292 THE SHOFAR — ADLER. 



the incident. It is possible that it was sought to establish a basis for 

 the sacredness of the Kam's horn from the fact that it was a ram or 

 ''ayil which was cauiiht in the thickets by its horns and which served 

 as an ottering instead of Isaac. In Talmud Ixosh hashann Ave read 

 "Ye shall blow before me Avith a shofar of a ram, in order that ye may 

 be remiTided of the sacrifice of Isaac, the son of Abraham.'' 



The hymn referred to above contains the acrostic Abbas, ,lndali, 

 Samuel: /. ^., .lu<lah ben Samuel ibn Abbas, a i>oet of the twcltth cen- 

 tury, who traveled from Sjiain to the Orient, and afterward became 

 Kabbi of Fez.* 



MISHNIC REGULATIONS. 



The Mishna permitted the use of any horn. In Ixosh hashana iii, 

 3, we read: " Every kiiui of horn may be used because it is a qeren." 

 Rabbi Jose remarked, are not allshofars called (|eren (horn) ? (Joshua 

 VI, 6.) 



The shofar of Ncav Year's day was usually the straight horn of a 

 ya'al, a kind of antelope or Avild goat (chamois), the mouthpiece of 

 which was covered with gold; while the shofar of fast days was a ram's 

 horn Avhose mouthpiece was covered with silver. 



The statute is found in Mishnali Rosli hitshiout iii, .?: "Tlie 

 shofar of the New Year was the straight horn of a > a al, the mouth- 

 piece of which was covered with gold, and two truini)ets were i)laced 

 on either side. The sound of the shofar was prolonged and that of the 

 trumpets made short, because the command of the day is for the shofar; 

 (IV) and on fast days crooked ram's horns were used, whose mouth- 

 pieces were covered with silver and two trumpets were statiimed be- 

 tween them. The sound of the shofar was made short and that (»f the 

 trumpets pndouged, because the command of the day is with reference 

 to the trumpets (v). The year of the jubiU'c is like the New Year with 

 respect to the sounding and the blessings. l\abbi Jehudah, on the con- 

 trary, says: "On New Year they sound with the horns of rams, and at 

 the Jubilee with chamois." 



The instrument used in the modern synagogehas no adornments. It 

 probably represents a more ancient form than the instrument described 

 in the Mishna. 



A shofar, which had been broken and joined together could not be 

 em])loyed, though its use was admissible, if it contained a hole Avhich 

 had been closed so as not to interfere with the sound.t 



In the modern synagogue the shofar is not sounded on New Year's 

 day when it occurs on the Sabbath. This seems to have been the 



" Karpeles, Gewhichte der Judischen Literatur, p. 496. 



t "It is unlawful to use u shofar which had been rent and afterwartla joined to- 

 gether; also ono composed of several pieces joined together. If a shofar had a hole 

 whicli had been closed, if it hinders the proper sound, it may not be used; but if it 

 does not afifect the proper sound it may be used." — ilishtui 7»*o.s/i lioshuna, in, 6. 



