Taanit 19 – Nakdimon Ben Gurion

The series of fasts that we have spoken about earlier are only for rains that are coming late. The rationale is that this is a gradual worsening of the situation, which can be fixed. However, for serious calamities they fast and cry out right away. What is considered a serious calamity? If the crops grew abnormally and may be totally ruined, if the rains fell irregularly (too strong or too weak), or any other natural or economic condition which may result in a dangerous food shortage.

Once all Israel collected in Jerusalem for a Festival, but, due to a drought, there was not enough water for them to drink. Then Nakdimon ben Gurion, a very wealthy Jew, went to a Roman patrician to borrow twelve wells of water. He promised to return the water by way of rains, and if not – to pay twelve talents of silver (equal to about seven million dollars). The promised day has come, but there was no rain. Thrice did the patrician send for his money, but Nakdimon argued that he still had until the end of the day. Then the patrician went to the baths, preparing to celebrate, while Nakdimon went to the Temple to pray. He said, “You know, God, that I did not do it for my own – or my family's – glory,” and the rains poured. And yet, the patrician claimed that the rain came after the sun was down. So Nakdimon went back to the Temple to pray, and the sun has shown through the clouds.

In general, the sun stood still for three people: Moses, Joshua, and Nakdimon.

Art: Cloudy Skies, Sunset, Jamaica by Frederic Edwin Church

Taanit 18 – Miracles and fasts

Several miracles happened to the Jews during the Second Temple, and “The Scroll of Fasts” records when one is not supposed to fast or eulogize the dead because of the miracles that happened on these days. First, the Talmud deals with the details of these prohibitions and then describes the miracles.

The daily sacrifice in the Temple has to be brought from communal funds, but the school of Sadducees argued that it should be brought by an individual. The argument lasted for eight days, from the first of Nissan, and the Sages convinced their opponents. This was considered a miracle.

The school of Baitus about the date of Shavuot: they understood the word “Shabbat” as Saturday, but the Sages had the tradition that in this context, it means a Holiday of Passover. Again, the Sages convinced them, and this miracle was celebrated for all the days when the argument occurred.

A Greek governor Nikanor would wave every day toward the Temple, saying, “When will it fall into my hands, and I will trample it?” When the Maccabees prevailed, they cut off his thumbs and big toes and hung them at the gates of Jerusalem, saying, “The mouth that said it, the hands that waved and the feet that would trample – let revenge be taken against them.” Incidentally, they cut off his head, too.

Turianus accused the Jews of murdering his daughter. Two men, Lullianus and Papus, stepped up and falsely admitted the crime. Before Turianus executed them, he said, “You are from the people of Chananya, Mishael, and Azarya; let a miracle happen to you!” They answered, “They were perfectly righteous, but we are not, and Nebuchadnezzar was a proper king, but you are a commoner. However, God chose you to execute us so that He can then take revenge against you.” Turianus nevertheless killed them right away, and at that very moment, messengers arrived from Rome to execute him in turn. This happened on the twelfth of Adar.

Later all these minor holidays were abolished because of subsequent sad events that occurred on these days.

Art: Battle between the Maccabees and the Bacchides by Jean Fouquet

Taanit 17 – Why do Kohanim drink wine?

A Kohen who is drunk cannot serve in the Temple. Since the Temple can be rebuilt any day, it follows that a Kohen who knows the day when he would be officiating in the Temple should not drink wine on that day. He should also not drink wine the week that he knows would be his week to serve. And since no Kohen today knows his lineage and Temple schedule, no Kohen should ever drink wine.

However, Rabbi Yehudah the Prince says that although it is true, but what can he say – since their ruin (not being able to serve in the Temple) is also their defence: it has been many years that the Temple has not been rebuilt, and they can now drink wine any time.

But, by the same token, they should also cut their hair at least every thirty days! Why? – Because drinking wine and growing long hair are prohibited in the exact same phrase. – No, that logic is wrong! If the Temple is rebuilt, and we are looking for a sober Kohen to serve there and can find none - then indeed we are in trouble. But a long-haired Kohen can quickly take a haircut and go officiate.

