We examine how one man can blow the shofar on behalf of others who listen to fulfill their obligation.  We have a concept in Jewish wisdom that someone who is obligated to accomplish something can do that act on behalf of others, while someone who is not required to do it cannot.

The Mishnah brings up a case of a man who is half free and half a servant (he served two masters, and one of them granted him freedom, or be paid off his debt to one of them).  A servant is technically exempt from a commandment that is done at a specific time.  This man cannot blow the shofar for himself or anyone else, as the exempt part of him cannot do the job for the part that is obligated.

Sometimes you are internally conflicted and cannot see a way out of your own problems.  Men are often unable to see the big picture when they are inside the frame, with emotional connections to the other people involved.  You need to find a man man outside the situation and free of doubts and obligations to suggest a clear path out for you.

Jewish wisdom emphasizes “make yourself a teacher” in the sense of finding another man to hold you accountable.  Our sages apply this even if he is less wise than you, as his view will give you clarity about your choices.

The Talmud today brings an amazing story about leadership:

After the Temple was destroyed, Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai instituted that the people should sound the shofar even on Shabbat in every place where there is a court. 
It was taught: Once Rosh HaShana occurred on Shabbat, and all the nearby cities gathered at the Great Sanhedrin (high court) in Yavne. Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai said to the sons of Beteira, (who were the leading authorities of the generation): Let us sound the shofar.
They said to him: Let us discuss whether or not this is allowed.

He said to them: First let us sound it, and afterward let us discuss the matter.
After they sounded the shofar, the sons of Beteira said to Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai: Let us now discuss the issue.
He said to them: The horn has already been heard in Yavne, and one does not refute a ruling after action was already taken.

This took place just after the destruction of the temple, 1950 years ago.  There was a very real danger of the Jewish people losing the traditions and commandments that had been linked specifically to the Temple.  Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai was the leader in enacting laws to help the Jews maintain their link to past generations in a time of danger and uncertainty.

When you step up as a leader and make decisions, be prepared to have other people second guess your choices.  When the choice is clear to you, and the people are counting on you to act with certainty, you must be prepared to go ahead despite some people doubting you.

Know that there is a time to debate your plans but there is also a time when you need to act right away for the good of the people.  You can always talk later, when it is time to do, go and do.

 

The Talmud continues discussing the commandment of sounding the shofar, a musical instrument made from an animal’s horn.  Today’s Daf mentions the debate over if performing commandments requires specific intention.

Our sages analyze what happens when you blow the shofar in a pit or cave, or into a barrel or the like where there may be an echo of the original blast.  Blowing the shofar in secret was sometimes done in times when ancient governments banned Jews from fulfilling the commandment.  In recent history the British, who ruled Israel just before the Jewish state was set up, forbade Jews from blowing shofar at the Western Wall (Kotel), next to the site of the ancient Temple.

The Gemara explains that such a sounding works to fulfill the commandment when you hear the entire shofar blast, but when you are hearing an echo instead of the original it does not work.  We need to get the real signal.

A common problem in interpersonal communication is not understanding the original message clearly because we are distracted by the feelings that the other person’s words are creating in ourselves.  This is akin to hearing the echo over the original – the effect is now interfering with receiving the actual sound.

During arguments or intense conversations many people begin to focus on the emotions that they feel inside due to the communication, rather than on the content itself.  This can easily create a spiral where both parties are not only talking past one another, but are actually inflaming tensions.

It is incumbent on men to be able to step back, refrain from reacting emotionally, and try to analyze communications on a logical and rational level.  Take your time, gather your thoughts, and speak slowly and deliberately.  If this is impossible, it is often better to take a time out or terminate the argument instead.

 

The Talmud begins to analyze which type of shofar we use on Rosh Hashanah and other occasions.  A shofar is the horn of an animal, usually a ram to remind us of the Binding of Isaac (Genesis 22), hollowed out into a musical horn.

The Gemara notes that the custom in the Temple was to blow silver trumpets alongside the shofar, but the man blowing the shofar would lengthen his sounds so they could be clearly heard after the trumpets stopped.

Our sages compare this to the proclamation of the Ten Commandments, where “Remember the Shabbat day” (Exodus 20:8) and “Keep the Shabbat day” (Deuteronomy 5:12), were spoken by God simultaneously in a single utterance, something that the human mouth cannot speak and the human ear cannot hear.  The ancient Jews miraculously heard and understood both words simultaneously.

The Gemara explains that when there are multiple things going on at the same time, a person can indeed focus his attention on one source – when that source is especially important to the listener.  Even if ten people are reciting something simultaneously, the human mind can fixate on one specific person.

Gentlemen, this is an important way to evaluate how someone else thinks of you.  If another person is easily distracted by whatever else is going on (or their phone) while you are talking, then you are not very important to that person.

