֶׁל תּוֹרָה לִשְׁמֹעַ תְּרוּעַת הַשּׁוֹפָר בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר כט א) "יוֹם תְּרוּעָה יִהְיֶה לָכֶם". וְשׁוֹפָר שֶׁתּוֹקְעִין בּוֹ בֵּין בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה בֵּין בְּיוֹבֵל הוּא קֶרֶן הַכְּבָשִׂים הַכָּפוּף.
(ב) בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ הָיוּ תּוֹקְעִין בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה בְּשׁוֹפָר אֶחָד וּשְׁתֵּי חֲצוֹצְרוֹת מִן הַצְּדָדִין. הַשּׁוֹפָר מַאֲרִיךְ וְהַחֲצוֹצְרוֹת מְקַצְּרוֹת שֶׁמִּצְוַת הַיּוֹם בְּשׁוֹפָר. וְלָמָּה תּוֹקְעִין עִמּוֹ בַּחֲצוֹצְרוֹת מִשּׁוּם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהילים צח ו) "בַּחֲצֹצְרוֹת וְקוֹל שׁוֹפָר הָרִיעוּ לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ ה'". אֲבָל בִּשְׁאָר מְקוֹמוֹת אֵין תּוֹקְעִין בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה אֶלָּא בְּשׁוֹפָר בִּלְבַד:
(ג) שׁוֹפָר שֶׁל עַכּוּ''ם אֵין תּוֹקְעִין בּוֹ לְכַתְּחִלָּה וְאִם תָּקַע יָצָא...שׁוֹפָר הַגָּזוּל שֶׁתָּקַע בּוֹ יָצָא שֶׁאֵין הַמִּצְוָה אֶלָּא בִּשְׁמִיעַת הַקּוֹל אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא נָגַע בּוֹ וְלֹא הִגְבִּיהוֹ הַשּׁוֹמֵעַ יָצָא וְאֵין בַּקּוֹל דִּין גֵּזֶל.
וְכֵן שׁוֹפָר שֶׁל עוֹלָה לֹא יִתְקַע בּוֹ וְאִם תָּקַע יָצָא שֶׁאֵין בַּקּוֹל דִּין מְעִילָה. וְאִם תֹּאמַר וַהֲלֹא נֶהֱנָה בִּשְׁמִיעַת הַקּוֹל. מִצְוֹת לֹא לֵהָנוֹת נִתְּנוּ. לְפִיכָךְ הַמֻּדָּר הֲנָיָה מִשּׁוֹפָר מֻתָּר לִתְקֹעַ בּוֹ תְּקִיעָה שֶׁל מִצְוָה:
(ד) שׁוֹפָר שֶׁל רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה אֵין מְחַלְּלִין עָלָיו אֶת יוֹם טוֹב וַאֲפִלּוּ בְּדָבָר שֶׁהוּא מִשּׁוּם שְׁבוּת. כֵּיצַד. הָיָה הַשּׁוֹפָר בְּרֹאשׁ הָאִילָן אוֹ מֵעֵבֶר הַנָּהָר וְאֵין לוֹ שׁוֹפָר אֶלָּא הוּא אֵינוֹ עוֹלֶה בָּאִילָן וְאֵינוֹ שָׁט עַל פְּנֵי הַמַּיִם כְּדֵי לַהֲבִיאוֹ. וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר שֶׁאֵין חוֹתְכִין אוֹתוֹ אוֹ עוֹשִׂין בּוֹ מְלָאכָה. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁתְּקִיעַת שׁוֹפָר מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה וְיוֹם טוֹב עֲשֵׂה וְלֹא תַּעֲשֶׂה וְאֵין עֲשֵׂה דּוֹחֶה לֹא תַּעֲשֶׂה וַעֲשֵׂה.
מֻתָּר לִתֵּן בְּתוֹכוֹ מַיִם אוֹ יַיִן אוֹ חֹמֶץ בְּיוֹם טוֹב כְּדֵי לְצַחְצְחוֹ. וְלֹא יִתֵּן לְתוֹכוֹ מֵי רַגְלַיִם לְעוֹלָם מִפְּנֵי הַכָּבוֹד שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיוּ מִצְוֹת בְּזוּיוֹת עָלָיו:
...
