Daf Ditty Succah 54: Counting Tekiyot

Gold medallion decorated with a shofar uncovered in a public building of the

Byzantine Period near the southern wall of the Temple Mount, Jerusalem.
Photo Ticia Verveer.

“Pitch is not so much an issue in playing the shofar. You’re not out to create a
melody, which you are trying to do when playing the tuba. When I’m playing the
shofar I’m more focused simply on the sound… The shofar isn’t a musical
instrument. It is a battle cry, or a mournful cry, but its symbolism comes from its
sound and the fact that it is the shofar making the sound on the day of Rosh
Hashanah. The tuba has no inherent symbolism, and its sounds are ultimately judged
and understood within the context of a melody or a larger work.”

Josh Feigelson

1
MISHNA: One sounds no fewer than twenty-one trumpet blasts in the Temple, and one sounds
no more than forty-eight. The mishna elaborates: Each day there were twenty-one trumpet
blasts in the Temple: Three blasts were sounded for the opening of the gates in the morning,
nine for the daily morning offering, and nine for the daily afternoon offering, totaling twenty-
one. And on a day when the additional offerings were sacrificed, e.g., the New Moon, with the
additional offerings they would add nine additional blasts.

2
And on Shabbat eve they would add six blasts sounded adjacent to the onset of Shabbat:

Three to stop the people from their labor, as the blasts inform the people that Shabbat is
approaching and they stop working, and three at the onset of Shabbat to demarcate between
sacred and profane.

3
On Shabbat eve during the festival of Sukkot, there were forty-eight blasts. How so? Three in
the morning for the opening of the gates; three for the upper gate; and three for the lower
gate; and three for the filling of the vessel with water, as described in the sequence of the ritual
of drawing the water for the water libation (48b); and three when pouring the water libation upon
the altar; nine for the daily morning offering; and nine for the daily afternoon offering; and
nine for the additional offerings; three to stop the people from work; and three more to
demarcate between sacred and profane, totaling forty-eight blasts.

4
GEMARA: The Gemara notes: The mishna is not in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi
Yehuda, as it is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Yehuda says: The one who seeks to minimize
the number of blasts shall not minimize their number to fewer than seven blasts. And one who
seeks to add to the number of blasts shall not add beyond sixteen. The Gemara asks: With regard
to what do they disagree? The Gemara explains that Rabbi Yehuda holds: A series of blasts
consisting of tekia, terua, tekia is counted as one blast. And the Rabbis hold: A tekia is counted
separately and a terua is counted separately. They agree with regard to the sequence and the
number of the blasts, and disagree only with regard to how the blasts are tallied.

The Gemara asks: What is the rationale for the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda? It is as the verse
states:
,‫ ְוָנְסעוּ‬--‫ְתּרוָּﬠה‬ ,‫ה וְּתַקְﬠֶתּם‬ 5 And when ye blow an alarm, the camps that lie on the
.‫ ֵקְדָמה‬,‫ ַהֹח ִנים‬,‫ַהַמֲּחנוֹת‬ east side shall take their journey.
Num 10:5

“And you shall sound [utkatem] a terua” and it is written:

‫ ְוָנְסעוּ‬--‫שׁ ִנית‬
ֵ ,‫ו וְּתַקְﬠֶתּם ְתּרוָּﬠה‬
‫ ַהֹח ִנים ֵתּיָמָנה; ְתּרוָּﬠה‬,‫ַהַמֲּחנוֹת‬
.‫ ְלַמְסֵﬠיֶהם‬,‫ִיְתְקעוּ‬
6 And when ye blow an alarm the second time, the camps
that lie on the south side shall set forward; they shall blow
an alarm for their journeys.
Num 10:6

“A terua they will sound [yitke’u]” How is it that the Torah uses a verb from the root of tekia to
describe the sounding of a terua?

5
Apparently, a tekia and a terua together compose one blast. And how do the Rabbis interpret
these verses? This comes to teach that each terua blast is accompanied by a plain unembellished
blast, a tekia, preceding it and following it.

The Gemara asks: And from where does Rabbi Yehuda derive that each terua must be
accompanied by a tekia preceding it and following it? The Gemara explains: He derives it from
the verse when it says: “And you shall sound [utkatem] a terua a second time” (Numbers 10:6),
indicating an additional tekia.

The Gemara asks: And what is the rationale for the opinion of the Rabbis? It is as it is written:

--‫ַהָקָּהל‬-‫ֶאת‬ ,‫ז וְּבַהְקִהיל‬ 7 But when the assembly is to be gathered together, ye shall
.‫ ְול ֹא ָת ִריעוּ‬,‫ִתְּתְקעוּ‬ blow, but ye shall not sound an alarm.
Num 10:7

“And when congregating the people you shall sound a tekia and shall not sound a terua” And
if it enters your mind that a tekia and a terua are considered one blast, would the Merciful One
say to perform half a mitzva and not to perform the other half of the mitzva? Apparently, each
is a separate mitzva. The Gemara asks: And how does Rabbi Yehuda interpret the verse? The
Gemara answers: That single tekia mentioned in the context of congregating the people came
merely as a signal to the camps and was not for the purpose of fulfilling the mitzva, which, in
Rabbi Yehuda’s opinion, always comes in groups of three.

And how do the Rabbis counter that assertion? They say: Indeed, it is a signal to assemble the
people; however, the Merciful One rendered it a mitzva. Therefore, one can derive that a single
tekia blast is a distinct mitzva. The Gemara asks: In accordance with whose opinion is this
statement of Rav Kahana: There is no pause between a tekia and a terua at all and they are
sounded in one continuous blast? In accordance with whose opinion is it? It is in accordance

6
with the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda. The Gemara asks: If Rav Kahana’s statement is in accordance
with the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda; that is obvious. Why was it necessary for the Gemara to raise
the matter at all?

The Gemara answers: It is not obvious that Rav Kahana’s statement was stated in accordance with
the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda. Lest you say that Rav Kahana’s statement is even in accordance
with the opinion of the Rabbis, and that he is coming to exclude the opinion of Rabbi Yoḥanan
who said: If one heard nine blasts in nine different hours on the day of Rosh HaShana, despite
the considerable gap between them, he fulfilled his obligation.

Therefore, the Gemara teaches us that Rav Kahana holds in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi
Yehuda alone and he does not allow even a brief pause between the sounds of the shofar.

7
§ The mishna enumerates the number of blasts sounded on Shabbat eve during the festival of
Sukkot. Among those blasts were three sounded when pouring the water libation upon the altar.
The Gemara infers: However, the mishna is not teaching that the trumpet blasts were sounded
when the person carrying the water reached the tenth stair. According to whose opinion is the
mishna? It is according to the opinion of Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya’akov, as it is taught in a baraita:
Three blasts were sounded when arriving at the tenth stair. Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya’akov says:
Three blasts were sounded when pouring the water libation upon the altar.

The Gemara explains: The one who says that the trumpets were sounded upon arriving at the
tenth stair does not say that they sounded the trumpets when pouring the water libation upon the
altar; and the one who says that they sounded the trumpets when pouring the water libation upon
the altar does not say that the trumpets were sounded upon arriving at the tenth stair.

The Gemara asks: What is the rationale for the opinion of Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya’akov? The
Gemara answers: Since he sounded the trumpet for the opening of the gates, for what do I need
to sound it again when arriving at the tenth stair?

That is not a gate. Therefore, it is preferable to sound the trumpets when pouring the water
libation upon the altar.

And the Rabbis hold that since he sounded the trumpets for the filling of the vessel with the
water, why do I need an additional trumpet blast when pouring the water libation upon the altar?

Therefore, it is preferable to sound the trumpets when arriving at the tenth stair.

8
§ When Rabbi Aḥa bar Ḥanina came from the south of Eretz Yisrael, from Judea, he brought
a baraita with him that he received from the Sages there. It is written:

‫ ִיְתְקעוּ‬,‫ח וְּבֵני ַאֲהֹרן ַהֹכֲּה ִנים‬ 8 And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the
,‫ַבֲּחֹצְצרוֹת; ְוָהיוּ ָלֶכם ְלֻחַקּת עוָֹלם‬ trumpets; and they shall be to you for a statute forever
.‫ְלֹדֹרֵתיֶכם‬ throughout your generations.
Num 10:8

“And the children of Aaron, the priests, will sound the trumpets” There is no need for the verse
to state: “Shall sound,” as it is already stated:

,‫ִשְׂמַחְתֶכם וְּבמוֲֹﬠֵדיֶכם‬ ‫י וְּביוֹם‬ 10 Also in the day of your gladness, and in your
‫וְּתַקְﬠֶתּם ַבֲּחֹצְצֹרת‬--‫וְּב ָראֵשׁי ָחְדֵשׁיֶכם‬ appointed seasons, and in your new moons, ye shall blow
‫ ְוַﬠל ִזְבֵחי ַשְׁלֵמיֶכם; ְוָהיוּ‬,‫ֵתיֶכם‬ƒ‫ַﬠל ֹע‬ with the trumpets over your burnt-offerings, and over
‫ ֲא ִני ְיהָוה‬,‫ֵהיֶכם‬ƒ‫ָלֶכם ְלִזָכּרוֹן ִלְפֵני ֱא‬ the sacrifices of your peace-offerings; and they shall be
{‫ }פ‬.‫ֵהיֶכם‬ƒ‫ֱא‬ to you for a memorial before your God: I am the LORD
your God.'
Num 10:10

“And you shall sound the trumpets for your burnt-offerings and your peace-offerings”

And what then is the meaning when the verse states: “Shall sound”? It appears to be teaching a
new halakha; it is all according to the additional offerings that one sounds trumpet blasts.