Before entering a commitment, you can and should take the other person to crowded or busy places and then pay attention to how they focus their attention on you.

You can also get a sense of how people feel about one another by photographs.  If one partner is looking at the other, but the second is looking away or towards the camera, this hint that not all of their attention is for their mate.  (This does not work for posed photos).

Today the Gemara also brings a teaching that if you were merely passing by a Synagogue and heard the shofar from the outside, that counts – provided you direct your attention to it.  We can develop the capacity to focus, and this is an important skill for you to master in our hectic modern world.

The Talmud brings a case where the members of the high court itself witnessed the new moon appear.  Our sages debate if they can now be the judges to proclaim the new month since they are already witnesses.  Rabbi Akiva notes that if the high court witnessed a murder they cannot judge the murderer, since they are witnesses (a lower court would take the case).

A judge must have no preconceived ideas about the accused.  A murder witness cannot become a judge because he saw with his own eyes.  We are commanded to look for evidence of innocence (Numbers 35:24–25) and this witness has already seen the act and judged this man subconsciously.

We are all judgmental, this is an innate feature of humans.  We are blessed with huge brains that are constantly making calculations based on what we observe and what we know, to save us from trouble or death.  These subconscious judgments often show up as “gut feelings” or “second thoughts”.

In modern society men are instructed to be non-judgmental and accepting.  Part of this narrative is a push for us to ignore our “instincts”.  However, don’t be so quick to dismiss your inner voice, which is the product of subconscious calculations that your brain is making in your best interest.

The Gemara today cites Job 38:36 as hinting that the kidneys give wisdom, similar to a teaching in Brakhot 61 that the kidneys give advice and the heart (intellect) discerns which advise to follow.  In ancient times men have credence to the judgment of their “gut feelings”, but our sages note that the conscious mind must decide if this advice is valid.

Embrace the reality that humans are judgmental.  There are definitely times when it is appropriate to set aside first impressions and biases.  However, our power of judgment can be used for the positive.

When you are aware that humans are constantly making judgments, you can tap into your own capacity to judge your situation.  You may begin to see warning signs and red flags that you had dismissed, and make appropriate plans to ensure a good outcome.

The Mishnah describes a controversy from 1950 years ago over the validity of a pair of witnesses who claimed to have seen the new moon.  Rabban Gamliel, the head of the court, accepted their testimony and declared the new month and Rosh Hashanah that day.  Rabbi Dosa ben Hurkinas argued they were false witnesses, and Rosh Hashanah should be the next day.  Rabbi Yehoshua sided with Rabbi Dosa.  These two were among the most senior members of the rabbinical court.

Seeing this potential challenge to his authority, Rabban Gamliel sent a message to Rabbi Yehoshua: I decree that you must appear before me with your staff and your money-belt on the day of Yom Kippur according to your calculation.  For Rabban Gamliel this would be the day after Yom Kippur.

After some consultations, Rabbi Yehoshua accepted Rabban Gamliel’s orders.  Rabban Gamliel gave him enormous respect for acquiescing to his leadership, and explained that this would help lesser sages accept rulings from greater sages by seeing this great sage accept the authority of a lesser scholar (himself).

Here, Rabban Gamliel acknowledged that Rabbi Yehoshua was really the superior scholar, but knew that his authority as chief of the court needed to remain unchallenged by rival scholars.  The Bible itself contains a commandment to heed the rulings of the high court once the issue is decided (Deut 17:11-12).

This dispute took place shortly after the destruction of the Temple (may it soon be rebuilt).  Many Jews had been murdered or sent into exile.  There was a serious danger that the traditional structures of Jewish community and rabbinical authority would be lost.

In Jewish wisdom, we value the continuity of authority, when it is derived from serious scholarship and service that makes men into experts and leaders.  A man who wants to be respected as a Jewish leader must learn, teach, and render decisions for the community.  He also must have both the humility and the respected status to deal with various elements in addition to being able to advise individuals.

This episode from two millennia ago reminds us that men always form and function within power pyramids. We become leaders or accept the leadership of other men within a hierarchy.  Men look for someone confident and capable to lead them, or step up to fill this role when there is no clear leader.

Some men will always lead other people due to their talent, status, knowledge, performance or other reasons. Men challenge leaders they see as weak or ineffective, and offer alternative ways to deal with problems.  This is not something backward or barbaric, but an essential feature of mankind.

Modern society tends to question or undermine traditional authority (although we are meant to accept without any reservation the authority of the narrative promoted by mainstream media to protect the establishment from criticism).  We should realize that people everywhere naturally form power hierarchies, and that traditional societies worked well because they aligned with actual human biology and psychology.

