Der Schofar von Rosch Haschana —Das Tchum wird nicht dafür gekreuzt [dh es ist verboten, außerhalb des Tchums zu gehen, um einen Schofar zu bringen oder das Blasen zu hören], und ein Hügel (der darauf gefallen ist) wird nicht ausgegraben (um zu extrahieren) es). Es ist verboten, auf einen Baum zu klettern, ein Tier zu reiten oder zu schwimmen (um seiner willen). Und es darf nicht geschnitten werden, sowohl mit etwas, das wegen Shvuth verboten ist ("ruhen") [wie einem Messer], als auch mit etwas, das durch ein negatives Gebot verboten ist, [wie mit einer Säge, die eine absolute Arbeit in der Holzbearbeitung ist. Einige verstehen es umgekehrt: "etwas, das aus Gründen der Wahrheit verboten ist"—eine Sichel, mit der es nicht üblich ist, (Gegenstände) zu schneiden. "etwas, das durch ein negatives Gebot verboten ist"—ein Messer, das zum Schneiden verwendet wird.] Aber wenn er Wasser oder Wein hineingeben möchte, kann er dies tun, [und wir sagen nicht, dass er damit einen Gegenstand ändert.] Wir halten die Kinder nicht auf [die haben erreichte das Alter von Chinuch (Mizwa-Training)], indem er es blies [sogar am Schabbat, um sie für Mizwoth zu trainieren, damit sie üben, für das Jom Tov von Rosch Haschana zu blasen], und man kann (sogar) mit ihnen üben . [Und es gibt keinen Grund zu beschließen, dass er nicht kommt, um es vier Ellen im öffentlichen Bereich zu tragen, denn er ist nicht mit einer Mizwa beschäftigt, sondern übt nur, und sie haben beschlossen, dass er nicht kommt, um es vier Ellen im öffentlichen Bereich zu tragen zu einer Zeit, als er verpflichtet war, Schofar zu blasen, wenn er mit der Erfüllung seiner Verpflichtung beschäftigt war, den Sabbat vergessen könnte.] Und einer, der (nur) praktiziert (den Schofar bläst), erfüllt seine Verpflichtung nicht. Und wer von jemandem hört, der praktiziert, kommt seiner Verpflichtung nicht nach.
Bartenura on Mishnah Rosh Hashanah
אין מעבירין עליו את התחום – to walk outside of the [Sabbath] limit (i.e., two thousand cubits in every direction) so that one can bring a Shofar or to walk to hear the Tekiot.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Rosh Hashanah
Introduction
This mishnah contains a few more rules concerning the shofar.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Rosh Hashanah
בדבר שהוא משום שבות – such as to cut it with a knife.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Rosh Hashanah
[For the sake of] the shofar of Rosh Hashanah one is not allowed to go past the [Shabbat] border, nor remove a pile of rocks, nor climb a tree, nor ride on an animal, nor swim on the water. In this section there is a list of activities that are rabbinically (derabanan) prohibited on Shabbat. That is to say, they are prohibitions that are less significant than those prohibited by the Torah. Nevertheless, the mishnah states that one does not transgress these prohibitions in order to be able to blow the shofar. For instance, if one needs to go past the Shabbat border limit (2000 cubits outside of the city) to get a shofar or to hear one blown, one should not do so. If the shofar is under a pile of rocks, one may not clear them away in order to get to them. One may not climb a tree if the shofar was in a tree (this is beginning to sound like a famous Dr. Seuss book I would not hear it under rocks, I would not hear it in a tree). Nor may one ride an animal or swim in water to get to the shofar. The important issue here is the principle one does not transgress any commandments in order to hear the shofar.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Rosh Hashanah
בדבר שהוא משום לא תעשה – such as to cut it with a saw which is a complete [form of] work of engraving on a tree; and there are those who teach the opposite: something that is due to Sh’vut/engaging in an occupation forbidden by the Rabbis as being out of harmony with the celebration of Shabbat/Festivals – a sickle/scythe which is not the used to cut something . Something that is [forbidden] due to [it being] a negative commandment, is a knife which is how it is used.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Rosh Hashanah
One may not cut it, neither with an instrument forbidden because of shevut, nor with an instrument forbidden by a negative commandment. Should one need to cut the shofar in order to make it usable for blowing, one may not do so, neither with a type of knife prohibited derabanan on account of shevut (mandated resting) nor with a type of knife prohibited deoraita from the Torah. A knife that is typically used to cut something like a shofar would be prohibited from the Torah, while one not typically used for such purposes would be prohibited derabanan, a lesser prohibition.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Rosh Hashanah
אם רצה ליתן לתוכו יין [יתן] - and we don’t say repairing – from where is it [prohibited].
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Rosh Hashanah
But if he wants to pour wine or water into it he may do so. One may pour wine or water into the shofar in order to improve its sound. This is not considered to be a violation of the Shabbat and Yom Tov prohibition of “making a vessel.”
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Rosh Hashanah
אין מעכבין את התינוקות – who arrived at [the age of] education, and even on Shabbat, in order to educate them in the commandments, so that they would educated in sounding the Shofar on the Yom Tov of Rosh Hashanah.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Rosh Hashanah
They need not prevent children from blowing the shofar [on Rosh Hashanah]; on the contrary, they may help them until they learn how to blow. Children are not obligated to hear or blow the shofar on Rosh Hashanah. Since they are not obligated, we might have thought that they should not blow the shofar at all because the shofar is a form of work on Rosh Hashanah. The mishnah dispels this notion and states that not only do we not stop children from blowing the shofar, but we encourage them to practice and we teach them until they know how to blow. The Talmud adds that even on Shabbat we can help them practice.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Rosh Hashanah
ומתעסקים בהם – and there need to make a decree [against this], lest they come to bring it four cubits in the public domain, for he is not busily engaged in the commandments but rather is merely practicing with them (Talmud Rosh Hashanah 32b). And they did not decree lest he would bring it four cubits in the public domain other than at the time when he is obligated in the sounding of the Shofar, for since he is busily engaged to fulfill his religious obligation, he would forget Shabbat.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Rosh Hashanah
One who is just practicing has not fulfilled his obligation, and the one hears [the blast made] by another when practicing has not fulfilled his obligation. Since the previous section discussed practicing, this mishnah concludes by teaching that practicing does not count as blowing the shofar in order to fulfill one’s obligation. A person who on Rosh Hashanah blows the shofar as practice has not fulfilled his obligation because he did not have the proper intention. Similarly, one who hears the shofar from a person practicing has not fulfilled his obligation, because one must hear the shofar being blown by someone who intends to fulfill his and others’ obligation.