The Gemara notes: Rabbi Aḥa bar Ḥanina teaches the baraita, and he said its explanation: The
verse comes to say that one sounds trumpet blasts for each and every additional offering in and
of itself.

9
Summary

10
Daf Shevui writes:1

Today’s section begins to explain the mishnah about how many shofar blasts there were in the
Temple.

The mishnah sets the minimum and maximum number of shofar blasts at 21 and 48, whereas R.
Judah sets it at seven and sixteen. The explanation for this discrepancy is actually quite simple.
According to R. Judah each set of tekiah, teruah, tekia counts as one note, whereas the other rabbis
count each set as three.

R. Judah derives that these two notes are all part of one because the Torah uses the root for tekiah
as the verb meaning “to blast a teruah.” Therefore, a tekiah and a teruah are all part of the same
note, and together they count as one.

The rabbis who hold that the tekiah and the teruah count as different notes derive this from
Numbers 10:7, which says that the people should sound a tekiah but not a teruah. Clearly this
means that they count as two different notes, for if they were each half of the same note, the Torah
would be telling the people to perform half of a mitzvah.

R. Judah responds to the rabbis that their verse cannot serve as proof for the shofar blasting in
Numbers 10 was not a mitzvah, it was just a signal to the people to march. Therefore, he can
maintain that a teruah and a tekiah are part of the same note.

The rabbis agree that Numbers 10:7 refers to a signal. However, despite this, God treated it like a
mitzvah, therefore teaching that they are two different notes.

The Talmud analyzes R. Kahana’s statement in light of the mishnah. R. Kahana stated that there
may not be any time interval between the tekiah and the teruah. This seems to go according to R.
Judah, who holds that these two notes count as one note. Since they are one note, one can’t pause
in between.
The problem is that this is obvious. Why would we even need to ask such a simple question?

Our daf begins by analyzing whether they blew the shofar on the tenth step at the end of the
Simchat Bet Hashoevah, when departing the Temple to go down to the spring and draw water.

This mishnah does not count three shofar blasts sounded on the tenth step, whereas the previous
mishnah did mention these three blasts. Thus the two mishnayot contradict each other.
The Talmud concludes that this mishnah agrees with R. Eliezer ben Jacob who says that they blew
three blasts on the altar. The author of the previous mishnah held that three blasts were made on
the tenth step, but not on the altar. This way the maximum number of blasts, 48, remains, the only
dispute being where these three blasts were made.

1
https://www.sefaria.org/Sukkah.54a.6?lang=bi&p2=Daf_Shevui_to_Sukkah.53b.7-54a.10&lang2=bi

11
Rabbi Eliezer b. Jacob says that it is preferable to blow the shofar on the altar for after having
blown at the opening of the gates to leave the Temple, why blow again in the middle of leaving,
at a place also considered a gate.

The other rabbis reason that since they will blow the shofar upon drawing the water, why blow it
again when pouring it onto the altar.

R. Aha b. Hanina’s baraita exploits the redundancy in the word, “you shall blow” which appears
in both Numbers 10:8 and 10:10. From the redundancy the baraita learns that the trumpet blasts
should be in accordance with the musafim, the additional offerings, that are sacrificed on the
festivals. Below the Talmud will explain this in greater detail.

R. Aha explained that the baraita means that there is a trumpet blasting for each musaf offering.
On days where there are more musaf offerings, the trumpet would be sounded more frequently.

The Talmud raises the difficulty that if there were three trumpet blasts for every musaf, then on
Shabbat during the festival, there should have been more than forty-eight. There would have been
fifty-one, including the extra three for the extra musaf.

R. Zera answers that on Shabbat they didn’t sound the trumpets when opening the gates, because
this was not a mitzvah, such that it would override Shabbat.

Yesterday’s section ended with the resolution that there were not fifty-one blasts on Shabbat Hol
Hamoed Sukkot because they didn’t sound the trumpet for the opening of the gates. In our section
Rava raises some difficulties on this resolution and then offers an alternative.

Rava begins with an insult—whoever made the previous resolution doesn’t care about “the flour”
he grinds, meaning the quality of the resolution he offers.

The first difficulty Rava raises is that the mishnah says that there were at least twenty-one blasts
every day, and included in the list of twenty-one are those for the opening of the gates. Clearly,
they sounded the blasts at the opening of the gates every day.

Second, if on the Shabbat of the festival there were forty-eight, but not fifty-one, the mishnah
should have stated this directly. From this we could have learned that the halakhah is like R. Eliezer
b. Jacob who said that they don’t blow the shofar on the tenth step (see above) and we could have
learned like R. Aha b. Hanina who held that we blow two sets for the two different musaf offerings,
but we don’t blow for the opening of the gates on Shabbat. Instead the mishnah taught that there
were forty-eight on erev Shabbat during the festival, from which we can only learn R. Eliezer b.
Jacob’s ruling.

12
Rav Avrohom Adler writes:2

Blowing on the steps or the altar

The Mishna enumerated the 48 blasts blown on a Friday during sukkos. The Gemora notes that
the list does not include the 3 blasts on the tenth step, which the earlier Mishna had listed. The
Gemora explains that this Mishna follows Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov, who says they didn't blow
on the tenth step.

The Gemora cites a braisa which says that they blew on the tenth step, and then cites Rabbi Eliezer
ben Yaakov saying that they only blew on the altar. The Gemora explains that only three blasts
were blown, and the dispute is where they occurred. Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov says that once they
blew for the opening of the gates on the way to draw the water, there was no need to blow on the
steps, and therefore it is preferable to blow on the altar. The Sages say that once they blew when
they drew the water, there was no need to blow on the altar, when the water was libated, and
therefore it is preferable to blow on the steps. Blowing for multiple mussaf sacrifices When Rabbi
Acha bar Chanina came from the south, he brought along a braisa which explains the verse which
mandates that the sons of Aharon will blow with the trumpets. This seems unnecessary, as another
verse already states that “you should blow with the trumpets on your sacrifices,” and we therefore
learn from it that the blowing is commensurate with the mussaf sacrifices.

Rabbi Acha bar Chanina explained that this means that each mussaf had its own set of blasts.
Maximum blasts The Gemora cites the Mishna's enumeration of the maximum of 48 blasts, which
occurs on Friday of Sukkos, and says that according to Rabbi Acha, the Mishna should have
enumerated a maximum of 51, on Shabbos of Sukkos (21 like all days, 12 for the water drawing
and libation, and 9 each for the mussaf of Shabbos and Sukkos).

Rabbi Zaira answers that the blasts for opening the gates were not blown on Shabbos, leaving the
count at 48. Rava rejected this on two counts. First, the Mishna says that every day (i.e., including
Shabbos) had the minimum 21 blasts. Second, even if there were 48, the Mishna should have
chosen this example, since we can learn from this enumeration two things – that we rule like Rabbi
Eliezer ben Yaakov, and that each mussaf had its own blasts. Rather, Rava answers that there were
no blasts for drawing the water on Shabbos, reducing the count below 48.

The Gemora asks why the Mishna didn't give the example of Rosh Hashanah on Shabbos, which
would have 48 blasts (21 like all days, and 9 each for the three mussaf sacrifices of Rosh Hashanah,
Rosh Chodesh, and Shabbos). The Gemora answers that the Mishna preferred the case of Friday
on Sukkos, to teach that we rule like Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov. The Gemora clarifies that the
question was why the Mishna didn't list both cases, as both are 48.

The Gemora answers that the Mishna didn't enumerate all the cases of 48 blasts. The Gemora asks
what the Mishna left out aside from Rosh Hashanah on Shabbos, and answers that it left out the

2
http://dafnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Sukkah_54.pdf

13
eve of Pesach, which had 27 extra blasts for the three shifts of the Pesach sacrifice. The Gemora
rejects this, as the Mishna may be Rabbi Yehudah, who says that the third shift was so small that
they never got to the middle of the first round of Hallel, leaving a total of less than 48 blasts.

The Gemora challenges this, as the Mishna which counts each set of tekiah/teruah/tekiah as three
does not follow Rabbi Yehudah, who considers them to be one unit, but answers that the Mishna's
author may have agreed with Rabbi Yehudah about the Pesach shifts, but not about the count of
the blasts. Rather, the Gemora says that the Mishna left out the eve of Pesach, which is a Friday,
which had an extra 6 to announce the onset of Shabbos, restoring the total of 48.

"MAI SHAYAR D'HAI SHAYAR" -- WHAT DID THE TANA LEAVE OUT

Rav Mordechai Kornfeld writes:3

Rebbi Acha bar Chanina says that when multiple Korbenos Musaf are offered, a separate Shir is
recited for each one, and a separate set of Teki'os is sounded for each one.