Don’t deny the existence of a power hierarchy because you are not near the top.  If you want to lead in an area, develop both your expertise and your social skills.  It is not always the most skilled or intelligent man who gets the job.  Often the leader is the one who can encourage other talented men to work toward a common goal and effectively manage different personalities and agendas into one unit.

It is interesting that modern society downplays or denies the natural masculine tendency to form a hierarchy. The mainstream narrative instructs men that they are all equal when this is not the case.  If someone is trying to convince you to ignore the realities of power, suspect that they are trying to usurp power from you and do not want you to be aware of this.

The Gemara continues, explaining that any valid court can declare the new month.  We learn this from the fact that Moses and Aaron are listed with Nadav, Avihu, and the whole the court (Exodus 24:9).  Another explanation is that the commandment to sanctify the new month was given to Moses and Aaron, and we do not have an even number of men on a court to prevent a stalemate, so the smallest court would be three judges.

Our sages teach us to respect the leadership we have, even though they are obviously not on the level of Moses and Aaron.  Use what is available now.  Your teachers, tools, and situation may not be the greatest.  Don’t waste energy pining for the past or the best, maximize what you can get out of what you have right now.

We get into the meat of how the witnesses would come into the court to be questioned about seeing the new moon:

If one witness says that he saw the moon two plow handles above the horizon, and the other one says it was three plow handles high, their testimony is valid.  However, if one says that he saw the moon three plow handles above the horizon, and the other one says it was five plow handles high, their testimony is void.

When your own perception of someone or something is significantly different than that of the man right next to you, watch out.  Your own assumptions or biases may be altering how you see the situation.  Compare your view against that of other men and ask if your impression is reasonable.  In the same encounter some men can see red flags while others only see the red dress.

If the witnesses saw half of the moon’s reflection in water and half of it directly in the sky, or half of it through the clouds and half of it in the sky, or half of it through a lantern and half of it in the sky, although they saw half of the moon directly, they may not testify.

Seeing half of the moon is not good enough, even if you did see the other half indirectly.  This reminds us that we often draw conclusions based on incomplete information, assuming that the part we did not see is identical to what we observed.

This is especially true in relationships.  Someone may be showing you her good side, revealing the aspects of her life she thinks you will approve of.  You will be tempted to assume that she is always pleasant, gracious, and agreeable if she acts that way around you.

Don’t jump into commitment based on your limited interactions.  Pay attention to how this person treats other people that she is not trying to impress.  Observe her over time and in different situations.  Eventually the whole picture will emerge.

The Talmud describes the ancient signaling system used to communicate the new month across long distances:

They would bring flammables: long poles of cedar, reeds, pinewood, and beaten flax, and tie them together with a string.  A man would ascend to the top of the mountain and light the torch on fire with them, and wave it back and forth and up and down, until he would see his colleague doing likewise on the top of the second mountain…

And from Beit Baltin (a mountain on the border of Israel) they would not continue.  Rather, the one who was appointed for this task would wave the torch back and forth and up and down, until he would see the entire Diaspora before him alight like one large bonfire

The Gemara asks what the Mishnah meant by one large bonfire, and explains that when a man beyond the mountain of Beit Baltin saw the official torch waving, he would light his own and go on the roof to continue the signal from Israel deep into Babylonia.  Taken together, each man on his own roof continued the message from Israel for hundreds and perhaps thousands of miles.

When you learn something useful, you have an obligation to hold onto it and spread it to other men.  Review the wisdom you have gained in life.  Make your own life accomplishments into your personal torch, and show other men the helpful information you have obtained that they can use.

Today we also mention how the ancients harvested coral from the seabed:

They bring six thousand men to work for twelve months of the year, and some say they bring twelve thousand men for six months of the year.  They load a massive barge with sand until it sinks (Rashi explains that it did not sink entirely, the top of the deck was still above water, since it was not very deep).

Divers descend into the water and tie flax ropes around the coral and tie it to the barge.  And then they take the sand and cast it overboard, as the barge rises, it uproots and brings the coral along.

This is not merely an lesson in how men accomplished amazing feats without modern technology.  When you are bogged down by the dead weight of toxic people, flawed mental models, and negative self image then you begin to sink.

As you clear the junk off your life, you begin to rise to the surface again, able to navigate your own chosen path.  However, while you are still down you can tie some valuable insights to your ship and bring them back up with you.

Learn what problems and people bring you down, so you don’t make the same mistakes and enter the same kinds of relationships all over again.  Often it is only when a man realizes that he is sinking fast that he begins to be open to taking a totally new approach to his life.

We learn today that some people are not considered “kosher” to testify to witnessing the new moon, including those regularly gambling or betting on races. A man who is willing to make money off of his fellow men inappropriately is capable of being bribed. Keep in mind that a man able to cheat in business is also willing to betray his own friends.

