Rosh Hashana 26

We learn two mishnayot today. First, we learn about the shofar as the primary mitzvah of Rosh Hashana. All shofarot are permitted except for those made from cows. This is questioned; does the word kevel, horn, hold meaning here? We are told that Joshua 6:5 speaks of all shofarot as horns.

The Gemara discusses whether or not all shofarot can be called horns. It details a number of different arguments regarding what might make a kosher shofar. In addition, it shares our rabbis conversations regarding what makes a 'horn' and whether the word 'shofar' might contain interpretive meaning.

The rabbis segue now, sharing their thoughts regarding words used in different places that have meanings in Aramaic and/or Hebrew. Of interest to me: in Galia, menstruating women are called galuma. The rabbis suggest that this comes from geluma da, separated from her husband. In the district of Ken Nisrayya, a bride is called a ninfi, meaning beautiful view, as in the nof cited in Psalms 48:3.

A story is told of Levi, who was told in a strange land that "someone kava'ed me". Levi asked at the study hall what this meant, and he was met with derision. Kava means to steal. Rava said to Rav Ashi that Levi was wrong to leave. He should have asked questions like "How did he kava you? With what? etc...". In this way Levi could have deduced the meaning of kava.

Continuing their discussion of word play, the rabbis cite four circumstances where they learn the meaning of unusual words using Rabbi Yehuda haNasi's maidservant's voice. She is given a good amount of airtime in this very male-centred text.

The following Mishna provides more detail on the shofar: it should be straight made from an ibex; its mouthpiece should be gold; it should sound a long blast while trumpets - one on each side of the shofar - sound short blasts. However, shofarot of Fast Days are made of the curved horns of rams; the mouthpieces are silver. They are placed outside trumpets which sound the longer blasts while the shofarot sound short blasts. The rabbis disagree about which of these two practices is used on Jubilee years.

The Gemara discusses this difficulty. When should one 'bend' his mind, likening oneself to the shofar? Discussing the question metaphorically and literally, we watch the rabbis play with words to best understand its intention. A note teaches us that in fact we use the curved shofar of a ram on Rosh Hashana.