Art: Elegant company drinking in an interior by Jan Olis

Taanit 16 – The sad customs

We mentioned that on the last seven fasts for rain, they prayed in the public square. Why would they do this? – To show that "We prayed in private, and it did not help. Now we humiliate ourselves in public." Others say that it is to exile ourselves since an exile expiates the person's wrong deeds. What is the practical difference between the two explanations? According to the second one, we would be able to "exile" ourselves to another synagogue, but only a public place would suffice, according to the first one.

On fast days, people visited cemeteries to show that "We are considered like dead before God." Others say that it is to influence the dead so that they should pray on our behalf. What is the practical difference between these two explanations? According to the first one, any cemetery will do, but one needs to go specifically to a Jewish cemetery according to the second one.

A prototypical fast is the one people did in Nineveh, in the days of Jonah – except that they had different arguments. For example, they tied animal mothers and offspring separately and proclaimed, "If You, God, do not have mercy on us, we will not have mercy on them." They also argued, "The righteous usually yield before the wicked. You, God, are righteous, and we are wicked, so You should yield before us and pity us." But they also did good deeds: for example, if one of them stole a beam and built a palace for himself, he would now repay the money and dismantle his palace to return the stolen goods.

Art: Leverington Cemetery by William Trost Richards

Taanit 15 – Not everyone's prayer is equal

An important person should not "fall on his face" - prostrate himself in prayer, unless he is sure to be answered – just like Joshua did. Otherwise, his public spectacle will make him an object of ridicule, and people will doubt his inner worth.

Similarly, one should not put on sackcloth, like King Ahab did. In his case, he was answered. Here is the story: a woman was crying, asking for help from the King. He asked her what the matter was. She told him that she agreed with her friend to boil and eat her son, and then the friend's son the next day, but now the friend hid her son. When the King heard that, he was so overwhelmed with the realization of how bad the famine was that he put on sackcloth and started to pray and, even though he was not righteous, his prayer was answered in one day – flour became plentiful and cheap.

How did they conduct the seven most strict fasts? They brought the Torah into the town square. They put ashes upon the Ark, upon the head of the leading ruler, and the heads of the Court members. Then everyone else put ashes on his own head. A Sage among them tried to captivate their hearts, starting with "Brothers, remember the people of Nineveh: God looked not at their sackcloth and fast but at their good deeds and stopping to do evil."

They added six special blessings to the regular eighteen, and thus the prayer leader says the twenty-four blessings in his prayer. The extra ones deal with redemption, remembrance, and answering prayer.

Art: The Irish Famine by George Frederick Watts

Taanit 13 – Series of fasts

If the first three fasts were not answered by rain, the Court decrees three more fasts. People stop eating before sunset; all other restrictions are similar to Yom Kippur or Tisha B'Av, and even work is not allowed. If these fasts pass and still there is no rain, the Court decrees another seven fasts. On these last fasts, even stores are closed.

More than thirteen fasts for rain are not decreed on the congregation. Instead, construction and planting of joyous nature are forbidden; people reduce engagements, marriages, do not greet each other, and behave like people censured by God. After this, exceptional individuals continue fasting until the spring month of Nissan, since after that, the rain, even if it falls, is no longer a sign of blessing.

Why did the Sages prohibit work on these fast days? Granted, all other prohibitions are against enjoyment, but work is no pleasure!? They are similar to Holidays – both are called "a gathering," and just as work is prohibited on the Holidays, it must be prohibited on these stringent fast days.

Art: Morning Greeting by Daniel Ridgway Knight

Taanit 12 – Fasting for part of a day

Can one accept on himself to fast for only a part of the day? Rav Chisda said that it is impossible: it is not considered a fast if he ate before the end of the day. Then what is the concept of a partial fast? Rav Chisda will answer one who was too busy to eat in the first part of the day, and then decided to accept the fast until the end of the day: such a fast is valid, and he is even allowed to say the special prayer "Answer us!" for the fast days.

But how about the laypeople accompanying the kohanim in bringing the sacrifices – they were fasting but not completing the fast, and nevertheless, it is called a fast? – Ravi Chisda answers, "They did it just to afflict themselves, but it is not an official fast." So then what about Rabbi Yochanan, who used to declare, "I am in a fast until I come home." – He was only doing this to avoid the social obligation of a meal at the house of the ruling prince. And yet, some say that there is a concept of partial fast having spiritual significance.

