Important Message Regarding This Lesson
The Daily Mitzvah schedule runs parallel to the daily study of 3 chapters of Maimonides' 14-volume code. There are instances when the Mitzvah is repeated a few days consecutively while the exploration of the same Mitzvah continues in the in-depth track.
Positive Commandment 59 (Digest)
Blowing Trumpets
"On the day of your joy, on your holidays and on the heads of your months you shall blow with trumpets"—Numbers 10:10.
We are commanded to blow trumpets while the sacrifices offered on special dates were being offered in the Holy Temple.
We are also commanded to blow trumpets during times of distress, to accompany our prayer to G‑d.
Unabridged English Text of this Mitzvah »
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> The 59th mitzvah is that we are commanded to sound the trumpets in the Holy Temple when offering any of the periodic;) sacrifices.
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> The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement,;) "And on the day of your rejoicing, on your festivals and on your Rosh Chodesh days, you shall sound the trumpets over your burnt-offerings."
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> Our Sages have explicitly stated;) that ;) because] "the main mitzvah of this day is that of the trumpets.";)
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> The details of this mitzvah are explained in the Sifri,;) in Rosh Hashanah,;) and in Taanis.;)
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> Since we are [also] commanded to sound the trumpets when we cry out to G‑d (exalted be He) during a time of trouble and distress, the verse;) says, "When you go to war against an enemy who attacks you in your land, [you shall sound the trumpets]."
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> Footnotes
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> 1.
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> I.e., those brought on holidays and Rosh Chodesh. See Hilchos Klei Hamikdosh 3:5.
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> 2.
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> Num. 10:10.
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> 3.
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> Rosh Hashanah, Ch.3, Mishneh 4 (26b).
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> 4.
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> Unlike Rosh Hashanah, when the shofar lasts longer.
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> 5.
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> Perhaps the Rambam's goal in quoting this passage is to point out the expression, "main mitzvah" (mitzvas hayom), which shows that blowing the trumpet counts as one of the 613 mitzvos.
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> Although this statement refers to blowing the trumpets on a fast day, nevertheless it can be applied here, since the Rambam counts them as one and the same mitzvah.
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> 6.
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> Parshas B'haaloscha.
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> 7.
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> See note above.
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> 8.
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> 15a.
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> 9.
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> Num. 10:9.
Laws of Megillah and Chanukah Chapters 1 and 2
We now continue with Maimonides' Laws of Megillah and Chanukah, chapters one and two.
(The Daily Mitzvah schedule runs parallel to the daily study of three chapters of Maimonides' 14-volume code, which today studies these laws. Because these two mitzvot are rabbinic, not biblical, they have no counterpart in Sefer Hamitzvot.)