Siman - Succah Daf 54
- Three blasts on the tenth step or by the side of the mizbayach
The Gemara points out that the Mishnah on Daf 53b that listed the forty-eight blasts that took place erev Shabbos during the chag, mentions three blasts that took place by the mizbayach and does not mention the three blasts that were sounded when the trumpeters reached the tenth step, which was described in the previous Mishnah on Daf 51b . The Gemara answers that our Mishnah is the opinion of Rebbe Eliezer ben Yaakov, and the previous Mishnah is that of the Rabbanon. Rebbe Eliezer holds כיון דתקע לפתיחת שערים למעלה עשירית למה לי דתקע – once they had blown for the opening of the gates, why blow at the tenth step. האי לאו שער הוא – That is not a gate, and therefore not an appropriate location for blowing. Therefore, על גבי המזבח עדיף – sounding the three blasts at the mizbayach is preferable. The Rabbanon hold כיון דתקע למילוי המים על גבי מזבח למה לי – since one blows to mark the Water Drawing, why blow at the side of the mizbayach? Therefore, it is preferable to sound the three blasts at the tenth step. Rashi explains that doing it at the tenth step is associated to the Water Drawing.
- שתוקעין בכל מוסף ומוסף
The Mishnah had stated regarding the blowing of חצצרות, that ובמוספין עוד תשע – there were another nine blows for the mussafim. When Rebbe Acha bar Chanina arrived from the South, he brought the following Baraisa with him: The passuk states: "ובני אהרן הכהנים יתקעו בחצצרות" – And the sons of Aharon, the Kohanim, they shall blow the trumpets. Now the expression “shall blow” did not need to be stated since it has already been stated in the same passuk: "ותקעתם בחחצרות על עלתיכם ועל זבחי שלמיכם" – And you shall blow the trumpets over your olos and shelamim. What does the passuk teach by stating “you shall blow”? הכל לפי המוספין תוקעין – It teaches that we blow according to the mussafim. Rebbe Acha bar Chanina explained the Baraisa as follows: לומר שתוקעין על כל מוסף ומוסף – It teaches that we blow a separate set of trumpet blasts for each and every mussaf. The Gemara will bring several challenges to this ruling, attempting to show that on certain days it would result in more than the forty-eight maximum soundings of the חצצרות mentioned in the Mishnah.
- Adjusting the calendar so Yom Kippur will not fall on a Sunday
When the Gemara challenges the maximum limit of forty-eight trumpet blasts from the case of erev Pesach that fell on Shabbos, which would result in more, it answers that the Mishnah only mentions cases that occur every year. The Gemara objects to this answer since the case of forty-eight blasts that our Mishnah mentions is when erev Shabbos falls during Succos. Sometimes it does not occur, such as when the first day of Succos falls on erev Shabbos! The Gemara answers that when the first day of Succos is scheduled to fall on erev Shabbos מדחי דחינן ליה - we postpone it one day, until Shabbos. Why is it postponed? Since if the first day of Succos falls out on erev Shabbos, then Yom Kippur would have been on the previous Sunday. In order to prevent that from happening, we add a day to Elul in order to postpone it one day. Rashi explains that it is not desirable for Yom Kippur to follow Shabbos, since anyone dying on Shabbos would remain unburied for two days until after Yom Kippur. Furthermore, any vegetables that one prepares to eat after Yom Kippur will have to be picked two days earlier, on Friday, and will wilt by the time they are needed. The Gemara will bring the opinion of others, who do not hold of adjusting the calendar to prevent Yom Kippur from falling on a Sunday.