Rav Yehoshua visited the home of Rav Idi, and they made a special meal for him, a calf one-third grown. He said, "I can't eat; I am fasting." They told him, "Do this: cancel this fast and repay it later!" He answered, "My fast has a reason: I saw a bad dream. In that case, you cannot change the day since the fast must be on the day of the dream." That is true even on Shabbat, except that on Shabbat, one should not fast – so what does one do? Fast now, and then fast again on a weekday, to atone for his fasting on Shabbat.

Art: Joseph's Dream By Gaetano Gandolfi

Taanit 11 – The fasts of special individuals

If the rain did not come as expected in the fall, on the seventeenth of Marcheshvan, special individuals begin to fast on Monday, Thursday and following Monday. They fast only since morning till evening, and they are allowed to bathe and to work. If at the beginning of Kislev, about two weeks later, there are still no rains, the Court decrees three fasts, now already for the community.

Who are those unique individuals? – These are the Sages, but for this purpose, anybody can deem himself a Sage since it only brings suffering for him, and not any honor. Furthermore, if one fasts expecting that his fasting will remove particular trouble, and the crisis indeed goes away, he still needs to complete his fast. One should not separate himself from the community in bad times, hoping that it will be good for him individually, but instead, suffer together with all – and then he will be privileged to see the deliverance.

In general, should one fast? Shmuel said he is called a “sinner,” but Rabbi Elazar said he is called “Holy.” Both base their opinion on the Nazirite, and there is no contradiction: it depends on the intention of the person and on whether he can study while fasting.

Art: The Fasting of St. Charles By Daniele Crespi

Taanit 6 - The blessing on the rain

There are three rainfalls in Israel at the beginning of the winter. First, the fields are plowed and sown. Then the rains come and water them, and the growth shows in the spring.

There are many different opinions as to the days when these rains are expected to fall. But what practical significance does it have?

For the early rainfall, the answer is clear: it falls at the beginning of the rain season, and we need to know when to start praying so that this rain should indeed come. For the last one, it is also apparent: if no rain fell by then, unique pious individuals would begin to fast.

The question is about the middle one: why do we need to know when to expect it? It turns out that the knowledge of this date is also essential in many places of the law. For example, for vows: if one vows not to eat a particular fruit until the rains come, it is presumed that he meant the middle ones. It also matters for gleanings. Usually, gleanings are reserved exclusively for the poor. However, when even the poor abandon and no longer collect them, anyone can take them. When the last, slow and meticulous poor go through the fields, nobody else hopes to find a significant amount of gleanings. Then the legal owners of them - the impoverished - despair of finding any more and give them up. This gives the grains the legal status of ownerless and thus available to anybody. What is the date for that? - The time of the second rain.

When one sees the rain after a period of drought, he should say, "Blessed is God for every drop of rain." In Israel, where showers are scarce, one actually says this when he sees the first rain in the rainy winter season.

Art: Rainy Night by Childe Hassam

Taanit 5 – Do children take after parents?

Until when should one pray for rain? – Until the end of the rainy season, when rain is still beneficial - that is, until the end of Passover. Some say, until the very end of the month when Passover occurs, that is, Nissan – just as it happened once when "God made rainfall, early and late, in Nissan."

But we learned that the proper time for the early rain is a few months before, in Marcheshvan!? – this event happened only once, in the time of Joel, after the seven-year drought. People asked Joel, should they plant the small amount of seed they had – and die before the crop sprouts? He told them to plant nevertheless. A miracle happened to them, and new wheat grew in just eleven days so that they could bring the Omer sacrifice – and start eating the grain right away. This is what the phrase "Those who sow with tears will reap with joy" means. In fact, as an ox drew the plow going one way and sowing, the grain already began to grow, so it could already eat the new growth on the way back. The ears of grain were then two times longer than the stalk.