The Gemara asks several questions on Rebbi Acha's opinion. One question is based on the Mishnah
(53b) which lists only one day on which 48 Teki'os are sounded in the Mikdash -- Chol ha'Mo'ed
Sukos which occurs on Erev Shabbos. According to Rebbi Acha, the Mishnah should also mention
Rosh Hashanah which occurs on Shabbos, since on that day, too, 48 Teki'os are sounded (the 21
Teki'os of every day, and an additional 27 Teki'os for the three different Musaf offerings offered
on that day). The Gemara answers that the Tana simply left out that case. The Gemara asks, "What
else did the Tana leave out?" -- "Mai Shayar d'Hai Shayar" (literally, "What [else] did the Tana
leave out that he [also] leaves out this"). The Gemara's question is based on the rule that whenever
the Tana omits something from a list, he omits more than just one case.

The Gemara answers that the Tana also omitted Erev Pesach, on which an additional 27 Teki'os
are sounded (9 for each of the 3 groups into which the Jewish people are divided when they bring
the Korban Pesach). However, the Gemara eventually rejects this answer and says that the case of
Erev Pesach is not considered a case which the Tana omitted, because the Tana of the Mishnah
may follow the view of Rebbi Yehudah with regard to Erev Pesach. Rebbi Yehudah maintains that
the last of the three groups on Erev Pesach did not complete the recitation of Hallel even once, and
thus only one set of Teki'os, at most, was sounded for them. Consequently, according to Rebbi
Yehudah the maximum number of Teki'os on Erev Pesach is only 42 (21 normal Teki'os, 9 for the
first group, 9 for the second group, and 3 for the third group).

The Gemara answers that even if the Mishnah follows the view of Rebbi Yehudah, there still exists
another case which it omitted. On Erev Pesach that falls on Erev Shabbos, 48 Teki'os are sounded
even according to Rebbi Yehudah (42 as described above, 3 to warn the people to abstain from
Melachah, and 3 to announce the onset of Shabbos). Accordingly, the Mishnah does not contradict
Rebbi Acha, because it left out several cases.

3
https://www.dafyomi.co.il/sukah/insites/su-dt-054.htm

14
Why does the Gemara reject its original answer for Rebbi Acha by asserting that the Mishnah
follows Rebbi Yehudah? What forces the Gemara to say that the Mishnah follows Rebbi Yehudah?
The Gemara should answer simply that the Mishnah follows the Rabanan who argue with Rebbi
Yehudah and maintain that Erev Pesach indeed has 48 Teki'os, and that is the additional case which
the Mishnah left out, in addition to the case of Rosh Hashanah that occurs on Shabbos. Why does
the Gemara insist that the Mishnah follows Rebbi Yehudah?

(a) The RA'AVAD (cited by the SHITAH MEKUBETZES to Bava Kama 15a) and
the RITVA offer a novel explanation for the phrase that the Gemara often uses, "What else did the
Tana leave out?" The accepted meaning of, "Mai Shayar d'Hai Shayar," is that it is not the manner
of the Tana to leave out just one case from a list of cases; the Tana leaves something out only when
there are two or more cases to leave out. This is how Rashi seems to explain this expression in
Ta'anis (13b, DH Mai).

The Ra'avad and Ritva write that this is not the correct meaning of the phrase. Rather, "Mai Shayar
d'Hai Shayar" is a rhetorical question, a declaration that we may not assume that the Tana omitted
anything. The only valid way to propose that the Tana omitted a case is by proving that the Tana
did not intend to list every case. This can be proven by demonstrating that there is at least one
other case which the Tana indisputably omitted even though it belongs on his list. That
unquestionable omission shows that the Tana did not intend to list every case, and thus we may
assume that the Tana also omitted the case in question.

Accordingly, the only way to prove that the Mishnah here omitted the case of Rosh Hashanah that
occurs on Shabbos is by demonstrating that the Mishnah definitely omitted another case. The
Gemara suggests that the Mishnah left out Erev Pesach. It responds that this does not
prove conclusively that the Tana did not intend to list every case, because it is possible that the
Mishnah follows the opinion of Rebbi Yehudah and the case of Erev Pesach is not an omission.

(b) The SEFAS EMES explains that the expression, "Mai Shayar d'Hai Shayar," can be
understood in the usual sense. He explains the Gemara as follows.
In general, why does a Tana not omit one case from his list? The Tana is concerned that his words
will be misunderstood; people might think that his list is comprehensive and that he omitted
nothing (as a consequence, they will assume that the case which the Tana omitted was omitted
because it does not belong in the list). In order to prevent incorrect conclusions from being drawn,
when the Tana intends to omit a certain case, he omits a number of cases so that everyone will
know that his list is not exhaustive.

The Gemara here says that just as it is not the manner of the Tana to omit one case alone (when he
omits no other case), it is also not the manner of the Tana to omit a case when that case is subject
to a Machlokes Tana'im. The Tana does not leave out such a case for the same reason he does not
omit a single case: the Tana is concerned that he will be misunderstood. If he omits a case which
is subject to a Machlokes Tana'im, people might think that the reason he omitted that case is
because he rules like the Tana who maintains that the case does not belong in the list at all.
Therefore, if such a case really belongs in the list, the Tana certainly will include it in order to
avoid such a misunderstanding.

15
Steinzaltz (OBM) writes:4

Our Gemara discusses the timing of Sukkot and comments that the first day cannot fall out on a
Friday. If the new moon of the month of Tishrei appears on a Friday, which would cause the 15th
of the month (the first day of Sukkot) to fall out on Friday, as well, we push off the first day of the
month – Rosh HaShanah – to Shabbat. The Gemara explains that this reconfiguration of the lunar
calendar is necessary because we want to avoid having Yom Kippur, which is on the tenth day of
Tishrei fall out on a Sunday.

The discussion in the Gemara is based on the contemporary lunar calendar which is a set
calendar and is not based on testimony from witnesses who come to the Sanhedrin to report on
their seeing the new moon. According to our calendar, Rosh HaShanah can never fall out on
Sunday, Wednesday, or Friday, so Sukkot, which is exactly two weeks later on the 15th of the
month, cannot fall on those days either. This arrangement is made in order to avoid having Yom
Kippur fall on either Friday or Sunday, since two days in a row (including Shabbat) on which
all work – even cooking – is forbidden, would be difficult for people.

According to some sources, it appears that even when the calendar was based on witnesses who
came to testify that they saw the new moon, various methods were employed to ensure that Yom
Kippur would not fall out immediately before or after Shabbat. Nevertheless, it is likely that, on
occasion, it would be impossible to shift the day, since a month cannot be less than 29 days long
(according to our present-day calendar, Rosh HaShanah is sometimes pushed off from the actual
new moon by two full days to accommodate the needs of these holidays) and Yom Kippur would
fall out on Friday or Sunday.

According to the Rambam, the shift in the calendar serves another purpose, as well. He believes
that pushing off Rosh HaShanah allows for a more precise correlation between the solar calendar
and the lunar months, correcting minor discrepancies that exist even when the leap year is added
at the correct time.

In a discussion about the number of tekiyos accompanying the musafim for different festivals, our
daf mentions that, on Erev Pesach, the third group to bring the korban Pesach did not even manage

4
https://www.ou.org/life/torah/masechet_sukkah4854/

16
to finish the first Hallel. The Gemara refers to Hallel by citing the verse, “I love that Hashem
should hear…” 5

The Kotzker Rebbe, zt”l, remarked about this: “If one lagged behind and wound up in the third
group, it proves that he has far to go before he feels true love of Hashem! If he loved Hashem,
he would have rushed to be there earlier!”

The Rebbe of Radoshitz, zt”l, liked to tell a story about true love of Hashem. Once, he was staying
at an inn while on a journey. The Rebbe was awakened suddenly in the middle of the night as he
heard heart-rending moaning and sobbing, apparently emanating from the innkeeper’s own
quarters. The man was so brokenhearted that his cries had reached the Rebbe’s room. The Rebbe
said to himself, “It must be that this innkeeper is actually a hidden tzaddik. Although there was
nothing in the way he behaved when I met him earlier to indicate that he has it in him, it seems
that the mourning of Tikkun Chatzos has so overtaken him that even I can hear his crying. I’ve
never heard a more sincere recitation of the tefillah in my entire life!”

Just as the Rebbe was considering this new perspective on the innkeeper, the man’s loud moaning
apparently woke up his wife. Her voice trembled with worry as she called to him, “Yankel, what’s
the matter?” Yankel’s response was a real eye- opener for the Rebbe. The innkeeper sobbed,
“Kugel, kugel, kugel! Why does it have to be kugel every single night? This heartburn is killing
me!”

When telling the tale, the Rebbe of Radoshitz would end off by saying: “I had thought the
innkeeper was a nistar in love with Hashem and yearning for redemption. Little had I realized that
he was just in love with his stomach and yearning for a change in his evening menu!”

Rabbi Elliot Goldberg writes:6

Because Rosh Hashanah (the 1st day of the month of Tishrei), Sukkot(15 Tishrei) and Shemini
Atzeret (22 Tishrei) all start on the same day of the week, Jews often find that day quite busy
during the fall holiday season. Some years, fall weekends are swamped with Jewish holidays.
Other years, it’s three out of four Mondays. It turns out, though, that there are only four days of
the week on which this can happen. Because of the intentional design of the Jewish calendar, the
first day of Rosh Hashanah (and therefore also Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret) can only fall on a
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday. Today’s daf explains why.