(ח) הַתּוֹקֵעַ בְּתוֹךְ הַבּוֹר אוֹ בְּתוֹךְ הַמְּעָרָה. אוֹתָן הָעוֹמְדִים בְּתוֹךְ הַבּוֹר וְהַמְּעָרָה יָצְאוּ. וְהָעוֹמְדִים בַּחוּץ אִם קוֹל שׁוֹפָר שָׁמְעוּ יָצְאוּ. וְאִם קוֹל הֲבָרָה שָׁמְעוּ לֹא יָצְאוּ. וְכֵן הַתּוֹקֵעַ לְתוֹךְ חָבִית גְּדוֹלָה וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהּ. אִם קוֹל שׁוֹפָר שָׁמַע יָצָא וְאִם קוֹל הֲבָרָה שָׁמַע לֹא יָצָא:
(1) It is a positive commandment from the Torah to hear the sound of the shofar (animal horn) on Rosh Hashanah; as it is stated (Numbers 29:1), "it shall be a day of blowing for you." The shofar which is blown — both on Rosh Hashanah and for the Jubilee year — is a bent ram's horn.
And all shofars are disqualified except for the horn of a ram...
(2) In the Temple on Rosh Hashanah, they would blow with one shofar and two trumpets [on its two] sides. The shofar would blow long and the trumpets would blow short, since the commandment of the day was with the shofar. And why would they blow it together with trumpets? Because it is stated (Psalms 98:6), "With trumpets and the blast of the shofar blow before the Lord, the King." But in other places on Rosh Hashanah, we only blow with a shofar exclusively.
(3) We do not blow with a shofar of idolaters at the outset. But if one did blow [with one], he has fulfilled [the commandment].... Regarding a stolen shofar with which he has blown, he has fulfilled [the obligation]. For the commandment is only listening to the sound — even though he did not touch it and did not raise it up, the listener has fulfilled [it] — and there is no law of theft with sound.
And likewise should one not blow with the shofar of a burnt offering; but if he did blow [with it], he has fulfilled [the obligation]. For there is no law of misappropriating [the sacred] with sound. And if you say, "Did he not derive pleasure from listening to the sound"; [the answer is] that the commandments are not given for pleasure. Hence, one who has vowed not to derive pleasure from the shofar is permitted to blow the blow of the commandment with it.
(4) We do not profane the holiday — even regarding something that is on account of a Shabbat (holiday) decree — for the shofar of Rosh Hashanah. How is this? If a shofar was on top of a tree or over a river and one does not have [another] shofar besides it, he may not climb the tree and he may not swim over the surface of the water in order to bring it. And it is not necessary to say that we may not cut down [the tree] or do [other] forbidden work upon it. For blowing the shofar is a positive commandment, whereas [the sanctity of] the holiday is a positive commandment and a negative commandment — and a positive commandment does not override a negative commandment and a positive commandment.
It is permissible to put water, wine or vinegar into [the shofar] on a holiday in order to make [its sound] clear. But one may not ever put urine into it, due to the respect [that must be shown to the shofar] — so that the commandments not become contemptible to him. ...
(8) [If a case of] one who blows a shofar inside a pit or inside a cave: Those standing inside the pit or the cave have fulfilled [their obligation. Regarding] those standing outside — if they heard the sound of the shofar, they have fulfilled [their obligation]; but if they heard the sound of an echo, they have not fulfilled [their obligation]. And likewise one blowing into a large barrel — if he heard the sound of the shofar, he has fulfilled [his obligation]; but if he heard the sound of an echo, he has not fulfilled [his obligation].
(א) יום טוב של ראש השנה שחל להיות בשבת, במקדש היו תוקעים, אבל לא במדינה.
משחרב בית המקדש, התקין רבן יוחנן בן זכאי, שיהו תוקעין בכל מקום שיש בו בית דין.
אמר רבי אלעזר: לא התקין רבן יוחנן בן זכאי אלא ביבנה בלבד.
אמרו לו: אחד יבנה ואחד כל מקום שיש בו בית דין.
(1) The festival day of Rosh Hashanah which coincided with Shabbat: they would blow [the shofar] in the Temple, but not in the [rest of the] country.
