Shofar Should Be Sounded Even When Rosh Hashanah Falls on Shabbos And, Indeed, Was Sounded on Such a Day in the Beis Hamikdash and Aits Surroundings
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מאוצרות יו"ט של ראש השנה שחל להיות בשבת ROSH HASHANAH THAT FALLS ON SHABBOS SELECTIONS FROM SEFER HASICHOS INSIGHTS INTO THE HOLIDAYS BY THE LUBAVITCHER REBBE מאוצרות ספר השיחות SELECTIONS FROM SEFER HASICHOS ___ Translated and Annotated by Rabbi Eliyahu Touger and Rabbi Sholom Ber Wineberg • ראש השנה ROSH HASHANAH 2 ספר השיחות | ראש השנה ראש השנה | ROSH HASHANAH SEFER HASICHOS 5749, VOL. 2, P. 703FF. Adapted from a sichah delivered on Shabbos Parshas Nitzavim-Vayeilech, 5749 Introduction ccording to Scriptural Law, the shofar should be sounded even when Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbos and, indeed, was sounded on such a day in the Beis HaMikdash and Aits surroundings. Nevertheless, at present, we do not sound it on Shabbos because the Sages instituted a safeguard, forbidding the observance of the mitzvah lest an unlearned person desire to hear the sounding of the shofar, not know how to sound it himself, and carry it in the public domain to a colleague to sound it for him.1 Approximately 250 years ago, the Alter Rebbe posed the following question:2 Is it appropriate to bypass a mitzvah of such great spiritual import due to concern over the mere possibility that an unlearned person might violate the Shabbos prohibitions? In resolution, he explains that the spiritual quality of Shabbos generates an arousal in the spiritual realms comparable to that of sounding the shofar. Hence, the Sages felt justified in instituting that safeguard. Every one of the later Lubavitcher Rebbeim discussed this question raised by the Alter Rebbe and his explanation, each in his own style. For example, we find the series of maamarim entitled Yom Tov shel Rosh HaShanah, 5666, where the Rebbe Rashab delivered a series of maamarim addressing this matter over a period of three years. Moreover, the teaching of the Alter Rebbe also spread beyond the Lubavitch movement and was shared by chassidim from other follow- ings. A Gerer chassid once expressed the concept in a pithy Yiddish that translation can hardly communicate: Der Rav hut ufgeton az di malachim vus kumen arois fun di cholent zeinen di zelbe vos kumen arois fun di shofar. “The Rav” – this is the way Polish chassidim would refer to the Alter Rebbe – “brought out the insight that the angels produced by the Shabbos cholent are the same as those produced by the shofar.” In the sichah that follows, the Rebbe focuses on the application of the above concepts in our Divine service. What is the spiritual service involved in sounding the shofar? How does refrain- ing from doing so express the service of G-d? And why, when Rosh HaShanah fell on Shabbos, was the shofar nevertheless sounded in the Beis Hamikdash? The core of his answer revolves around the concept that not sounding the shofar on Shabbos is not mere