Siman - Rosh Hashanah Daf 34
- The source that three sets consisting of three blasts each must be blown
The Baraisa that began on Daf 33b continues here. ומנין לשלש של שלש שלש – Where do we learn that three sets of three blasts each have to be blown? Rashi explains the question is, how do we know that we must blow the combination of tekiah-teruah-tekiah three times, once for the berachos of Malchios, once for Zichronos and once for Shofaros? The Torah therefore states three references to teruos. It is stated: "והעברת שופר תרועה" – You shall sound the shofar blast of teruah, regarding Yom Kippur of Yovel. Regarding Rosh Hashanah, it is stated: "שבתון זכרון תרועה" – A rest day, a remembrance of teruah, and "יום תרועה יהיה לכם" – A day of teruah it will be for you. We apply the pesukim of Yom Kippur of Yovel, and of Rosh Hashanah to one another, based on the gezeirah shaveh of "שביעי" "שביעי" – the seventh month, the seventh month. Therefore, how is the shofar blown? שלש שהן תשע – It is blown three sets which consist of nine blasts in all, tekiah-teruah-tekiah, three times. שיעור תקיעה כתרועה – The length of a tekiah is like a teruah, שיעור תרועה כשלשה שברים – and the length of a teruah is like three shevarim.
- Why Rebbe Abahu instituted תקיעה שלשה שברים תרועה תקיעה
The Gemara describes how the tekios were done. Rebbe Abahu instituted in Caesaria, תקיעה שלשה שברים תרועה תקיעה. The Gemara asks what the purpose is of combining the shevarim and teruah? If you hold that a teruah sounds like sobbing, one should do a תקיעה תרועה תקיעה and if you hold that a teruah sounds like moaning, one should do a תקיעה שלשה שברים תקיעה? The Gemara answers that Rebbe Abahu had a safek that perhaps the teruah is made up of both a moaning and a sobbing sound. He therefore instituted doing a combination of both. The Gemara counters that if this is so, one should also do the opposite, and blow a תקיעה תרועה שלשה שברים ותקיעה – since a teruah might be made up of a sobbing and then a moaning sound? The Gemara answers סתמא דמילתא כי מתרע באיניש מילתא – Normally, when trouble happens to someone, ברישא גנח והדר יליל – he initially moans and then sobs.
- מצוה בתוקעין יותר מן המברכין
It was taught in a Baraisa: ומצוה בתוקעין יותר מן המברכין– It is a greater mitzvah to be with those that blow shofar than with those who daven on Rosh Hashanah. What does this mean? If a person lives near two cities, and in one city they will blow the shofar and in the other city they will daven Mussaf, he should go to the city where they will be tokea. The Gemara says that this is obvious since the mitzvah of hearing the shofar is a d’Oraysa whereas the mitzvah of davening Mussaf is d’Rabbanon, and it answers that it was necessary to teach this to tell us, דאף על גב דהא ודאי והא ספק– that even if davening is a certainty, being that he will find ten people to daven with, and the shofar blowing is a safek, being that they might have already blown the shofar and have gone home, one should go to the city where he has the possibility of hearing the shofar rather than to the one where he will certainly hear the davening.
