Mitzvah —
116
To hear the Shofar on the first day of Tishrei
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וּבַחֹ֨דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֜י בְּאֶחָ֣ד לַחֹ֗דֶשׁ מִֽקְרָא־קֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֔ם כׇּל־מְלֶ֥אכֶת עֲבֹדָ֖ה לֹ֣א תַעֲשׂ֑וּ י֥וֹם תְּרוּעָ֖ה יִהְיֶ֥ה לָכֶֽם׃ - פָּרָשַׁת פִּינְחָס
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Numbers 29:1 - "And in the seventh month, on the first day, there shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall not perform any mundane work. It shall be a day of shofar sounding for you."
This Mitzvah's Summary
מִצְוָה עֲשֵׂה - Positive Commandment
מִצְוָה לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה - Negative Commandment
Holidays – חֲגִים
Hear the sounding of the shofar on Rosh Hashanah.
This mitzvah commands hearing the blasts of the shofar on the first day of Tishrei, Rosh Hashanah. The shofar’s sound serves as a spiritual awakening, stirring the heart to repentance and reminding us of Hashem’s kingship. The blasts echo the cries of prayer, the coronation of the Divine King, and the binding of Isaac, whose ram was caught by its horns. The mitzvah focuses not on blowing the shofar, but on listening attentively to its sound.
Commentary & Classical Explanation:
- Rambam (Hilchot Shofar 1:1): The commandment is to hear the sound of the shofar, not to blow it, and women are exempt though permitted to fulfill it.
- Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 405): The root is to awaken hearts from spiritual slumber, reminding us of the urgency of teshuvah (repentance).
- Talmud (Rosh Hashanah 16a): Interprets the shofar blasts as a call to proclaim Hashem’s kingship and a means of arousing mercy on Israel.
Commentaries
(Source: Chabad.org)