The Jewish calendar is lunar; new months begin with the appearance of a new moon. Because the
lunar cycle is about 29.5 days, some months are 29 days, others are 30. As we’ll learn when we
get to Tractate Rosh Hashanah, eyewitness testimony was originally used to confirm the arrival of
a new moon. Under this system, the day of the week on which the holidays fell was not known in
advance — it depended on when the new moon was spotted in the sky.

5
https://www.dafdigest.org/masechtos/Sukkah%20054.pdf
6
Myjewishlearning.com

17
Over time, this practice of declaring a new month according to witness testimony fell by the
wayside and the calendar was established ahead of time based on the predictable appearance of a
new moon. But there was still disagreement about how this should be done.

The Gemara shares a proposal by a group of rabbis (labeled aherim, “others,” which often implies
that their view will not ultimately be accepted) who advocate for a fixed cycle of months that
alternate between 29 and 30 days. It’s a reasonable plan — straightforward, easy to remember, and
it creates a balanced calendar.

If implemented, this system would create a fixed 354 day year (six 29-day months and six 30-day
months) and it would be possible for Jewish holidays to begin on any day of the week, and the day
of the week would shift by four each year. So if Rosh Hashanah were to fall on a Thursday one
year, it would fall on a Monday the next, Friday the next, and so forth. Since 4 and 7 share no
prime factors — since they are, in math speak, “relatively prime” — eventually Rosh Hashanah
would fall on every day of the week. But some days are really inconvenient:

When the first festival day of Sukkot would happen to occur on Shabbat eve (i.e. Rosh Hashanah
falls on a Friday), we postpone it by adding a day to the month of Elul (which precedes Rosh
Hashanah) and observing both Rosh Hashanah and the first day of Sukkot on Shabbat. What
is the reason for doing so? The reason is this: If the first festival day occurs on Shabbat eve,
when is Yom Kippur that year? It is on Sunday.

If Rosh Hashanah were to fall on Friday, then Yom Kippur would fall on a Sunday — and that is
the real problem. If Yom Kippur were to fall on a Sunday (or Friday), there would be two
consecutive days when there is a severe prohibition against performing labor (festival labor
prohibitions are less severe than Shabbat labor prohibitions) and it would be difficult to observe
the first day and prepare for the next.

To prevent this from happening, the rabbis suggest, we adjust the number of days in the prior year
(and deviate from the pattern suggested by the aherim). Nowadays, we make this adjustments by
adding an extra day to Heshvan, the second month (making it 30 days long) or by deleting one
from Kislev, the third month (making it 29 days long). As a result, a regular Jewish year can be
353, 354 or 355 days.

Of course, none of this quite aligns with the approximately 365.25 days in a solar year. To solve
this problem, the rabbis also instituted a rotation of leap years that contain an extra 30-day month,
another Adar; these years are 383, 384 or 385 days.

By the way, in addition to fixing Rosh Hashanah so that it does not fall on Friday or Wednesday
so that Yom Kippur is not adjacent to Shabbat, Rosh Hashanah is also prevented from falling on a
Sunday so that Hoshanah Rabbah, the last day of Sukkot, does not fall on a Shabbat — but that’s
a story for another day.

18
 If you are interested in taking a deep dive into the Jewish
calendar, check out Sacha Stern’s Calendar and
Community: A History of the Jewish Calendar, 2nd
Century BCE to 10th Century CE.7

Rabbi Johnny Solomon writes:8

Having been taught that different songs were sung in the

Beit HaMikdash on different holy days, today’s daf
(Sukkah 54b) notes that when Rosh Chodesh falls on
Shabbat, the song for Rosh Chodesh precedes the song
for Shabbat.

The problem with this – as noted by the Gemara itself - is

that it conflicts with the Talmudic principle of ‫תדיר ושאינו‬
‫ תדיר קודם‬,‫ – תדיר‬meaning that when we have two mitzvot,
with one being more frequent than the other, then the
more frequent takes precedence. But how can the Gemara
establish a rule that overrides this principle?

Rav Yochanan responds by explaining that in this situation, the song of Rosh Chodesh is given
precedence over that of Shabbat ‫ – לידע שהוקבע ראש חודש בזמנו‬to inform and publicise to the people
that Rosh Chodesh (which, unlike Shabbat which begins and ends without human intervention
once every seven days, was established each month on the basis of witnesses who attested to seeing
the new moon) had been proclaimed by the Beit Din.

What this teaches us is that while the halachic principle of ‘the more frequent takes precedence’ is
applied in most cases, in situations when the less frequent has yet to be established and is nagging
on the mind of the people, then the less frequent takes precedence in order to ease the mind and
bring a sense of reassurance and clarity to the people.
In terms of our lives, we all have many things that we need to do on a daily basis which require
managing. Yet while – on most days – our priorities should be clear to us, once in a while decisions,
questions or upcoming events can be so significantly on our mind that our inability to liberate
ourselves for focusing on them can hold us back from attending to the things that need to get done
each day. If and when this occurs, we learn some pragmatic wisdom from today’s daf that there
are times when the principle of ‘the more frequent takes precedence’ can be overridden. And why?
So that, once we have achieved clarity and are at peace about the upcoming less frequent event,
we can then focus our attention on the more frequent.

7
8
www.rabbijohnnysolomon.com

19
 The Ark covered by a curtain and a menorah flanked by a shofar and an
incense shovel. from Synagogue of Beth She’an Photo Ticia Verveer

Rav Doniel Schreiber writes:9

9
https://etzion.org.il/en/holidays/rosh-hashana/defining-mitzva-shofar-how-many-sounds-must-we-hear

20
Who is unfamiliar with the call of the shofar? Its mystical, resonant cry annually proclaims the

coronation of the Almighty and has the power to move the hardest of hearts to repent. Indeed, as

the centerpiece of the Rosh Ha-shana service, tekiat shofar (blowing the shofar) generates a

mingling of excitement, tension, and anticipation unparalleled throughout the year.

Yet, even the mitzva of shofar, sublime and supernatural as it is, requires discipline and structure.

Its fidelity to specific sounds, its extensive framework and multiple note patterns seem almost an

encoded message to God. The question naturally beckons: what is the nature of the mitzva of

shofar, and from whence do its enigmatic notes arise? We will treat here the latter question, and

will deal with the former in a future article.

1. Nine Kolot

The gemara (Rosh Ha-shana [henceforth RH] 33b) derives the mitzva of shofar on Rosh Ha-shana

from the verse (Bemidbar 29:1): "And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month... a day

of terua it shall be to you." "Terua" refers to shofar since the Torah states (Vayikra 25:9): "And

you shall cause the shofar terua to be sound on the seventh month."[1] Moreover, the gemara

deduces that every terua note should have a tekia sounded before and after it, as is illustrated in

the verse (Vayikra 25:9): "And you shall cause the shofar terua to be sounded (ta'aviru shofar

terua) on the seventh month... you shall sound the shofar (ta'aviru shofar) throughout your land."

Since "ta'aviru," which implies an extended sound, i.e. a tekia, is cited both prior and subsequent

to the word "terua," on Rosh Ha-shana[2] we must blow a tekia, or a peshuta (a straight, flat sound),

both before and after the terua. This pattern is called a TRT, or a "tekia-terua-tekia."[3]

Chazal further adduce (RH 34a) that the TRT pattern must be sounded thrice, since the term "terua"

is specified three times in the Torah[4], and every terua, as we have established, must be preceded

21
and succeeded by a tekia. Nonetheless, despite this exegesis, Amoraim (RH 34a) dispute whether

or not this threefold repetition of TRT is a biblical or a rabbinic requirement.[5] Rambam (Hilkhot

Shofar 3:1) Tur (OC 590), and Shulchan Arukh (OC 590:1) all rule that the Torah itself requires

that we sound TRT three times - a total of nine kolot (sounds).

2. Thirty Kolot

If we are required by the Torah to sound only nine kolot on Rosh Ha-shana, why do we instead

blow three sets of tekia-shevarim-terua-tekia (TSRT), three sets of tekia-shevarim-tekia (TST),

and three sets of tekia-terua-tekia (TRT) - a total of thirty kolot? Rambam (Hilkhot Shofar 3:2,

based on Gemara RH 34a) explains:

Due to the great passage of time and extended exile, we are no longer sure as to the nature of the

"terua" cited in the Torah. We do not know whether it is similar to wailing ("yelulei yalil") of

weeping women (i.e. a terua, or nine short blasts), or the slow, deep sobbing ("genuchei ganach")

of someone heavily burdened (i.e. a shevarim, or three medium blasts), or whether it is like a

sobbing which naturally turns into a wailing (i.e. a shevarim-terua[6]).[7] Therefore, we perform

all three variations.[8]

On its face, this procedure seems absurd! Why must we sound thirty kolot to fulfill all the opinions?

Merely sounding the TSRT three times would accomplish this, as it contains both the shevarim

and the terua! The gemara (RH 34a) poses this question, and responds that we cannot rely on the

TSRT alone because we desire an uninterrupted continuity between the kolot. Since either the

shevarim or terua is an incorrect version of the Torah's "terua," sounding both of them together

will certainly create a hefsek (interruption) between the valid kolot.

22
The problem with this answer is that the gemara itself (RH 34b and Sukka 53b-54a) rules in

accordance with Rabanan who state: "One who has heard nine tekiot in a period of nine hours has

fulfilled his obligation," in contrast with R. Yehuda's opinion (Sukka ibid.) that in such a case one

has not fulfilled his obligation. If so, considering that one must inevitably experience an

"interruption" in a period of nine hours, the gemara apparently rules that an interruption between

tekiot does not invalidate them. How then can the gemara be concerned that either the shevarim or

terua may be considered incorrect and thus a hefsek?

Rishonim offer different solutions to this problem. Rabbeinu Tam (cited in Ran, RH 10b in the

pages of the Rif) understands that indeed, fundamentally, an interruption between tekiot does not

invalidate them. Accordingly, one could actually fulfill all opinions of the correct "terua" by

merely blowing three sets of TSRT, regardless of any interruption. Nonetheless, the gemara

legislated that we blow each version of "terua" because the rabbis' enactment aspires to fulfill all

opinions related to tekiat shofar. Thus, we blow thirty kolot to satisfy R. Yehuda's opinion that an

interruption between the tekiot does invalidate them.

Ramban (cited in Ran, ibid.) disagrees, understanding that according to the gemara an interruption

between tekiot definitely invalidates the tekiot, and thus sounding the thirty kolot is not merely an

added concern or stringency, but rather is required for the basic fulfillment of this law. This does

not contradict the gemara's ruling in accordance with Rabanan that "One who has heard nine tekiot

in a period of nine hours has fulfilled his obligation," since this only teaches that a long period of

elapsed time does not invalidate the tekiot. The gemara would agree, however, that an interruption

of an incorrect kol would invalidate the tekiot.[9]

23
3. Sixty Kolot

If sounding thirty kolot on Rosh Ha-shana is either the result of a stringency or in fact mandated

by the basic halakha, why then do we blow sixty kolot - thirty tekiot before Musaf[10], and thirty

tekiot during Musaf?[11] The gemara (RH 16a-b) asks this question as well, and explains that this

is a rabbinic legislation designed "to confuse the Satan."[12] Therefore, Chazal established that

we sound thirty kolot after the Torah reading - tekiot de-meyushav, i.e. the tekiot for which one

can sit (even though one may sit for these tekiot, the custom is to stand) - and thirty kolot in tefillat

Musaf - tekiot de-meumad, i.e. tekiot for which one must stand (since one must stand while in the

midst of the amida prayer). Accordingly, only one set of thirty kolot is the primary mitzva of

shofar, whilst the other set of thirty is merely a rabbinic diversion of the Satan.[13]

Which set of thirty sounds, then, is the primary set of tekiot designated for the fulfillment of the

biblical mitzva of shofar: the tekiot de-meyushav or de-meumad? The answer is particularly

important because only regarding the primary set ought we apply any stringencies, and ought we

have intention to fulfill the biblical mitzva. This issue is in fact a subject of dispute amongst

Rishonim[14], and is not resolved definitively in the Shulchan Arukh. Thus, it is best to have

intention to fulfill the biblical mitzva in both sets of tekiot.[15]

4. One Hundred Kolot

1. Nine Kolot

2. Thirty Kolot

3. Sixty Kolot

4. One Hundred Kolot

24
We have explained the rationale for sounding sixty kolot. Nine kolot do not suffice since we are

unsure as to the precise sound of a terua. Thirty kolot, which fulfill all versions of terua, do not

ensure defeat of the Satan. Blowing sixty kolot, then, seems to solve all possible problems, and

fulfills the various opinions of terua. If so, why do we have the custom to blow, not nine, not thirty,

nor sixty, but one hundred kolot? Rishonim (Arukh, cited in Tosafot, RH 33b, s.v. shiur terua) cite

a most intriguing reason: "To nullify [the effect of] the one hundred sobs wept by Sisera's mother."

Be that as it may, there are two different customs in the blowing of one hundred kolot. While all

have the custom to blow thirty kolot after Torah readinbut before Musaf, there is a difference of

opinion on how to blow during Musaf. According to one custom,[16] thirty kolot should be blown

during the silent Shemoneh Esrei, another thirty during chazarat ha-shatz (the cantor's repetition)

of Musaf, and an additional ten kolot after the completion of the repetition of the Amida prayer. A

second custom[17] is to refrain from blowing shofar during the silent Shemoneh Esrei of Musaf,

but to sound thirty kolot in chazarat ha-shatz of Musaf, and an additional forty at its completion.

It is also important to note that there exists a dispute among Rishonim as to the order of the kolot

sounded in Musaf, whether in the silent or repeated Shemoneh Esrei. One opinion[18] is that TSRT

should be sounded for "Malkhiyot," TST for "Zikhronot," and TRT for "Shofrot." This is the ruling

of Shulchan Arukh (OC 592:1). A second opinion[19] understands that TSRT alone should be

sounded for "Malkhiyot," "Zikhronot," and "Shofarot;" this is the ruling of Rema (OC 592:1). A

third opinion (Ari z"l, cited in Shelah, p. 217) feels that TSRT, TST, and TRT should be sounded

for each berakha of "Malkhiyot," "Zikhronot," and "Shofarot." Currently, this is the most

widespread custom.

25
Clearly, then, tekiat shofar is a vast and multi-leveled mitzva. Indeed, its unique mixture of beauty

and discipline serves to elevate and transform mere sound vibration into an exalted kol shofar.

However, the most obvious testimony to the sanctity of kol shofar is its powerful and poignant

effect upon all of us. The depths to which we are moved, if properly internalized, can change the

course of our lives and alter our very destinies. May we merit that the kol shofar reach not only

our ears, but our hearts as well, as we usher in a shana tova u-metuka.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Even though this verse is discussing the laws of Yom Ha-kippurim during the Jubilee year, and not the laws of Rosh Ha-shana,

Chazal understood (through a gezera shava of the words "shevi'i") that all the teruot of the seventh month, Tishrei, have identical

laws.

[2] As well as on Yom Ha-kippurim during the Jubilee year. See note above.

[3] The Gemara (Sukka 53b) cites a Tannaitic dispute as to whether "tekia-terua-tekia" is one mitzva (R. Yehuda) or each tekia and

terua is counted as a separate mitzva (Chakhamim). See also Galya Masekhta, OC 3.

[4] The term "terua" is found twice with reference to Rosh Ha-shana: "zikhron terua" (Vayikra 23:24) and "yom terua" (Bemidbar

29:1), and once regarding Yom Ha-kippurim during the Jubilee year: "shofar terua" (Vayikra 25:9). Utilizing the above-mentioned

gezera shava of "shevi'i shevi'i," Chazal understood that all the teruot of the seventh month should be combined, adding up to three

teruot.

[5] The gemara cites three opinions: 1) TRT must be sounded once according to Torah law, and the requirement of three times is a

rabbinic addition; 2) TRT must be sounded twice according to the Torah, and a third time according to the rabbis; 3) TRT must be

sounded three times according to biblical law.

[6] See Ran (RH 34a) and Tur (OC 590), who note a dispute amongst Rishonim as to whether a "shevarim-terua" should be blown

in one breath (Ramban and Rosh), or in two breaths (Rabbeinu Tam and most Rishonim). Shulchan Arukh (ibid., par. 4) cites both

opinions and concludes: "One who is Godfearing should fulfill both opinions by blowing them in one breath in the tekiot de-

meyushav, and in two breaths in the tekiot de-meumad." Rema (ibid.) adds: "The custom is to blow all of them in two breaths, and

26
the custom should not be altered." See Mishna Berura (ibid.). However, Rav Soloveitchik "ruled that the shevarim-terua should be

blown in one breath, as they represent one sound. Indeed, he conducted himself this way for all three phases of the tekiot (de-

meyushav, tefilla be-lachash, and chazarat ha-shatz), and only after Kaddish Titkabel did he add a set of three TSRT blown in two

breaths to fulfill all opinions. Thus, instead of blowing one hundred kolot, they blew one hundred and two kolot." See Nefesh Ha-

rav, by mori ve-rabbi Rabbi Herschel Schachter, p. 206, par. 14.

[7] Apparently, according to Rambam, there is only one correct way to the blow a "terua," and the incorrect versions are pasul, or

invalid. Yet, Rav Hai Gaon (cited in Ran, RH 10a in the pages of the Rif, and in the Rosh 4:10) rules that all the versions of "terua"

are valid according to the Torah (see also Otzar Ha-geonim, siman 117). If so, why do we blow three sets of each version for a total

of thirty kolot; should not three sets of one version suffice? The reason we blow each version, says Rav Hai Gaon, "is in order that

the Torah should not look like two different Torot" due to the diversity of customs. See Beit Yosef, OC 590. See also Mesorah

Torah Journal, vol. 6, Kislev 5752, p. 20.

[8] The Gemara (RH 34a) says that due to this uncertainty, Rav Avahu, in Caesarea, legislated that we sound three sets of TSRT,

of TST and of TRT, which are thirty kolot in all, in order to fulfill the biblical obligation according to all opinions. See also Mishna

RH 33b, and Gemara ibid. 33b-34a, which discusses the length of the tekia, shevarim, and terua. In this connection, see Shulchan

Arukh, OC 590. See also Nefesh Ha-rav, pp. 206-207 which discusses the Rav's unique suggestion which could satisfy all opinions.

[9] See Shulchan Arukh (OC 590:7-9) for the proper conduct in case of sounding an incorrect note. See also Nefesh Ha-rav, p. 206,

par. 13.

