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Rosh Hashanah 29a

ראש השנה כ״ט ע״א

Learn Rosh Hashanah 29a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The intent needed for שופר, who can blow for others, and saying ברכות on behalf of others.

Overview

This עמוד finishes the story of רבי זירא asking his attendant to have him in mind while blowing. The גמרא learns from it that the one blowing must have the listener in mind. It defends this view against our משנה about a passerby: there the blower is a שליח ציבור, who has everyone in mind. It also answers a ברייתא that seems to disagree: תנאים argue about this, and רבי זירא follows רבי יוסי. A new משנה then teaches that משה's raised hands and the copper snake had no power of their own. What helped was Israel turning their hearts to their Father in Heaven. The משנה rules that a חרש, a שוטה, or a קטן cannot blow for others, because only someone obligated can fulfill a מצוה for others. The גמרא lists who is obligated and explains why כהנים had to be mentioned. It then rules, like רב נחמן, that a half slave, half free person cannot fulfill the מצוה even for himself. Finally, אהבה בריה דרבי זירא teaches when a person may say ברכות for others, and רבא begins a question that continues on the next עמוד.

Opening lines

אִיכַּוַּון וּתְקַע לִי.

Have intent, and blow for me.

אַלְמָא קָסָבַר:

Apparently, he holds:

מַשְׁמִיעַ בָּעֵי כַּוָּונָה.

the one who sounds the shofar needs intent.

מֵיתִיבִי:

They objected:

The steps (20)

  1. Statementרבי זירא tells his attendant to have him in mind
  2. ChallengeChallenge from the passerby who hears the shofar
  3. ResolutionThe blower is a שליח ציבור who has everyone in mind
  4. ChallengeChallenge from a ברייתא: the blower only needs intent for himself
  5. ResolutionIt is a dispute among the תנאים
  6. Statementמשה's raised hands and Israel's hearts
  7. StatementThe copper snake and healing
  8. StatementWho cannot blow for others
  9. StatementA ברייתא lists everyone who is obligated in שופר
  10. StatementWhich people of unclear status can blow for others
  11. ChallengeWhy say that כהנים, לויים and ישראלים are obligated?
  12. ResolutionThe ברייתא needed to teach that כהנים are obligated
  13. ChallengeTrumpets are not a shofar
  14. ResolutionA new reason: כהנים and the יובל link
  15. Statementרב הונא: he can fulfill it for himself
  16. Challengeרב נחמן: the same problem applies to himself
  17. Statementרב נחמן: not even for himself
  18. ProofA ברייתא supports רב נחמן
  19. StatementMost blessings can be said for others even after you said them yourself, but not bread and wine
  20. Questionרבא introduces a question