Rav Yitzchak was sitting at a meal with Rav Nachman, and Rav Nachman asked him to say something, but Rav Yitchak replied, "One should not talk during a meal, so as not to choke." After the meal, he said, "Jacob never died." Rav Nachman jumped in surprise, "But they embalmed and buried him!" Rav Yitzhak replied, "I am just interpreting the phrase, 'I will redeem Israel and Jacob.' Just as Israel must be alive to be redeemed, so too Jacob."

When they were parting, Rav Nachman asked Rav Yitzchak to bless him. The latter replied, "Imagine someone in a desert who finds a tree with a well. After he is refreshed, he says to the tree, 'How can I bless you? You have everything. May your saplings be like you.' You, too, you have Torah, and riches, and children. Therefore, I wish that they all may be like you."

Art: Reapers Resting in a Wheat Field by John Singer Sargent

Taanit 4 – Three improper requests

Since we spoke about rain and seeds, Rava said a related thing: "Young Sages are like a seed under a clod of the earth: he hides and grows, but when he is out, his power only increases." He also said, "When a Sage gets angry, it is the Torah that is burning in him, since God says, 'Is not My word like fire?'" In addition, the Sage must be hard as iron. The Talmud gives two proofs for that. And yet, a person must train himself to always remain calm and "remove anger from his heart."

Three have asked God incorrectly, but in two cases, that got a proper reply. The first one was Eliezer, who prayed, "The girl that comes out first will be Isaac's wife." This could include someone with a bodily defect or unfit, but he was answered by Rebecca coming to the well. The second one was Saul, who promised to "make rich and marry his daughter" to a person who would fight Goliath. This could have been a slave or a mamzer, marriage with whom would be forbidden. But he was answered with David stepping up to the task.

The last was Yiftach (Jephthah), who said that if he wins against the enemies, he will sacrifice the first thing that comes out of his house. One might think it includes even a pig or other non-kosher animal, which cannot be offered. Instead, his daughter came out to greet him. Some say she took a vow of celibate life, and others – that he actually sacrificed her. This was uncalled for since his vow was not even valid, and he should have asked the Sage Pinchas to annul it.

Art: Eliezer and Rebecca at the Well by Nicolas Poussin

Taanit 3 – The four corners of the world

Rabbi Yehudah adds a human aspect to the previous discussion. Even though by right we should start mentioning the rain on the last day of Sukkot – when the rainy season begins and when the people can safely travel home, even in the presence of rain – we should also avoid confusion. If we start in the evening – many people may miss the evening prayer and not be aware of the addition. And if we say it in the morning, they might mistakenly think that the prayer for rain started already yesterday evening and will therefore make a mistake next year. So, the prayer leader should not mention rain in the morning prayer for everybody to know what's right. Then, he should attract their attention by saying it in the additional morning prayer (Mussaf), and then everybody will know.

Nonetheless, if one mentions that God gives dew and winds, he can do it any time he wants – because these never stop. And how do we know this about winds? – From the phrase "Just as the four directions (winds) of the world – so I have spread Israel, says God." This means that just as the world cannot be without winds, so it cannot be without Israel, which is spread out in the world to sustain it.

Art: View on the Seine - Harp of the Winds by Homer Dodge Martin

Taanit 2 – Three keys

In the prayer, there is a place to mention the power of God to give rain, and there is also another place to actually ask for rain. When should one say these? Rabbi Eliezer says that one should mention rain from the beginning of Sukkot, which marks the beginning of the rainy season. Rabbi Yehoshua asked, “A rain is bad on Sukkot, because one is trying to live in a sukkah!?” Rather, one should begin to pray for rain on the last day of Sukkot.

Rabbi Eliezer answered, "I also did not mean to pray for rain on Sukkot, just to mention God's power to give it." Rabbi Yehoshua asked, "Then mention it all year!" Rabbi Eliezer replied, "Actually, yes, you can." Good answer! And Rabbi Yehoshua? He replied, "I understand why we mention the Resurrection of the Dead because any day is good for that. On the other hand, rains are bad at harvest time and so should not be mentioned."

Why does the teacher start this subject at all?! – Since we just learned about Rosh Hashanah, where it is discussed when the world is judged regarding water and rain, it is now appropriate to discuss when to pray for it. But how do we know we should pray for rain? – Because of the phrase, "You will serve God with your heart... and He will give you rain." What is the service with the heart? – that is prayer.