We begin a new chapter today which continues on the theme of proper witnesses, with a Mishnah teaching that if a witness to the new moon is not someone the high court in Jerusalem is familiar with, the local court can send witnesses to vouch for him. This is allowed on the Sabbath, even though it will require three men to travel instead of just one.

The Mishnah and Gemara explain that originally the high court would accept testimony from any man, after cross examination to verify he saw the new moon. However, heretical sects began to send false hired witnesses to mess up the sanctification of the moon. Thereafter, the court allowed character witnesses to travel with the actual witness.

Naturally you are familiar with the phrase “your reputation precedes you”. This is not always the case if you are in a new place or around new people. When your reputation did not precede you, you need to actively manage your reputation in real time.

If you bring friends with you, then who they are and how they treat you can reveal your status. Showing up somewhere in a group of well dressed, confident men makes people think you are similar, as long as you fit in with your cohort. How you interact with your friends and how they display respect for you can shows others your character.

Without friends, you must display your reputation on your own through socially appropriate behavior, speaking to new people without fear or anxiety, employing eye contact, and maintaining good manners. An important first step is to read the room and determine what approach is appropriate. You need to fit in, or perhaps choose not to fit in entirely.

To a large extent, men in social situations create and manage their own reputations. For men without experience this can be daunting, but with practice it becomes natural. Eventually your behavior becomes a witness to your status and social acumen.

We are studying how witnesses would come to the court to testify to seeing the new moon.  The Gemara cites a leniency allowing them to travel even on Shabbat so that the court could declare the new month on the basis of witnesses.  Only one pair of witnesses was needed, as long as their testimony agrees.

The Mishnah recalls an incident where more than forty pairs of witnesses were passing through on their way to Jerusalem to testify, and Rabbi Akiva detained them in Lod.

Rabban Gamliel sent a message to him: If you detain the people, you will cause them to stumble in the future (they will not come next month).  The Gemara explains that it was actually a different man who detained the witnesses, not Rabbi Akiva, who agrees with Rabban Gamliel.  That man was removed from office due to this act.

This message is that when a man is motivated to accomplish something, even if there are other men who can do the same job, don’t undermine their enthusiasm.  Delaying a man on his way to work on something he feels is important weakens his drive to continue and pursue this goal again.

Telling men they are not needed is an excellent way to make these men reluctant to pitch in for future events, when they may indeed be necessary.  If you have extra hands, try to set up your work so more people can pitch in somehow.  You can at least tell the other men that you are grateful that they took the time to be available now and that you hope to call on them in the future.

Be aware when someone else delays or discourages you when you are pursuing on your own chosen mission in life.  They may be trying to dampen your enthusiasm, or sidetrack you to work on their own issues or chores instead.  Perhaps they undermine you because they feel that they don’t need you, or fear that your success could upstage them.  If so, do you need this person in your life?

The Jewish calendar is linked to the cycles of the moon.  The Talmud discusses the process of sanctifying the new month after on seeing the new moon appear.  This was done in the high court in Jerusalem, Israel on the basis of witnesses testifying to the new moon appearing.

Shmuel over in Babylon makes this comment:

I am able to set the calendar for the entire Diaspora without witnesses (through astronomical calculation).

Abba, the father of Rabbi Simlai, said to Shmuel:  Does the Master know the meaning of this teaching dealing with the secret of additions (to the month): Differentiate between when the new moon occurred before midday and when the new moon occurred after midday?

He said to him:  No, I do not know what this means.
He said to him: Since the Master does not know this, there are probably other matters that the Master does not know.

These so called “unknown unknowns” are dangerous, being unaware of what you don’t know can make you stubborn and overconfident.  As you learn more, you begin to realize that there is so much more you must experience to get the whole picture.

Find out what you don’t know, at least so you know you don’t know it yet.  Don’t assume you are already an expert in an area because you have worked in that area, there may be many more things you have yet to see, things you don’t even know yet that exist.

This page of the Talmud contains a number of astronomical teachings and is cited by Rabenu Zerachiah Gracian-Hen haLevi of Girona (Ba’al haMaor) as the source for time zones and a global date line, now known as the international date line.  He described this concept about 850 years ago, already assuming, based on the Talmud, that the world was round and in motion.

Back then most people assumed that the world was flat, and denying this was considered heretical to the official narrative.  Our sages were well versed in ancient science and astronomy, and this was reflected in their discussion of time zones and the new moon.

In recent history doctors would recommend cigarettes and buildings were constructed with asbestos, both serious health problems.  Don’t accept that today’s “experts” already know everything, the flat earthers in the middle ages also thought they knew it all.