passivity. On the contrary, it reflects our consciousness of a higher reality and desire to align ourselves with it. With this understanding, the sounding of the shofar in the era of the Beis HaMikdash takes on a different significance, indicating one’s willingness to act as a partner in an even loftier reality than that of Shabbos. Aside from the fact that Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbos this year, these concepts have taken on a further relevance to many, because the situation in the world at large forced many of us into passivity. The streets of major cities remained empty for weeks and much of our ordinary day-to-day activity was – and still is being – restrained. It is our hope that in the coming year we will be given a chance to act vigorously as partners in G-d’s greater plan, bringing the world to its ultimate purpose – that it become a dwelling for Him. With wishes for a Kesivah vachasimah tovah – that we all be inscribed for a year of revealed goodness and blessing, including the greatest blessing, the coming of Mashiach. 1. Rosh HaShanah 27a. 2. Likkutei Torah, Devarim, p. 56aff. 3 SEFER HASICHOS | ROSH HASHANAH Celebrating Rosh Hashanah on Shabbos When the Shofar is not Sounded א. ַּב ֵנּוֹג ַע ְל"יוֹם טוֹב שׁ ֶ ל רֹאשׁ With regard to “the festival of Rosh HaShanah .1 ַהשָָּׁנה שֶָׁחל ִלְהיוֹת ְּבשַָּׁבת" -that falls on Shabbos”1 – the day on which the upcom ְ)כַּהְּקִב ּיעות ְּדרֹאשׁ ַהשָּׁ ָנה ַהָּבא ing Rosh HaShanah, which receives blessing on this ָעֵל ּינו ְל ָטוֹבה שֶׁ ִּמְתָּבֵרְך ִמשַּׁ ָּבת Shabbos,2 will be celebrated – the Mishnah states,1 “The זוֹ( שׁ ֶ ַּ"בִּמ ְקָּדשׁ ָה ּיו ּת ְוֹק ִעין ֲאָבל shofar would be sounded in the Beis HaMikdash, but לֹא ַּב ְּמ ִד ָינה"א – ְי ּדוָעה ַהֻּקשְׁ ָיא ”. not in other places in the re g i on ְ ֵאיך ִיָּתֵכן שׁ ֶ ִּתָּד ֶחה ַה ִּמ ְצַו ֲת־ע ֵשׂה There is a well-known question: How is it possible ִ ּ ד ְ ת ִ ק י ַע ת שׁ ֹ ו ָפ ר : to bypass the positive commandment3 to sound the ְּת ִק ַיעת שׁ ָוֹפר ּהוא ִעְנָין ִע ָּקִרי ?shofar on Rosh HaShanah ְּברֹאשׁ ַהשָָּׁנה – ִ"מְצַות ַהּיוֹם -The sounding of theshofar is a fundamental dimen ְ ּ ב שׁ ֹ ו ָפ ר "ב. ְוַטַעם ַהָּדָבר – ְלִפי sion of Rosh HaShanah, as our Sages state,4 “The mitzvah שִֶׁעְנָינוֹ שֶׁל רֹאשׁ ַהשָָּׁנה ּהוא of the day is the sounding of the shofar.” The reason for ַה ְכ ָּתַרת ַה ָּקדוֹשׁ ָּב ּרו ְך ּהוא ְל ֶמ ֶל ְך, this emphasis is that the theme of Rosh HaShanah is the ִכּ ְד ִא ָיתא ִ ּב ְג ָמ ָראג ָאַמר ַהָּקדוֹשׁ coronation of G-d as King. Thus, the Gemara quotes ָּב ּרו ְך ּהוא . ִא ְמ ּרו ְל ָפַני ְּברֹאשׁ G-d as saying,5 “On Rosh HaShanah, recite before Me ַהשּׁ ָ ָנה ַמ ְל ִכ ּיוֹ ת . ְכּ ֵדי שׁ ֶ ַּת ְמ ִל ּיכו ִני verses that emphasize My Kingship… so that you crown ֲע ֵל ֶיכם", ְו ַה ְכ ָּתַרת ַה ָּקדוֹשׁ Me as King over you,” and the Gemara continues,4 “With ָּב ּרוְך ּהוא ְל ֶמֶלְך ַנֲע ֵשׂית ַעל ְיֵדי what? With the shofar,” indicating that the sounding of ַהשּׁ ָוֹפר – ּ"ו ַב ֶּמה ְּבשׁ ָוֹפר"ג . ּו ְכמוֹ .the shofar brings about the coronation of G-d as King שׁ ֶ ָ ּ כ ַ ת ב ָה ְ ר ַ ס " גד שֶׁא' ַהטְָּעִמים This is also one of the reasons for the sounding of the ִּדְתִק ַיעת ָשׁוֹפר ּהוא ְלִפי שֶׁ ֵ"כּן shofar given by Rav Saadia Gaon6 who states: “This is ִעוֹשׂין ַה ְּמ ָל ִכים ִּב ְת ִח ַּלת ַמ ְל ּכו ָתם .the practice of kings at the initiation of their kingship שׁ ֶ ּתוֹ ְק ִעין ִל ְפ ֵנ ֶיהם ַ ּב ֲחצוֹ ְצרוֹ ת Trumpets and horns are sounded in their presence to 1. Rosh HaShanah 4:1. See Ram- to learn how to sound it, and blessed from Shabbos. As explained bam, Hilchos Shofar 2:6ff. Rabbah, [perhaps] carry it four cubits in in Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 37, p. 109, this one of the leading Sages mentioned the public domain. also includes the following Shabbos. in the Babylonian Talmud, explains Nevertheless, the restrictions of 3. Bamidbar 29:1. (Rosh HaShanah 29b): that decree did not apply in the Beis 4. Rosh HaShanah 26b in the Mish- Everyone is obligated to sound HaMikdash, its surroundings, or any nah, 27a in the Gemara; Rambam, the shofar [on Rosh HaShanah], place where an established Jewish loc. cit., 1:2. but not everyone is expert in court whose judges had been grant- sounding the shofar. [Therefore, ed the unique semichah initiated by 5. Rosh HaShanah 16a; 34b. the Sages instituted] a decree Moshe held sessions. 6. Cited by Rav David Avudra- [that the shofar should not be 2. TheZohar, Vol. II, p. 63b, states that ham, Taamai HaTekiyos, HaInyan sounded on Shabbos], lest one all the days of the coming week are HaRishon. take [a shofar] and go to an expert 4 ספר השיחות | ראש השנה ּו ִב ְקָרנוֹ ת ְלהוֹ ִד ַיע ּו ְל ַהשׁ ְ ִמ ַיע ְּב ָכל make it known and let it be heard everywhere that their ָמקוֹם ַה ְת ָח ַלת ַמ ְל ּכו ָתם". ”.kingship has begun ְו ַעל פִּ י ֶזה ֵא ְיך ִי ָּת ֵכן ְמ ִצ ּיאות Thus, the question arises: How is it possible for there שֶׁל רֹאשׁ ַהשָָּׁנה, ַּ"תְמִל ּיכוִני to be a celebration of Rosh HaShanah, the coronation of ֲעֵל ֶיכם . ַּבֶּמה ְּבשׁ ָוֹפר", ְללֹא -G-d as King, which is accomplished by sounding the sho ְּתִקַיעת ָשׁוֹפר – ֵאְיך ִּתְהֶיה ?far, when the shofar is not sounded ַה ְכ ָּתַרת ַה ָּקדוֹשׁ ָּב ּרו ְך ּהוא ְל ֶמ ֶל ְך In many chassidic discourses7 it is explained that ִאם לֹא ַעל ְי ֵדי ְּת ִק ַיעת שׁ ָוֹפר?! when Rosh HaShanah falls on Shabbos, the coronation ּו ְמ ָבֹאר ְּב ֶזה ִּב ְד ּרושׁ ֵ י ֲח ִס ּידותה -of G-d as King comes about through the spiritual influ שׁ ֶ ְ ּ ב רֹ א שׁ ַה ׁ שּ ָ ָ נ ה שׁ ֶ ָ ח ל ְ ּב שׁ ַ ָ ּ ב ת ence of Shabbos in and of itself; therefore, there is no need ַנֲעֵשׂית ַהְכָּתַרת ַהֶּמֶלְך ִמַּצד for the sounding of the shofar. Every year, the coronation ִעְנָינוֹ שֶׁל יוֹם ַהשַָּּׁבת, ְללֹא of G-d as King is accomplished by the sounding of the ֶצֹרְך ִּבְפֻעָּלה ִּדְתִק ַיעת ָשׁוֹפר, -shofar because it arouses His desire for kingship by draw ִכּי, ַהְכָּתַרת ַהֶּמֶלְך ִהיא ַעל ing down and revealing His pleasure in His kingdom.