After the destruction of the Temple, Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai, ordained that they should blow in every place in which there is a rabbinical court [ie, a community of a certain size]
Rabbi Eleizer said, "Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai only made this ordinance with respect to Yavneh alone."
[The Sages] said [back] to him, "It was the same for Yavneh as for any other place in which there was a court."
(א) יום טוב של ראש השנה שחל להיות בשבת כו': כבר בארנו פעמים כי מקדש תקרא ירושלים כולה ומדינה שאר העיירות שבכל ארץ ישראל:
והטעם שבעבורו נאסרה תקיעת שופר בשבת גזירה שמא יטלנו בידו ויעבירנו ד' אמות ברשות הרבים כמו שבארנו בלולב לפי שתקיעת שופר אינה מלאכה:
We have already explained elsewhere that "Temple" implies all of Jerusalem, and "country" the rest of the cities spread across the land of Israel.
And the reason Shofar blowing was banned on Shabbat, a decree, lest one carry his or her shofar 4 amot in the Public Domain (on Shabbat), just like a lulav, neither of which are in and of themselves a labor forbidden on the Shabbat.
(י) בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה שֶׁאָנוּ עוֹשִׂין שְׁנֵי יָמִים בַּגָּלוּת כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁתּוֹקְעִין בְּרִאשׁוֹן תּוֹקְעִין בְּשֵׁנִי. וְאִם חָל יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן לִהְיוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת וְלֹא הָיָה בַּמָּקוֹם בֵּית דִּין הָרְאוּיִין לִתְקֹעַ תּוֹקְעִין בְּשֵׁנִי בִּלְבַד:
(10) At this time that we make two days [of Rosh Hashanah] in the Exile — in the same way that we blow on the first, so too do we blow on the second. And if the first day fell out on Shabbat and there was no court fitting to blow in that place, we blow only on the second.
CCAR RESPONSA
American Reform Responsa
45. Blowing of the Shofar on the Sabbath
(Vol. XXIII, 1913, pp. 182-183)
QUESTION:
I wish to broach a question to which my attention has been called during the last few years. I have been asked whether it is right that in some Reform congregations the blowing of the Shofar is omitted on Rosh Hashana, if the same happens to fall on a Sabbath Day. This is most certainly an error. The Mishna (R.H. IV.l) tells us that as long as the Temple existed in Jerusalem the Shofar was blown only there on a Sabbath Day, but not in other places. After the destruction of the Temple, R. Yochanan ben Zakkai declared that in Yavneh, it being the seat of the Sanhedrin, the Shofar should be blown on Sabbath as well, the seat of the Torah being tantamount to the Holy of Holies. This decision of R. Yochanan ben Zakkai was afterward applied to every place where a court of justice sat or the spiritual head of the Jewish people resided (see Asheri, R.H. IV).
ANSWER:
- The reason for not having the Shofar blown on Sabbath outside of the Temple, stated by the older Amoraim in the Jerusalem and Babylonian Talmud is rather strange. The term "Yom Teru-a," "Day of Blowing," is said to refer to Jerusalem only as the place where the day of the new month was fixed; whereas for other places "Zichron Teru-a," "Remembrance of the Blowing" (by the recital of the Scriptural verses) is sufficient.
- Afterward, another--and more whimsical--reason was given: A man who does not know how to use the Shofar might be induced to carry it through public places on a Sabbath to an expert in order to learn how to blow it, and so violate the Sabbath, and for this reason the Rabbis forbade the blowing of the Shofar on Sabbath altogether. Of course, since Rosh Hashana has two days all through the Diaspora, the second day was considered as good as the first for the blowing of the Shofar.
- Now we ask, can this Rabbinical prohibition apply to us, who no longer have a second day of Rosh Hashana? Furthermore, we ask, have we not our organ playing in our temples on Sabbath in spite of the Rabbinical prohibition of using a musical instrument, based upon fear lest one might repair it, should it suffer any damage? (The making of music itself was not regarded as labor by Rabbinic law--"Chochma ve-einah melacha," "It is art, not labor".)