Why does the teacher mention specifically the "power" of God to give rain? – because, as Rabbi Yochanan said, it is related to one of the three keys that God does not give to another: rain, conception, and the revival of the dead.

Art: Wheat Field In Rain by Vincent Van Gogh

Rosh Hashanah 35 – Who has to pray?

The prayer is said by everyone silently, and then it is repeated by the prayer leader. However, Rabban Gamliel states that the prayer leader's words count as the prayer for everyone so that everyone else does not have to pray. This is true throughout the year, and even more so on Rosh Hashanah when the prayer is long and was unfamiliar to many, especially when there were no printed prayer books.

The Sages asked Rabban Gamliel, "According to your opinion that the prayer leader fulfills everyone's obligation, why do people first pray silently at all?" He answers, "To give them something to do while the prayer leader reviews what he is going to say." He then asked in return, "And according to you, why does the prayer leader go down next to the ark and repeat the prayer?" The Sages told him, "For the benefit of the unlearned." He concluded, "Just as the prayer leader's prayer works for the unlearned, so it works for everyone else!"

Some say Rabban Gamliel exempted even those far away in the fields and could not attend the services. Others say that just the opposite, he exempted only them because the circumstances beyond their control stopped them from praying, but those who are in the city and attend services should say the prayers. Today, of course, there are printed prayer books, and everyone is obligated to pray using these.

Art: The Daily Prayers by Leopold Pilichowski

Rosh Hashanah 34 – How important is the shofar?

If one heard the nine required sounds of the shofar in nine hours, one sound an hour, he has nevertheless fulfilled his obligation. There is no requirement for them to be adjacent to each other. However, if he heard them simultaneously from nine people, he has not fulfilled his obligation because he could not hear each sound clearly.

It is better to be with those who know how to blow the shofar than with those who know how to pray. For example, if in one city they blow the shofar but do not know the prayers, and in another city they say the prayers but do not blow the shofar, he should go to the first city.

But this rule seems obvious; why did the teacher have to state it? After all, the shofar requirement is from the Torah. The prayer was later decreed by the Sages. Of course, we should prefer to do the Torah commandment! Still, the rule contains a novelty. Even when it is doubtful whether they will blow the shofar, one should still go and try to hear it.

Art: Square in an Ancient City by Jean Lemaire

Rosh Hashanah 33 – What notes to blow on the shofar

The order of the shofar sounds is as follows: first the long opening note (called tekiah), then three sets of three shortest notes possible (called teruah), and then another long note (tekiah).

There is also another note, a whimpering sound called “shevarim.” Three shevarim equal in length to a long sound, tekiah, and three groups for three short notes (teruah) also equal in length to the long sound. Others reverse the understanding of the broken notes, “shevarim” and “teruah.” Their disagreement is about which human emotion is this more similar to, moaning or sobbing.

If one played a long note, tekiah, two times longer than it should be – he has not gained anything since a note without interruption is still the same long note, so it is considered just one note. For example, suppose he played tekiah – teruah – tekiah and made the last note two times longer than the first. In that case, it is still not considered if he sounded the previous note in the first group and then started the second long note in the would-be second group.

Art: Blowing bubbles By Theophile Emmanuel Duverger

Rosh Hashanah 32 – The prayers of Rosh Hashanah

The prayers of Rosh Hashanah mention three themes: Kingship – the acknowledgment that God is King; Remembrances – God remembers the good deeds of the Patriarchs and of humanity; and Shofarot – mentions of the shofar throughout history. Every theme is expressed by ten phrases. When these are said, we also blow the shofar. However, often they blow the shofar later in the prayer not to disturb the people's concentration.

There is a rule that mitzvot must be perform early and without delay. How can they delay the blowing of the shofar, which is the mitzvah of the day for Rosh Hashanah? – There was once a government decree against blowing the shofar, and it was delayed, not to arouse suspicion. It was kept in place later, out of concern that a similar decree might happen again.

