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Rosh Hashanah 27a

ראש השנה כ״ז ע״א

Learn Rosh Hashanah 27a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The מקדש שופר and trumpets, gold versus silver plating, the יובל and ראש השנה ברכות, and the start of the משנה on a cracked שופר

Overview

The גמרא explains several details from the משנה about the שופר used in the בית המקדש. First, it shows that the gold on the ראש השנה שופר was near the mouthpiece but not where the lips touch, since gold there makes a שופר פסול. Next it asks how the שופר could be heard over the two trumpets blown with it. It first suggests that the long שופר blast was heard alone at the end, but drops this after a challenge from a שופר blown into a pit. Its final answer is that two sounds from two different people can be heard, especially a sound people love, like שופר, הלל or מגילה. The long blast is only a sign that the שופר is the main מצוה of the day. The fast-day שופר is silver, either because gathering instruments are silver or to save money, while ראש השנה gets gold to honor the יום טוב. רבא, a ברייתא and a פסוק teach that blowing שופר and trumpets together was done only in the מקדש. The גמרא then discusses whether the יובל can share ראש השנה's prayer line about creation, and a new משנה opens: a cracked or glued-together שופר is פסול.

Opening lines

וּפִיו מְצוּפֶּה זָהָב.

And its mouth was plated with gold.

וְהָתַנְיָא: צִיפָּהוּ זָהָב

But isn't it taught: if he plated it with gold

בִּמְקוֹם הַנָּחַת פִּיו — פָּסוּל,

at the place where he puts his mouth, it is unfit,

שֶׁלֹּא בִּמְקוֹם הַנָּחַת פִּיו — כָּשֵׁר!

not at the place where he puts his mouth, it is fit!

The steps (32)

  1. StatementQuoting the משנה: the mouth of the שופר was plated with gold
  2. ChallengeA ברייתא says gold where the mouth goes makes the שופר unfit
  3. Resolutionאביי: the gold in the משנה was not on the mouthpiece itself
  4. StatementQuoting the משנה: two trumpets at the sides
  5. ChallengeCan anyone hear two sounds at once?
  6. ResolutionThe שופר blast was made longer
  7. QuestionDoes this mean hearing only part of a blast is enough?
  8. ChallengeA משנה where one long blast counts only once
  9. ResolutionOne blast is never split into two
  10. ChallengeBlowing into a pit: why doesn't the clear beginning of the blast count?
  11. ResolutionA new answer: two sounds from two different people can be heard
  12. ChallengeChallenge from reading the תורה: two readers are not allowed
  13. ResolutionWhen something is dear to people, they pay attention and hear it
  14. ChallengeThen why must the שופר blast be long?
  15. ResolutionTo show that the day's מצוה is the שופר
  16. StatementQuoting the משנה on fast-day שופרות
  17. QuestionWhy gold there and silver here?
  18. ResponseFirst answer: gathering instruments are silver
  19. ResponseSecond answer: the תורה spares Jewish money
  20. ChallengeThen make the ראש השנה שופר silver too
  21. ResolutionHonoring the יום טוב comes first
  22. Statementרב פפא בר שמואל plans to follow the משנה
  23. Rejectionרבא: this was only in the מקדש
  24. ProofA ברייתא supports רבא
  25. ProofThe Sages limit the custom to the Temple gates and Temple Mount
  26. StatementThe verse behind the Temple-only rule
  27. StatementOur ראש השנה prayer follows רבי אליעזר
  28. ChallengeHow can the יובל share a line that fits only ראש השנה?
  29. ResolutionThe משנה means the rest of the blessings
  30. StatementA second version: the משנה does not follow רבי אליעזר
  31. RejectionThe משנה means the rest of the ברכות
  32. StatementA cracked or glued-together שופר is פסול