[10] Shulchan Arukh (OC 588:1) rules:

"The time for tekiat shofar is only during the day, and not at night, and the mitzva begins from sunrise onwards. If, however, one

blew from the time of the rising of the morning star, he has fulfilled his obligation. If he heard some of the tekia prior to the rising

of the morning star, he has not fulfilled his obligation."

The source for Shulchan Arukh's ruling is found in Mishna Megilla 20b, which states: "The entire day is valid for blowing the

shofar," and the gemara explains that this is because the Torah states: "A day of terua shall it be unto you" (Bemidbar 29:1). Arukh

Ha-shulchan further explains that even though a "day" in the Torah is counted as twenty-four hours, which would include the

nighttime, here "a day of terua" is redundant, and teaches that the mitzva applies only during the day and not at night.

[11] An interesting question is raised by the Gemara (RH 32b): "Why do we fulfill mitzvat shofar only in the middle of prayer and

not immediately when we wake up in the morning? Have we not established that the alacritous hasten to fulfill mitzvot?" The

gemara answers: They did not blow immediately in the morning "due to the decree of the government." Rashi explains: "Our

enemies decreed that the Jews should not blow, and they ambushed the Jews all six hours of the morning until the end of the

Shacharit prayer; therefore the Jews began to blow during the Musaf prayer." Tosafot further explain:

27
"Even though the government decree has been dissolved, we do not act as we originally did, even though the halakha is one should

hasten to perform mitzvot, because we are afraid that a new decree will be established as before. And the Yerushalmi's explanation

[for the delay] makes more sense, since it explains that our enemies thought we had gathered to blow trumpets of war, and thus

they came and killed the Jews. Therefore Chazal legislated that we blow during Musaf, since when our enemies see that we are

saying Keriyat Shema, Shemoneh Esrei, reading from the Torah, and then again saying Shemoneh Esrei and then blowing, they

will say that the Jews are merely involved in their prayers, i.e. in their laws and Torah."

[12] For further elaboration of this concept, see Mikraei Kodesh, by R. Zvi Pesach Frank, Chelek Yamim Noraim, p. 27.

[13] There is no prohibition of "bal tosif" (adding to mitzvot) here for a variety of reasons: "Bal tosif" is not a concern when 1) the

same mitzva is repeated again and again (Tosafot, RH 16b, s.v. ve-tokim); 2) the mitzva is performed at the improper time (initial

position of Tosafot ibid.); 3) the mitzva is a rabbinic enactment (Rashba anRitva, RH 16b); and 4) the mitzva is not performed for

the sake of doing a mitzva, and according to some opinions the tekiot de-meumad are indeed for the sake of prayer and not for the

sake of tekia, just as we sound the shofar on a fast day as part of prayer (Ramban, Milchamot ibid., and Ritva, RH 34a, s.v. ve-

nishal). See also Minchat Chinukh on Bal Tosif, mitzva 454.

[14] The Talmud Yerushalmi (RH 4:8) seems to understand that tekiot de-meyushav are the primary tekiot, and this is the ruling

of Rabbeinu Chananel (RH 16a), Rif (ibid. 10b-11a in the pages of the Rif), Rambam (Hilkhot Shofar 3:12), Rashba (ibid.), Ritva

(ibid., and 34a), and Meiri (ibid.). [However, see Griz, Kuntras Ha-moadim, p. 223, who understands that according to Rambam

tekiot de-meumad are primary]. Indeed, they are strict about fulfilling all opinions in the tekiot de-meyushav. Moreover, this seems

to be the position of Rashi (RH 16b, s.v. le-arbev), who writes that tekiot de-meumad are merely a function of "chibuv mitzva,"

affection for mitzva, in order to confuse the Satan. This implies that they are not the primary mitzva, but rather the tekiot de-

meyushav are primary.

On the other hand, Ran (RH 16b) and Tur (OC 685) rule that tekiot de-meumad are primary. The position of Rabbeinu Tam and

Tosafot also seems to point in this direction, but this needs further elaboration. Of interest is the position of Ba'al Ha-maor (RH

10b in the pages of the Rif) who writes:

"It appears to me that our custom of blowing tekiot de-meyushav and reciting on them the blessing of tekia is not in accord with

the custom of the Talmudic sages. It is rather a custom introduced by later generations so that people who leave prayer prior to

Musaf can still fulfill the mitzva of shofar. To this end, earlier tekiot (tekiot de-meyushav) were introduced, as well as a condensed

version of the blessing of tekia. In fact, however, the primary blessings are those of Musaf: Malkhiyot, Zikhronot, and Shofarot."

28
However, Ra'avad (Katuv Sham) vehemently argues that tekiot de-meyushav existed in the time of the Talmud.

This dispute might be related to the issue of whether reciting the verses of Malkhiyot, Zikhronot, and Shofarot in the Musaf prayer

is a biblical or rabbinic law. If the recitation is of biblical authority, it would seem that Musaf is the primary slot for sounding the

shofar. Rashi (Bemidbar 10:10, s.v. ani, based RH 32a) understands that reciting these verses is required by the Torah, whereas

Ramban (Vayikra 23:24, and Drasha le-Rosh Ha-shana, chap. 8 in the Makhon Ha-Talmud Ha-Yisraeli edition) believes it is a

rabbinic requirement. For further elaboration of this dispute, see Mesorah Torah Journal, vol. 6, Kislev 5752, pp. 19-20.

In any event, Rav Chaim Brisker rules that one must listen to every word of the sheliach tzibbur (prayer leader) in order to fulfill

"tekiat shofar al seder ha-berakhot," blowing the shofar along with the blessings. See also Nefesh Ha-rav, p. 209, par. 23. Therefore

Rav Chaim suggested that one ought to not pray an overly long Shemoneh Esrei so that he will be able to listen to every word of

chazarat ha-shatz (the cantor's repetition) afterwards.

[15] See Sefer Mikraei Kodesh, by Rav Zvi Pesach Frank, chelek Yamim Noraim, p. 63, in the additions by the Harerei Kodesh.

[16] This is generally the custom of Sephardic and Chassidic congregations. This was also the custom of Rav Soloveitchik. See

Nefesh Ha-rav, p. 205, par. 10.

[17] This is generally the custom in Ashkenazic/Mitnagged congregations. This is the suggested custom cited in Mishna Berura

592:1.

[18] See Rif (RH 10b in the pages of the Rif), Ba'al Ha-maor (ibid. 10a), Rambam (Hilkhot Shofar 3:10). This opinion seems

problematic, however, since in fact only one of the three sets of sounds, either TSRT, TST, or TRT, is actually kosher, as discussed

above. Thus, only one of the berakhot of "Malkhiyot," "Zikhronot," or "Shofarot" is receiving the proper accompanying sounds!

This difficulty, of course, does not exist according to Rav Hai Gaon (see above), who understands that in fact all versions of "terua"

are correct. However, according to Rambam's opinion that only one version is actually kosher, the question stands. Rav Soloveitchik

suggests, along the lines of Ramban (RH 16a, in his Milchamot) and Ritva (RH 34a, s.v. Ve-nishal), that the tekiot of Musaf do not

derive from the mitzva of shofar, but rather from the mitzva of prayer in time of distress, and for such tekiot any form of terua

suffices. See Mesorah Torah Journal, vol. 6, Kislev 5752, pp. 20-21.

[19] Rabbeinu Tam, cited in Tosafot RH 33b, s.v. Shiur. Rabbeinu Tam is not concerned about an invalid kol (either the terua or

shevarim) creating an interruption, since, as noted above, he rules that such an interruption does not invalidate the tekiot.

29
 The Biblical Use of The Shofar 10

1. Gather God's people at Mt. Sinai.

• Exodus 19:13

When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come near the mountain."

• Exodus 19:16,17

16 Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and
lightning, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud so that
all the people who were in the camp trembled.17 And Moses brought the people out of the camp
to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.

The blast of the shofar, known as the trump of God. This sound caused great fear and reverence
when God came down upon Sinai to establish His covenant with the people.

The sound of the Shofar calls us close to Yeshua and reminds us of the new covenant that He has
established with all the people of the earth. We can come to Him in reverence and godly fear.

2. Proclaim liberty in the year of Jubilee.

Leviticus 25:9,10

9 Then you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month;
on the Day of Atonement you shall make the trumpet to sound throughout all your land.10 And

10
https://www.proshofar.com/religious-
articles/Biblical%20Use%20of%20The%20Shofar%20Old%20Testament%20VS%20New%20Testament%20.html

30
you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its
inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you, and each of you shall return to his possession, and each
of you shall return to his family.

Just as the Shofar was the signal of God gathering His people to himself when He came down
upon Sinai to establish His covenant with His people , so the same sound announced, at the close
of the great day of atonement, after the evening sacrifice, the year which restored to the people
the freedom and the blessings of the covenant.

The sound of the Shofar reminds us of the liberty that we have in Yeshua. He has established the
new covenant with us and we receive liberty as we receive the total forgiveness of our debt of
sin. And now we are heirs of the blessings of His covenant.

3. Break down walls and bring the defeat of their enemies

Joshua 6:2-5

2. And the LORD said to Joshua: "See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the
mighty men of valor.3 You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all
around the city once. This you shall do six days.4 And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of
rams' horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and
the priests shall blow the trumpets.5 It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the
ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a
great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man
straight before him."

