Shofar Halachah For Meaning

(1) It is a positive commandment from the Torah to hear the sound of the shofar (animal horn) on Rosh Hashanah; as it is stated (Numbers 29:1), "it shall be a day of blowing for you." The shofar which is blown — both on Rosh Hashanah and for the Jubilee year — is a bent ram's horn. And all shofars are disqualified except for the horn of a ram. Even though blowing with a shofar is not mentioned explicitly [in the passage] about Rosh Hashanah; it surely does state about the Jubilee year (Leviticus 25:9), "you shall blast the shofar." And we have learned through the oral tradition that just as the blowing of the Jubilee year is with a shofar, so too is the blowing of Rosh Hashanah with a shofar.

(1) The Shofar of Rosh Hashena should be from a ram, bent; under extreme circumstances, all shofars are kosher, whether straight or bent, however the mitzva is better fulfilled with a bent one rather than a straight one; the shofar of a cow may not be used; similarly the horns of most wild animals, as they are a bone and have no hollow inside, may not be used. Similarly, the shofar of a non-kosher animal may not be used (Ra"n Chapter 3 Rosh Hashana).

(4) We do not profane the holiday — even regarding something that is on account of a Shabbat (holiday) decree — for the shofar of Rosh Hashanah. How is this? If a shofar was on top of a tree or over a river and one does not have [another] shofar besides it, he may not climb the tree and he may not swim over the surface of the water in order to bring it. And it is not necessary to say that we may not cut down [the tree] or do [other] forbidden work upon it. For blowing the shofar is a positive commandment, whereas [the sanctity of] the holiday is a positive commandment and a negative commandment — and a positive commandment does not override a negative commandment and a positive commandment. It is permissible to put water, wine or vinegar into [the shofar] on a holiday in order to make [its sound] clear. But one may not ever put urine into it, due to the respect [that must be shown to the shofar] — so that the commandments not become contemptible to him.

(5) The [requisite] size of a shofar is [that it be long enough] that one hold it in one hand and it be seen from this [side] and that [side of his hand]. If it is cracked: Along its length, it is disqualified; along its width — if enough of it remained [intact to be] like the [requisite] size, it is fit, and it is as if it is cut off from the place of the crack. If it became perforated: If he filled [the holes] with [something] that is not its type, it is disqualified. If he filled it with its type — if most of it remained intact and the holes that were filled do not prevent the sound, it is surely fit. [If] he drilled its [bone that fills the horn, and flattened it instead of removing it], it is fit — for its own type (which is now doubled up inside it) does not separate. [If] one glued shofar shards until he fashioned them into one [whole shofar], it is disqualified.

(7) One who blows into a pit or a cistern or a jug, if he heard the sound of the shofar, he has fulfilled his obligation, but if he hears the echo [also], he has not fulfilled his obligation. And also one who was passing behind a synagogue or if his house was next to the synagogue and he heard the sound of the shofar or of the megillah [being read], if he directed his heart (had intention), then he has fulfilled his obligation, but if not he has not fulfilled his obligation. Even though this one heard and this one heard, this one directed his heart and this one did not.

(1) If one was reading in the Torah [the section of the Shema] and the time for its recital arrived, if he directed his heart [to fulfill the mitzvah] he has fulfilled his obligation, but if not he has not fulfilled his obligation. In the breaks [between sections] one may give greeting out of respect and return greeting; in the middle [of a section] one may give greeting out of fear and return it, the words of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Judah says: in the middle one may give greeting out of fear and return it out of respect, in the breaks one may give greeting out of respect and return greeting to anyone.

(3) אם כיון לבו יצא – According the words of [the opinion] which states: [The performance of] the commandments requires spiritual intentionality, one must explain if he indeed intended that to fulfill his religious obligation . [And according to the opinion] which states that [the performance of] the commandments does not require spiritual intentionality, he explains – if he intented to read as it is properly pronounced and according to Jewish law, excluding someone who reads to correct/amend the text – who is not reading the words as they are pronounced, but rather reading them as they are written to understand those things which are missing or additional, for in such a reading, one does not fulfill one’s religious obligation. And we hold like the opinion that teaches that [the performance of] the commandments requires religious intentionality (see Mishnah Rosh Hashanah 3:7 concerning the sounding of the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah and the reading of Megillat Esther on Purim which also deals with the question of “spiritual intentionality”).

(8) [If a case of] one who blows a shofar inside a pit or inside a cave: Those standing inside the pit or the cave have fulfilled [their obligation. Regarding] those standing outside — if they heard the sound of the shofar, they have fulfilled [their obligation]; but if they heard the sound of an echo, they have not fulfilled [their obligation]. And likewise one blowing into a large barrel — if he heard the sound of the shofar, he has fulfilled [his obligation]; but if he heard the sound of an echo, he has not fulfilled [his obligation].