Sifra 11.0.24

Emor, Section 11

1) (Vayikra 23:24) ("Speak to the children of Israel, saying: On the seventh month, on the first day of the month, there shall be for you a Sabbath, a remembrance of teruah, a holy calling.") "the children of Israel … a holy calling," and not gentiles, (even though they, too, are judged on Rosh Hashanah.) If "the children of Israel," I would know only "the children of Israel" per se. Whence would I derive (for inclusion) proselytes and bondsmen? From (the superfluous) "for you." "a Sabbath (Shabbathon) a remembrance of teruah, a holy calling": "a Sabbath": R. Eliezer says: "a Sabbath": This is (the blessing over) the holiness of the day. "a remembrance": This is (the section of) zichronoth. "teruah": This is shofaroth. "a holy calling": Sanctify (the day) by abstaining from labor. R. Akiva (to R. Eliezer): Why should we not say that "Shabbathon" refers to abstention from labor, for this is the prime thrust of the verse? "Remembrance" is zichronoth." teruah": This is shofaroth. "a holy calling": This is the holiness of the day. And whence do we derive that (the section of) malchuyoth (Kingship) is included with them? From (Vayikra 23:22) "I am the L–rd your G d" (i.e., your King) … (Vayikra 23:24) "on the seventh month, etc." (i.e., on Rosh Hashanah).

2) R. Yossi b. R. Yehudah says: This (the above derivation) is not necessary. It is written (Bamidbar 10:10) "Let this be a remembrance before your G d. (I am the L–rd your G d.") Let this (the seemingly) superfluous "I am the L–rd your G d") not be written. It must serve, then, as a prototype (binyan av) to teach that whenever "remembrances" are mentioned, "Kingships" are to be juxtaposed with it.

3) (What is) the order of the blessings (in Mussaf)? Patriarchs (Shield of Abraham), Strengths (You are strong), and Holiness of the Name (You are holy). And he includes Kingships with them, but does not blow (the shofar). (Then) the Holiness of the day, and he blows; Remembrances, and he blows; Shofaroth, and he blows. Then, he recites the (sacrificial) service, and thanksgiving, and the priestly blessing. These are the words of R. Yochanan b. Nuri.

4) R. Akiva said to him: If he does not blow for Kingships, why mention it? Rather, he says Patriarchs, Strengths, and Holiness of the Name, and he includes Kingships in the Holiness of the day, and he blows; Shofaroth, and he blows, and then the service, thanksgiving, and the priestly blessing.

5) Rebbi says: With Kingships he recites the Holiness of the day. What do we find on all days (i.e., on other festivals)? (It is recited in the fourth (blessing); here, too, in the fourth. R. Shimon b. Gamliel says: He recites it with Remembrances. R. Shimon b. Gamliel said: What do we find on all days? (It is recited) in the middle (blessing). Here, too, in the middle. And when they (beth-din) sanctified the year in Usha, on the first day R. Shimon, the son of R. Yochanan b. Beroka arose and declared in accordance with R. Yochanan b. Nuri. R. Shimon b. Gamliel said: We did not follow this practice in Yavneh. On the second day, Chanania the son of R. Yossi Haglili arose and declared in accordance with R. Akiva, whereupon R. Shimon b. Gamliel said: This was our practice in Yavneh.

6) And whence is it derived that it (the blowing) is with a shofar? From (Vayikra 25:9) "And you shall cause to pass a shofar of teruah in the seventh month on the tenth day of the month. On Yom Kippur, etc." Let "in the seventh month" not be written (i.e., it is well known). Why is it written? (To teach that) the teruah of the seventh month (i.e., that of Rosh Hashanah) is like this one. Just as this is with a shofar, so, the teruah of Rosh Hashanah.

7) And whence is it derived that there is a plain blast (i.e., a single, uninterrupted blast [tekiah]) before it? (i.e., before the teruah ("broken" blasts)? From: "And you shall cause to pass (connoting a single "passing") a shofar of teruah." And whence is it derived that there is a plain blast after it? From (the repetition, Vayikra 25:9) "shall you cause to pass a shofar." This tells me only of (the blowing of the shofar on) the Jubilee year (see Vayikra 25:10) Whence do I derive the same for Rosh Hashanah? From "And you shall cause to pass a shofar of teruah in the seventh month on the tenth day of the month. On Yom Kippur, etc. Let "in the seventh month" not be written (i.e., it is well known). Why is it written? (To teach that the teruah of the seventh month (i.e., that of Rosh Hashanah) is like this one. Just as this one — a plain blast before and a plain blast after — so, Rosh Hashanah, a plain blast before and a plain blast after.

8) Whence is derive three of three and three (i.e., that he blows three teruoth, each of which is accompanied by a plain blast before and a plain blast after)? From (Vayikra 25:9) "And you shall cause to pass a shofar of teruah," (Vayikra 23:14) "a remembrance of teruah, a holy calling," (Bamidbar 29:1) "A day of teruah shall there be for you."

9) And whence is it derived that what applies to Yovel (vis-à-vis shofar) applies to Rosh Hashanah, and that what applies to Rosh Hashanah applies to Yovel? From the identity (gezeirah shavah) of "in the seventh month" (stated in respect to each).

10) What is the order of the tekioth? Tekiah-teruah-tekiah, tekiah-teruah-tekiah, three times that are nine (i.e., process is repeated three times). The length of a tekiah is that of the teruah, and that of the teruah is that of three shevarim (broken blasts. The size of the shofar — so that it can be held in the hand and blown.