With all the importance of the shofar, one may not do the following to bring it on Rosh Hashanah: carry it from afar, ride a horse, dig it up from the rubble, nor swim in water for it. One may clean it with water or wine. If a child wants to play the shofar, not only he is not stopped, but they help him learn, even on Shabbat.

Art: The Rider on the Black Horse by George Frederick Watts

Rosh Hashanah 31 – What happens after the end of the world

Earlier, we mentioned that if the witnesses who saw the new moon came late, it could lead to mistakes in the sacrifices. What could go wrong was the song that the Levites used to sing, together with the sacrifice. In this, connection the Talmud enumerated which songs were performed on each day of the week and explains why it was fitting, according to what happened on this particular day in the order of creation of the world.

On Shabbat, they sang, "It is good to praise God." When a man emulates God by resting on Shabbat, he can perceive God's ways more clearly. One opinion says that this is about the last thousand years of the world when it will be destroyed, and for one day, God will reign alone (God's day is a thousand years). The other opinion says that this refers back to the first Shabbat of creation, but that the world will be destroyed not for one but two days (two thousand years). The destruction and non-existence refer only to physical activity. However, spiritually all the righteous souls will exist in harmony brought about by the absence of evil. After this, according to some, the world will exist again, with people living in the presence of God. This is discussed in depth at the end of the Tractate Sanhedrin and is mentioned here only parenthetically.

The Talmud discusses other novel laws of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai, such as making it easier for the new moon witnesses to go to the Court meeting place and not to the residence of the Head of Sanhedrin. The ninth and the last was to stop putting the strip of red wool on Yom Kippur for all to see: if people were forgiven, it turned white, but if not, they were upset – so now that they could not see it, they would not be sad.

Art: Harvesters Resting (or Ruth and Boaz) by Jean-Francois Millet

Rosh Hashanah 30 – Innovations of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai

We mentioned how Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai outwitted the other Sages regarding the shofar. The Talmud continues with his other innovations.

He established two new laws to remember Jerusalem: waving the lulav and eating the new grain (chadash.) As a result, the possibility of the Temple being rebuilt any day or night was expressed in applicable laws. We discussed these in the Tractate Sukkah here. This is in the class of essential teachings, which are repeated in several places in the Talmud.

He also re-established accepting New Moon witnesses any time of the day. Initially, this is how the law was, but in the time of the Temple, they changed this so that the order of the sacrifices would not accidentally go awry. Now that there was no Temple, this precaution was unnecessary, and Rabbi Yochanan repealed the law. This, incidentally, agrees with the rule that even if the original reason for the law goes away, it still needs a Court ruling to be repealed.

Art: New York Harbor In Moonlight by Edward Moran

Rosh Hashanah 29 - Rosh Hashanah on Shabbat

Even though we saw Rava earlier postulate that one can simply play music on a shofar and fulfill his Rosh Hashanah shofar obligation without meaning to do so, in truth, the intention is paramount. Here is an example. "When Moses would raise his hand, Israel would prevail over Amalek, but when he lowered his hand, Amalek was stronger." But do Moses' hands make or break the battle? Instead, when Israel "gazed upward," concentrating on the purpose of the fight, they would win. Thus, Moses's hands were only a signal to Israel. Others explain that the concentration of Israel was giving Moses the strength to pray. Another example: "Make a fiery serpent and place it on a pole, so that anyone bitten by a snake would look at the serpent and live." Instead, when Israel "gazed upwards," they were healed.

Even when Rosh Hashanah occurs on Shabbat, by right, people should blow the shofar nevertheless. However, since there is a danger that someone who is not skilled in the shofar will take it in his hands and go to a Sage to learn - and carrying objects in a public area is prohibited on Shabbat - the Sages decided to cancel blowing the shofar in this case. In Jerusalem, in the times of the Temple, when the presence of many Sages would ensure that Shabbat is observed, they would blow the shofar even on Shabbat.

After the destruction of the Temple, Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai established to still blow the shofar on Shabbat Rosh Hashanah in the city of Yavneh, where the Sanhedrin assembled. Here is how he did it. They told him, "Let's decide first if it is proper." He answered, "Let's blow now and afterward decide." So they blew the shofar. Then later, when they said, "Let's decide now," Rabbi Yochanan answered, "It is too late - the sound was already heard, and it is improper for the Court to retract its decision at this time."

