Page 54 - Chayei Adam LAYOUT sivan 5782

Chayei Adam - K’lal 140 - The Laws of the Shofar

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blow a bent shofar from another animal. If he cannot find a bent shofar, even a
hollow straight horn may be used. [This is] provided it is from a kosher animal, as
any prohibited animal is disqualified from being used for a mitzva, as we learn
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from tefillin about which it says “so that the Torah of Hashem should be in your
mouth” which Chazal understand to mean a species which is permitted to put in
your mouth. However a horn made from a species whose horns are a single solid
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bone and not hollow is not valid, as it is not called a ‘shofar’ but rather a ‘keren’,
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as the posuk says “His firstborn ox is [given] glory. His horns are the horns of a
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re'eim”. [Since] the Torah compares the horns of an ox to the horns of a re’eim,
they are not valid, even though they are hollow and those of the re’eim are not.

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]3[ A shofar must measure one tefach long which is the width of 4 thumbs at

םדו רשב

appears that the halacha follows R’ Yehuda six levels of preference in choosing a shofar:
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and while others (Rosh, for example) (1) a bent ram’s horn; (2) a lamb’s horn if it is
understand that they argue as to what is ideal, bent - however a bent horn of another species
the Rambam understands their dispute to takes precedence over a straight lamb or ram’s
revolve around the basic halachic requirement. horn; (3) a shofar from a goat; (4) from
See however the Taz who understands that another species; (5) the horn of a non-kosher
the word ‘kevasim’ includes all other species, animal which is then blown without a beracha
as he proves from a posuk, and the Rambam’s (see below); (6) the horn of a cow or ox which
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opinion is actually quite similar to that of the is not valid even under the most extenuating
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Rosh. Although the Shulchan Aruch makes no circumstances.
mention of the Rambam’s opinion, see
however, the Aruch Hashulchan who 8. Shemos 13:0. The gemara (Shabbos
understands that others (Rashi, Tosfos, Smag, 28b) extrapolates from this that anything used
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and Hagaos Maimoni) hold this way as well, in the service of Hashem must also be
and one should certainly try to fulfill this fashioned of a kosher species. By extension,
opinion of the Rambam. the Ran includes a shofar for, although it itself
does not qualify as an intrinsically sacred
7. A bent shofar from another species object (because it is only used to facilitate a
however is preferable than a straight ram’s mitzva ) since it ‘reminds’ Hashem, it is
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horn. (Mishna Berura based on the majority of considered to be like a service of the
rishonim and poskim) The Pri Megadim lists innermost chambers of the mikdash. The

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