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1 ‎[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. ‎[2] In the Temple on Rosh Hashanah, they would blow with one shofar and two trumpets [on its two] sides. The shofar would blow long and the trumpets would blow short, since the commandment of the day was with the shofar. And why would they blow it together with trumpets? Because it is stated (Psalms 98:6), "With trumpets and the blast of the shofar blow before the Lord, the King." But in other places on Rosh Hashanah, we only blow with a shofar exclusively. ‎[3] We do not blow with a shofar of idolaters at the outset. But if one did blow [with one], he has fulfilled [the commandment]. And if one blew [with a shofar] of a condemned city (*eer hanidachat*), he has not fulfilled [his obligation. Regarding] a stolen shofar with which he has blown, he has fulfilled [the obligation]. For the commandment is only listening to the sound — even though he did not touch it and did not raise it up, the listener has fulfilled [it] — and there is no law of theft with sound. And likewise should one not blow with the shofar of a burnt offering; but if he did blow [with it], he has fulfilled [the obligation]. For there is no law of misappropriating [the sacred] with sound. And if you say, "Did he not derive pleasure from listening to the sound"; [the answer is] that the commandments are not given for pleasure. Hence, one who has vowed not to derive pleasure from the shofar is permitted to blow the blow of the commandment with it. ‎[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. ‎[6] If he added a minimal amount to it — whether of its type or whether not of its type — it is disqualified. If he plated it with gold inside or on the place that he puts his mouth (made a mouthpiece), it is disqualified. If he plated it on the outside: If the sound was changed from how it had been, it is disqualified; but if it did not change, it is fit. If one placed a shofar into a shofar: If he heard the sound of the inner one, he fulfilled [his obligation]; but if he heard the sound of the outer one, he did not fulfill [it]. If he widened the narrow [end of the shofar] and narrowed [its] wide [end], it is disqualified. ‎[7] If it was long and one shortened it, it is [still] fit. If he scraped it out — whether from the inside or whether from the outside — even if he left it so that [only] its soft layer remains, it is fit. [If] its sound was low or high or rough, it is fit. For all sounds are fit with a shofar. ‎[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].
Version: Sefaria Edition. Translated by R. Francis Nataf, 2019
translation Source: Nataf translation
License: CC-BY