Joshua 6:20

20 So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people
heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down
flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.

• When the shofars were blown and the people shouted the walls came down and their
enemies were defeated.

4. Celebrate the Ark of the Covenant.

2 Samuel 6:15

15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and with
the sound of the trumpet.

David and all the nation of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with jubilee and the blowing of
the Shofar. This expressed the sound of jubilee and the joyous shouting of the people.

31
5. Rally the people for war.

Jeremiah 4:5

Declare in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say: "Blow the trumpet in the land;

Cry, 'Gather together,' And say,'Assemble yourselves, And let us go into the fortified cities.'

Jeremiah 6:1

"O you children of Benjamin, Gather yourselves to flee from the midst of Jerusalem!

Blow the trumpet in Tekoa, And set up a signal-fire in Beth Haccerem;

1 Samuel 13:3-4

3 And Jonathan attacked the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines
heard of it. Then Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear!"4
Now all Israel heard it said that Saul had attacked a garrison of the Philistines and that Israel had
also become an abomination to the Philistines. And the people were called together to Saul at
Gilgal.

Saul blew the shofar throughout all the land proclaiming liberty from the oppression of the
Philistines and rallying the people together to fight and bring about the defeat of their enemy.
The first blast was blown in the places nearby and a signal fire was lit. A second blast was
blown, then answered in a more distant locality along with a signal fire, this way the
proclamation was sent quickly throughout the whole country to call the people together to fight.

6. Overcome the enemy.

Judges 7:19-21

19 So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outpost of the camp at the
beginning of the middle watch, just as they had posted the watch; and they blew the trumpets and
broke the pitchers that were in their hands.20 Then the three companies blew the trumpets and
broke the pitchers -- they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands
for blowing -- and they cried, "The sword of the LORD and of Gideon!"

When Gideon and his men blew the Shofar they were declaring the defeat of their enemies.

7. Stop fighting among brethren.

2 Samuel 2:26-29

32
26 Then Abner called to Joab and said, "Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it
will be bitter in the latter end? How long will it be then until you tell the people to return from
pursuing their brethren?" 27 And Joab said, "As God lives, unless you had spoken, surely then
by morning all the people would have given up pursuing their brethren."28 So Joab blew a
trumpet, and all the people stood still and did not pursue Israel anymore, nor did they fight
anymore.

Joab used the sound of the Shofar to stop the people from fighting among each other.

When the Shofar is blown it will stop division among the brethren and call the people to stop
fighting and come together in unity.

8. Warn of judgment for sin

Ezekiel 33:3-6

3 when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people,4
then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and
takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head.5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did
not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life.6
But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are
not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his
iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand.'

The sound of the Shofar was used to warn the people to repent and turn to God to stop judgment
from coming on the people because of their iniquity.

9. Warn of the coming Day of the Lord

Joel 2:1

Blow the trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm in My holy mountain!

Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the LORD is coming,

For it is at hand.

The trumpet of God will sound as a warning of the coming day of judgment.

10. Announce the establishment of a king

1 Kings 1:34

34 There let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel; and blow the
horn, and say,'Long live King Solomon!

33
2 Kings 11:12

12 And he brought out the king's son, put the crown on him, and gave him the Testimony; they
made him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said,"Long live the king!"

2 Kings 11:14

14 There was the king standing by a pillar according to custom, and the leaders and the
trumpeters were by the king. All the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets.

The blowing of the Shofar recognized the authority of the king as established by God.

11. Declare a New Beginning

Numbers 10:10

10 Also in the day of your gladness, in your appointed feasts, and at the beginning of your
months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your
peace offerings; and they shall be a memorial for you before your God: I am the LORD your
God."

Psalm 81:3

3 Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon,

At the full moon, on our solemn feast day.

The blowing of the Shofar was used as a reminder to approach anything that was done for God
with thanksgiving. And to declare a new beginning,

When the Shofar is blown it is a reminder to us that when we begin anything or offer anything to
God that we must do it with thanksgiving.

12. Accompany the song of the Lord

Chronicles 29:26-29

26 The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.27 Then
Hezekiah commanded them to offer the burnt offering on the altar. And when the burnt offering
began, the song of the LORD also began, with the trumpets and with the instruments of David
king of Israel.28 So all the assembly worshiped, the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; all
this continued until the burnt offering was finished.

34
The Shofar was blown as an act of worship while the Levites were operating in their ministry
before the Lord.

13. Gather people to worship

Isaiah 27:13

13 So it shall be in that day:

The great trumpet will be blown;

They will come, who are about to perish in the land of Assyria,

And they who are outcasts in the land of Egypt,

And shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem.

Isaiah declares that the Trump of God will sound and people will gather together to worship
God.

When the Shofar sounds it is a call to gather ourselves to God to enter into worship.

14. To Praise & Worship God

Psalm 47:5-6

5 God has gone up with a shout, The LORD with the sound of a trumpet.

6 Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises!

Psalm 98:6

6 With trumpets and the sound of a horn; Shout joyfully before the LORD, the King.

Psalm 150:3

3 Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;

The Shofar was used in worship on many occasions. Many of them are recorded in the book of
Chronicles. 1 Chronicles 13:8,15:24-28,16:6,42 and 2 Chronicles 5:12-13,7:6,13:12-
14,15:14,23:13,29:26-27

35
Lintel fragment decorated with a menorah flanked by a shofar and an incense
shovel. Golan, Israel. Photo Ticia Verveer.

“Concentration”
Ari Sacher writes: 11

Hashem commands Moshe to fashion two silver trumpets (hatzotzrot). These were dual-purpose
trumpets. One purpose was to serve as a kind of Public Address system: the trumpets would be
blown to summon the Princes or to initiate the travel sequence for the entire nation.

11
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/concentration-parashat-behaalotecha-5775/

36
There was another use [Bemidbar 10:9-10]: “If you come to war in your land against an
adversary that oppresses you, you shall blow the trumpets and be remembered before Hashem,
and you shall be saved from your enemies. On the days of your rejoicing, your festivals and your
new-moon celebrations, you shall blow the trumpets for your olah-offerings and your peace-
sacrifices, and it shall be a remembrance before Hashem”.

There is a crucial difference between the two uses of the trumpets. The first use was only relevant
during the forty-year sojourn in the Sinai Desert. Once Am Yisrael crossed the Jordan River into
the Land of Israel the trumpets could be stored in the attic[1]. The second use, on the other hand,
remained relevant long after Am Yisrael crossed the Jordan River. The trumpets were blown on
two occasions: in times of extreme adversity and in times of extreme joy. The Torah defines
“extreme adversity” as imminent war.

When the enemy is at the gates, we are commanded to blow the trumpets. “Extreme happiness”
is defined as the service in the Beit Hamikdash. The Mishnah in Tractate Sukkah [5:5] teaches
that trumpets were blown twice each day during the offering of the daily Tamid sacrifice, and on
festivals and New Moons during the offering of the Mussaf sacrifice. As sacrifices have not been
offered since the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash nearly two thousand years ago, the only time
the trumpets are blown today is in cases of imminent war.

Except that they’re not. Last summer three teenagers were kidnapped and murdered by the Hamas.
Hostilities escalated into a full-blown shooting war that lasted for six weeks. During those six
weeks Jews around the world met in synagogues to offer prayer, and many gatherings were held
at the Kotel to pray for the welfare of the IDF soldiers. But nobody blew a trumpet. The question
is “why not”?

Rav Avraham Gombiner, writing in the Magen Avraham [OHC 576:1] precisely asks this question
and he leaves it unanswered. Rav Yossef ben Meir Teomim, writing in the “Eshel Avraham”[2],
suggests that the mitzvah of blowing the trumpet in times of war is relevant only in the Land of
Israel[3]. For Rav Teomim, who lived in Poland, this was a viable answer. For me, who lives in
Moreshet, not so much.

I’d like to propose a solution, but first we require some background. In his “Sefer HaMitzvot” the
Rambam enumerates all of the six-hundred and thirteen mitzvot in the Torah.

In Positive Commandment #59 he writes “The commandment to blow the trumpets in

the Mikdash during the offering of sacrifices, as the Torah commands us ‘On the days of your
rejoicing…’ The laws are discussed [in the Mishnah] and command us to blow the trumpets
during times of distress when we call out to Hashem, as the verse says, ‘If you come to war…’”

Notice that the Rambam has merged two mitzvot together:

[1] blowing the trumpet in times of adversity and

[2] blowing the trumpet in times of joy.

Why does he not count each as a separate mitzvah?

37
This question is also asked by Rav Teomim, and he bases his answer on a comment made by
the Ba’al Sefer HaChinuch[4], who states in no uncertain terms that the rationale[5] of the
commandment to blow the trumpets, both in times of happiness and in times of adversity, is based
on kavana – concentration. A sacrifice requires great concentration. The slightest doubt as to
whether the sacrifice was offered without the proper intent disqualifies the sacrifice. Similarly,
when a person’s life is in danger he must concentrate on his prayers. He cannot afford to let his
thoughts drift.

The purpose of the trumpet is to aid him in his concentration. The blast of the trumpet can block
all irrelevant thoughts from a person’s mind so that the only thing on his mind is the sacrifice he
is offering or the battle he is about to fight. Rav Teomim suggests that blowing the trumpet in
times of great joy and great adversity are counted as one mitzvah because in both cases the trumpet
is blown for the same reason[6].

