5784/2023
The Gemara in Rosh HaShanah, daf כ”ט states, when Rosh HaShanah falls out on Shabbat we do not blow the Shofar. This is because of a גזירה made by Rabbah not to blow shofar or pick up a lulav on Shabbat out of the fear someone will mistakenly that carry their Shofar in the public domain and violate the איסור הוצאה. Therefore this year we will miss out on the מצוה דאורייתא of shofar as we will not be blowing this Shabbat.
However, this seems very strange, why are we מבטל a mitzvah from the Torah in order to preserve a decree from the Gemara? Not only that, but the גזירה itself is so far-fetched: what are the odds a person actually violates Shabbos due to carrying his Shofar? Yet we refrain from Shofar in its entirety for this reason?
,מצוה דאורייתא Interestingly, in addition to Shofar being a the Gemara in Rosh HaShanah Daf ט”ז also explains that Shofar is our defense mechanism against the Satan. Therefore, anyone who does not blow Shofar might merit a bad year. In addition to missing out on a commandment from the Torah, we are תקנת seemingly putting ourselves at risk, all to protect a mere ?חכמים
The Aruch LaNer answers our questions with a parable: There was once a man who committed a terrible sin against the king and no lawyer was willing to help him because they knew it would ruin his reputation. Finally, this man’s wife agreed to help her husband, and promised him that she would deliver the best defense case possible. When the day of the trial came, the woman delivered the most emotional and heartfelt plea to the king. The king agreed to let him go after seeing this woman’s love and devotion for her husband. A few months later a similar scenario occurred with a different man who tried to have his wife plead on his behalf before the king. However, when the woman entered the court she had bruises and cuts all over her body and looked like a mess. After further investigation, it was discovered that her husband abused her, and he was immediately sentenced to death.
The Aruch LaNer continues by quoting a Midrash that says Shabbat is Bnei Yisrael’s בת זוג or wife. Rather than risk desecrating Shabbat, we instead call upon her to be our defense in place of the shofar. Yet this only works if we keep תקנה Shabbos to the best of our ability, which includes every made by the חכמים. In a year like this one, Shabbat herself comes out and pleads to הקדוש ברוך הוא on our behalf for a great year. However, this can only happen if our “Wife” is being treated properly and therefore it is our responsibility to make sure that this Shabbat is kept with an extreme level of Kedushah and precision. Even the most minuscule halachot must be observed properly in order for Shabbat to protect us. If we do that then Be’ezrat Hashem we will all be Zoche to a tremendous year full of happiness, health, and Hatzlacha. !כתיבה וחתימה טובה Wishing everyone a