Art: View Of Jerusalem by Pierre Tetar Van Elven

Rosh Hashanah 28 - Blowing a misappropriated shofar

If one takes a horn of an animal that has been consecrated as a burnt offering, he should not use it to blow the shofar on Rosh Hashanah. However, if he did it, the following sequence of events occurs: since he misappropriated a part of the offering, he transgressed and owes a sacrifice. However, the misappropriated horn becomes his property. His blowing is now valid. By contrast, a peace offering belongs primarily to its owner, and the laws of misappropriation do not apply to it. Thus, if he blew its horn, it remained in its consecrated status, and the blowing is invalid as a mitzvah that came through transgression.

Another take from Rava: When does the misappropriation occur? - After he has blown the shofar! When he was blowing, the shofar was still the property of the Temple, and the blowing is invalid. Thus, in both cases, it is invalid. Rava then reversed his opinion: in both cases, the blowing is valid. Why? The concept of benefit does not apply to mitzvot; instead, they are a yoke on one's neck. Thus, there is really no benefit and, consequently, no transgression involved in either case and in both cases, his blowing fulfills the mitzvah.

Rava also said, "One who blows a shofar just for music's sake has nevertheless fulfilled the mitzvah since doing mitzvot does not require the intent." How could Rava say this? Didn't we learn that if one passes by the synagogue and hears the shofar, he fulfills the obligation - but only provided that he has the intent!? Answers Rava: "What kind of intent is meant? - to hear the shofar!" But that's precisely what the rule says!? - Rava meant to hear the shofar as an instrument of music and not imagine that it is a braying donkey. What about the one who blows? He certainly knows that he is not a donkey but a human, blowing a shofar. - He is trying to make barking or some other unmusical sounds and accidentally produces musical sounds.

Art: The Donkey by Eugene Joseph Verboeckhoven

Rosh Hashanah 27 – How did they blow the shofar in the Temple

On Rosh Hashanah, they used a straight shofar, its mouth plated with gold, with two trumpet blowers standing by the sides. Why straight? – To symbolize that on that day, the man should be honest and straightforward. Others, however, say that it should be bent to symbolize submission and humility. By contrast, the two trumpets were placed in the center on public fast days, and shofars, their mouths plates with silver, were on their sides. The trumpets blew more extended notes, and the shofar's sound was short because, on a fast day, the trumpet was the main sound.

There were times when authorities prohibited the blowing of the shofar on Rosh Hashanah. This gave rise to the following question: what happens when one blows the shofar in a cave? – If he hears the sound of the shofar itself, without the accompanying echo, it works, but if he hears the echo – it is not valid. Similarly, if one passes by the synagogue when they blow the shofar there – and he listens with attention – it counts for him. And the one who blows the shofar should have everyone in mind.

Art: An Officer Blowing a Trumpet By Anthonie Palamedesz

Rosh Hashanah 23 - Insecure telegraph

Initially, the Court had a quick system of announcing the New Moon: they would light torches to let the next station know, and in five hops, the news was transmitted to the whole Diaspora (really, the city of Pumbedita), which looked as if aflame with fire.

The calendar month could only have one of the two: either twenty-nine or thirty days. If the month was short (twenty-nine days), they made it known with torches, and if it was long (thirty), then nothing had to be done. However, this system was based on trust and open to hacking; the followers of a certain sect led by Baitus messed it up by hiring witnesses, with the desire to mislead the Sages. It was then established to accept testimony from known people. They also lit their own torches, to confuse the court, and when this was uncovered, the Sages instituted sending messengers.

We mentioned before that the establishment of the New Moon would also determine the dates for the Holidays. This was so important that the witnesses who would come to testify about having seen the new moon were allowed to violate Shabbat. Therefore, when they came to Jerusalem, they could be outside the area of two thousand steps which one can travel on Shabbat. They would sit in a big courtyard, established for this purpose, and enjoy festival meals prepared for them. Still, it was too restrictive, and Rabban Gamliel changed the law to allow them to go to any place in Jerusalem.

Art: New Moon by Maxfield Parrish