- Nay, more: the very spirit of Reform that empowers R. Yochanan ben Zakkai to declare the sanctuary of learning of Yavneh to be as holy as the Temple at Jerusalem ought by all means to empower us to assign our temples the same divine character of holiness as the ancient Temple, with its sacrificial cult, possessed. The very name "Temple" given to the Reform synagogue was no doubt meant to accentuate this very principle voiced by R. Yochanan ben Zakkai.
- To sum up all we have said: We must in all matters of reform and progress agree upon the leading principles and not allow them to become arbitrary and individualistic. Let each member of the Conference who has practical questions to submit, bring his cases to the knowledge of this or any other similar committee, so that we may reach at least a mutual understanding.
K. Kohler and D. Neumark
https://ccarnet.org/responsa/arr-119-121/
CCAR RESPONSA
American Reform Responsa
46. Blowing of the Shofar
(Vol. XXXIII, 1923, pp. 60-61)
QUESTION:
In answer to a question by a younger colleague whether the Shofar should be blown on Rosh Hashana happening, as it did, on Saturday, Rabbi Martin A. Meyer of San Francisco gave his opinion "that in view of the attitude of Reform, there was no reason why we should omit this characteristic custom." This opinion of Rabbi Meyer was sent to the chairman of this committee for endorsement and possible elaboration, both of which are given below.
ANSWER: There is no reason why the Shofar should not be blown on a Rosh Hashana which falls on a Saturday in congregations where only one day of Rosh Hashana is observed. During Temple times the distinction was made between the Temple in Jerusalem and the synagogues in the provinces, in that only in the former was the Shofar blown on a Saturday. After the Temple was destroyed, R. Yochanan ben Zakkai instituted the practice that wherever there is a Beit Din, that is, a rabbinical tribunal, the Shofar should be blown on Saturday (Mishna, Rosh Hashana IV.l).
Commenting upon this Mishna, the Babylonian Gemara (Rosh Hashana 29b) declares that blowing of theShofar is an art but not work, and hence, by Biblical law, is permitted on Saturday, but that Rabbinical law prohibits it on Saturday lest it might happen that the one who is to perform the ceremony would wish to go to an expert in order to practice, and thus carry with him the Shofar on the Sabbath day, which act (that is, the carrying of it) is prohibited on the Sabbath ("Shema yitelenu beyado veyelech etsel baki veya-avirenu arba amot birshut harabim").
The same consideration also prompted the Rabbis to discard the ceremony of "taking the Lulav" on the first day of Sukkot when it happens on a Saturday. Thus, the only reason for not blowing the Shofar on a Sabbath is the fear that it might lead to a violation of the law prohibiting the carrying of burdens on Saturday.
It is interesting to notice that this consideration was not shared by all the Rabbis, for we are told that R. Abahu once came to Alexandria, and he made the congregation there perform the ceremony of "taking the Lulav" on the first day of Sukkot, which happened to be on a Saturday (Yer. Eruvin III, 21c), not letting the consideration that it might lead to the sin of carrying a burden on Sabbath interfere with the duty of performing the ceremony. We may safely assume that had Abahu visited Alexandria on a Rosh Hashana which happened to fall on Saturday, he would have made them perform the ceremony of blowing the Shofar.
Furthermore, this consideration that it might lead to a violation of a law, might be carried to the extreme. For, as some of the Rabbinical authorities rightly say, on the same ground one could argue that the ceremony should be altogether prohibited, even on Rosh Hashana falling on a week day, for fear that it might happen that the Shofar might need repairing, and this will lead to doing work which is prohibited on a holiday (comp. Turei Zahav and Magen Avraham to Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim, 588.5). Of course, they answer that, in this case, the fear that it might lead to the sin of doing repair work on Yom Tov is not to be entertained, for it would have the result of entirely abolishing the ceremony.
This latter argument is quite correct, and it applies with equal force to the question of blowing the Shofar on Rosh Hashana which falls on a Sabbath Day in those congregations where only one day of Rosh Hashana is observed. For if we allow the fear that the Shofar might be carried on the street to interfere with the performance of the ceremony, the result will be that-- for that year at least--the ceremony will be entirely omitted; and we should not abolish this characteristic ceremony, even for one year.
Jacob Z. Lauterbach and Committee
See also:S.B. Freehof, "Shofar on New Year Sabbath," Recent Reform Responsa, pp. 36ff. https://ccarnet.org/responsa/arr-121-122/