Commentary for Taanit 3:7
עַל אֵלּוּ מַתְרִיעִין בְּשַׁבָּת, עַל עִיר שֶׁהִקִּיפוּהָ גוֹיִם אוֹ נָהָר, וְעַל הַסְּפִינָה הַמִּטָּרֶפֶת בַּיָּם. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, לְעֶזְרָה וְלֹא לִצְעָקָה. שִׁמְעוֹן הַתִּמְנִי אוֹמֵר, אַף עַל הַדֶּבֶר, וְלֹא הוֹדוּ לוֹ חֲכָמִים:
For the following calamities an alarm is to be sounded even on the Sabbath:—For a city surrounded by enemies; for a flood threatening to inundate the country; for a ship in imminent danger of being wrecked at sea [in a storm]. Rabbi Yose says, This sounding is to be, to obtain assistance [from men], not as an imploring cry [to God]." Simeon the Temanite says, "They shall also sound on the Sabbath in case of pestilence;" but the sages did not agree with him [in this].
Bartenura on Mishnah Taanit
המטרפת – beaten down and broken , like an egg that is beaten in a bowl
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English Explanation of Mishnah Taanit
Introduction
Generally, one does not fast or sound a shofar blast in alarm on Shabbat. However, sometimes disaster is so imminent that they sound a blast even on Shabbat.
We should note that there is a debate concerning whether they fast on Shabbat.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Taanit
לעזרה – to gather the people that they should come to help and save. Therefore, we do not sound the Shofar or trumpets regarding them on Shabbat, unless it is was [absolutely] necessary to sound the Shofar to gather the people [together]. But they would fast and cry out and supplicate [God] on their behalf on Shabbat.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Taanit
For these matters they sound a blast even on Shabbat: if a city is besieged by Gentile [troops] or a river, or if a ship is foundering on the sea. The impending disasters referred to here are so immediate that they would blow the shofar even on Shabbat. However, on all other occasions they would wait until after Shabbat to begin blowing the shofar and fasting.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Taanit
שמעון התימני – He was from Yemen.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Taanit
Rabbi Yose says: [they sound a blast] for help but not for an outcry (for the sake of. Rabbi Yose says that they blow the shofar so that people will come and help but that they don’t blow the shofar on Shabbat as part of a prayer ritual. Accordingly, the special prayers are not added on Shabbat.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Taanit
אף על הדבר – they would sound the Shofar on Shabbat.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Taanit
Shimon the Yemenite says: also for a plague, but the sages did not agree with him. Rabbi Yose says that a plague should also belong on this list. However, the other sages do not agree with him. According to their opinion, a plague is less of an imminent danger and hence they mention it above in mishnah four.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Taanit
ולא הודו לו חכמים - to sound the Shofar on Shabbat for [the plague of] pestilence, but they would sound the Shofar for it on weekdays.
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