One last piece of background is still missing. The Torah commands us to blow the trumpets “on
the days of your rejoicing”. We saw above that the Mishnah learns from these words that the
trumpets are blown twice daily during the offering of the daily Tamid sacrifice.

Is every day really a “day of rejoicing”? Wouldn’t it have fit in better with the text were we to
blow the trumpets when offering a Todah (Thanksgiving) sacrifice, a sacrifice that is offered after
Hashem has saved a person from near-death?

Rav Samson Rafael Hirsch asserts that this is precisely the lesson that the Torah is teaching us.
Each and every day has the potential to be a “day of rejoicing”. If we find out that we are being
audited or if we have to run to the bomb shelter because somebody fired a rocket at us, then the
day becomes a “day of adversity”. But even if the day was just another run-of-the-mill ordinary
day, then it is still considered a “day of rejoicing”. The fact that most of us don’t see it this way is
our problem.

Rav Shimon ben Pazi writes in the Midrash[7] that the most important verse in the Torah – more
important than “Love your neighbor as you love yourself” – is the verse referring to the
daily Tamid sacrifice [Bemidbar 28:4] “You shall offer one lamb in the morning and the other
lamb in the afternoon.” Each and every day we are given an opportunity to make the world a more
Godly place, even though our most mundane actions. This, teaches Rav Hirsch, is cause for
rejoicing.

With this background we are now ready to return to our original question: why do we not blow the
trumpet today in times of distress?

It has been said that there are no atheists in foxholes. In times of extreme danger, when the bullets
are flying, many people experience a religious epiphany. Last summer, the kidnapping, the ensuing
search, the rocket attacks and the incursion into Gaza had certain positive effects on the nation as
a whole. There was a palpable decrease in the amount of infighting, the air was charged with
spirituality, and there was an indescribable feeling of closeness – between man and his fellow man,
and, yes, between man and G-d. By concentrating we could hear Hashem speaking, even though
we may not have liked what He had to say.

38
That was last year. One year later Gaza is relatively quiet[8]. We’ve all returned to our shells and
to our old routines. We are experiencing new levels of infighting, in politics, in our synagogues,
and in our back yard. The pervasive feeling of closeness evaporated almost as quickly as it came.
I don’t think anyone out there is interested in rejoicing.

The reason we don’t blow the trumpets today in times of adversity is because we cannot blow the
trumpet in times of adversity if we feel no need to blow it in times of joy. How damning it is that
most of us today wouldn’t recognize a “time of joy” if it hit us over the head with a stick.
[1] This kind of mitzvah is called “tzorech sha’ah”. It has only short-term relevance.
[2] The “Eshel Avraham” along with the “Mishbetzot Zahav” make up the famous “Pri Megadim”.
[3] He bases this on the words of the verse “If you come to war in your land”
[4] The Sefer HaChinuch is one of the oldest books to enumerate the six-hundred and thirteen mitzvot in the Torah. The author of
the Sefer HaChinuch chose not to identify himself, saying only that he was a “Levite from Barcelona”. For this reason he is called
simply “Ba’al Sefer HaChinuch”, literally “The Person who Wrote the Sefer HaChinuch [Whoever He Might Be].”
[5] The Sefer HaChinuch follows the same format for all of the mitzvot: It discusses the source of the mitzvah, its rationale, some
of its particulars, and its relevance.
[6] Compare this, says Rav Teomim, with the blowing of the shofar on Rosh HaShanah and on Yovel (Jubilee) which the Rambam
counts as two separate mitzvot. The shofar is blown on Rosh HaShanah to jar a person to repent, while it is blown on Yovel to
“proclaim freedom throughout the land”. As these are two different reasons, the Rambam counts them as two different mitzvot.
[7] This Midrash is located in the preface to the Ein Yaakov.
[8] Make no mistake. The Hamas are hard at work preparing for the next war. So, for that matter, are the Hezbollah. And the
Iranians. And ISIL…

39
 BLOW THE TRUMPETS IN ZION: THE SILVER TRUMPETS

ARIEL WRITES:12

.‫ֹמֶשׁה ֵלּאֹמר‬-‫ ֶאל‬,‫א ַו ְיַדֵבּר ְיהָוה‬ 1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:

;‫ ַתֲּﬠֶשׂה ֹאָתם‬,‫ִמְקָשׁה‬--‫ ְשֵׁתּי ֲחצוְֹצֹרת ֶכֶּסף‬,•‫ב ֲﬠֵשׂה ְל‬ 2 'Make these two trumpets of silver; of
.‫ַהַמֲּחנוֹת‬-‫ וְּלַמַסּע ֶאת‬,‫ְוָהיוּ ְל• ְלִמְקָרא ָהֵﬠָדה‬ beaten work shalt thou make them; and they
shall be unto thee for the calling of the
congregation, and for causing the camps to set
forward.

‫ֶפַּתח ֹאֶהל‬-‫ ֶאל‬,‫ָהֵﬠָדה‬-‫ ְונוֲֹﬠדוּ ֵאֶלי• ָכּל‬--‫ ָבֵּהן‬,‫ג ְוָתְקעוּ‬ 3 And when they shall blow with them, all the
.‫מוֵֹﬠד‬ congregation shall gather themselves unto
thee at the door of the tent of meeting.

‫ ָראֵשׁי‬,‫ ְונוֲֹﬠדוּ ֵאֶלי• ַה ְנִּשׂיִאים‬--‫ ִיְתָקעוּ‬,‫ְבַּאַחת‬-‫ד ְוִאם‬ 4 And if they blow but with one, then the
.‫ַאְלֵפי ִיְשָׂרֵאל‬ princes, the heads of the thousands of Israel,
shall gather themselves unto thee.

“The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Make two silver trumpets. Of hammered work you shall
make them, and you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for breaking camp.
And when both are blown, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the entrance
of the tent of meeting.” (Numbers 10:1-4)

The original Hebrew word for ‘trumpet’ is ‘Chatzo’tzerah’ {‫ }חצוצרה‬. This is a fascinating word
because we do not know for sure what its origin is. In fact, this Hebrew word has a four letter root
– which is very rare to find in the Hebrew language – H- Z- Z-R. {‫ר‬-‫צ‬-‫צ‬-‫}ח‬

Some of the Hebrew scholars believe that this word came from the Hebrew adjective ‫ ׳‬zar’ {‫}צר‬
which means ‘narrow’ and suggests the narrow shape of this instrument.

The ‘Septuagint’ (the old Greek translation of the Bible) is very clear about the difference between
the ‘Chatzo’tzerah’ (‘trumpet’) and the ‘Shofar’ {‫‘( }שופר‬horn’), as can be found in the following
example from Psalms:

‫ ִלְפֵני‬,‫ָה ִריעוּ‬ --‫ ְוקוֹל שׁוָֹפר‬,‫ו ַבֲּחֹצְצרוֹת‬ 6 With trumpets and sound of the horn shout ye before the
.‫ַהֶמֶּל© ְיהָוה‬ King, the LORD.

12
https://www.hebrewversity.com/blow-trumpets-zion-silver-trumpets/

40
“With TRUMPETS and the sound of the HORN make a joyful noise before the King, the
LORD!” (Psalm 98:6)

There, according to the Old Greek translation, the ‘trumpet’ is made out of metal and the ‘Shofar’
is made out of an animal’s horn. By the way, in the old Latin translation (the ‘Vulgate’) the word
for ‘trumpet’ is ‘tuba.‫׳‬

One of the main differences between the ‘Shofar’ and the ‘trumpet’ is that while everyone could
blow in the ‘Shofar,’ in the ‘trumpet’ ONLY the priests were allowed to do so:

‫ ִיְתְקעוּ‬,‫ח וְּבֵני ַאֲהֹרן ַהֹכֲּה ִנים‬ 8 And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the
,‫ַבֲּחֹצְצרוֹת; ְוָהיוּ ָלֶכם ְלֻחַקּת עוָֹלם‬ trumpets; and they shall be to you for a statute forever
.‫ְלֹדֹרֵתיֶכם‬ throughout your generations.

“And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets. he trumpets shall be to you for a
perpetual statute throughout your generations.” (Numbers 10:8)

The importance of the role the trumpet played in the Temple in Jerusalem can be found in the Book
of Ezra (among others) at the description of the rebuilding of the Temple:

;‫ֵהיַכל ְיהָוה‬-‫ ֶאת‬,‫י ְו ִיְסּדוּ ַהֹבּ ִנים‬ 10 And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple
,‫ַוַיֲּﬠִמידוּ ַהֹכֲּה ִנים ְמֻלָבִּשׁים ַבֲּחֹצְצרוֹת‬ of the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with
‫ְלַהֵלּל‬--‫ָאָסף ַבְּמִצְלַתּ ִים‬-‫ְוַהְל ִו ִיּם ְבֵּני‬ trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to
.‫ ִיְשָׂרֵאל‬-©‫ ְיֵדי ָדּ ִויד ֶמֶל‬-‫ ַﬠל‬,‫ ְיהָוה‬-‫ֶאת‬ praise the LORD, according to the direction of David king of
Israel.

“And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests in their
vestments came forward with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to
praise the LORD, according to the directions of David king of Israel.” (Ezra 3:10)

41
42