Gemara Clarity

Rosh Hashanah 33b

ראש השנה ל״ג ע״ב

Learn Rosh Hashanah 33b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Intention in blowing שופר, the order and length of the blasts, and their sources in the פסוקים

Overview

The עמוד opens by finishing an answer about children: we teach a קטן to blow שופר once he has reached חינוך, but before that we just do not stop him. Next the גמרא reads the משנה's rules about a מתעסק. It tries to prove רבא's ruling that blowing לשיר counts, and to challenge רבי זירא, who wanted the blower to have him in mind. Both attempts are pushed away, because the משנה's wording does not force those readings. Then a new משנה lays out the order of the blasts (three sets of תקיעה, תרועה, תקיעה) and how long each sound must be. It also covers someone who got a שופר only after the ברכות, and a dispute about whether the שליח ציבור covers everyone. אביי settles one clash with a ברייתא about the length of a תקיעה, but admits a real מחלוקת about whether a תרועה is moaning (שברים) or whimpering (יבבות). Finally, a ברייתא uses the פסוק about the יובל to teach that we blow with a שופר, with a plain תקיעה before and after each תרועה. The words 'in the seventh month' apply all of this to ראש השנה.

Opening lines

בְּקָטָן שֶׁהִגִּיעַ לְחִינּוּךְ,

[That teaching is] about a minor who has reached the age of training;

כָּאן בְּקָטָן שֶׁלֹּא הִגִּיעַ לְחִינּוּךְ.

here, [it is] about a minor who has not reached the age of training.

וְהַמִּתְעַסֵּק לֹא יָצָא.

And one who acts unawares has not fulfilled [his obligation].

הָא תּוֹקֵעַ לָשִׁיר — יָצָא.

This implies: one who blows for music has fulfilled [it].

The steps (21)

  1. ResolutionTwo teachings about children: trained age versus untrained age
  2. StatementThe משנה on the מתעסק, and what it seems to imply about blowing for music
  3. ProofDoes the משנה support רבא?
  4. RejectionMaybe blowing for music also counts as מתעסק
  5. StatementHearing from a מתעסק, and what it implies about one blowing for himself
  6. ChallengeA challenge to רבי זירא
  7. RejectionThe משנה just repeated the word מתעסק
  8. StatementThe order and length of the שופר blasts
  9. StatementGetting a שופר only after the ברכות
  10. StatementMust each individual pray, or does the prayer leader cover everyone
  11. ChallengeA ברייתא gives a different length for a תקיעה
  12. Resolutionאביי: the two sources count differently
  13. ChallengeIs a תרועה three whimpers or three broken blasts?
  14. Resolutionאביי: the two sources truly disagree about what a תרועה sounds like
  15. StatementThe source that the blowing must be with a שופר
  16. QuestionBut how do we know this for ראש השנה?
  17. ResponseAll the blasts of the seventh month must be alike
  18. StatementA plain blast must come before the תרועה
  19. StatementA plain blast must come after the תרועה
  20. QuestionHow do we know this applies on ראש השנה?
  21. ResponseThe words 'in the seventh month' include ראש השנה