Echoes from the Deep: Hidden Meanings of Hilchot Shofar

(7) One who blows into a pit or a cistern or a jug, if he heard the sound of the shofar, he has fulfilled his obligation, but if he hears the echo [also], he has not fulfilled his obligation.

And so too, one who was passing behind a synagogue, or if his house was next to the synagogue, and he heard the sound of the shofar or of the megillah, if he directed his heart (had intention), then he has fulfilled his obligation, but if not, he has not fulfilled his obligation. Even though this one heard and this one heard, this one directed his heart and this one did not.

The following ruling was sent from Eretz Yisrael to Shmuel’s father: If one was forcibly compelled to eat matza on Passover, he has fulfilled his obligation. ...Rav Ashi said: We are dealing with a case where the Persians compelled him to eat...Rava said: one who sounds a shofar for the music, having no intent to fulfill the mitzva, fulfills his obligation, since the critical issue is hearing the blast and not the intent of the blower. ....

Apparently, Rava maintains that the fulfillment of mitzvot does not require intent.

...

Come and hear that which we learned in our mishna: If one was passing behind a synagogue, or his house was adjacent to the synagogue, and he heard the sound of the shofar or the sound of Megilat Esther, if he focused his heart, he has fulfilled his obligation, but if not, he has not fulfilled his obligation. What, is it not that he focused his heart to fulfill his obligation, and if he failed to do so, he has not fulfilled his duty, therefore implying that the fulfillment of mitzvot requires intent? The Gemara rejects this argument: No, the mishna means that he intended to hear the sound of the shofar. The Gemara immediately asks: To hear? But he already hears it, since the mishna explicitly states: And he heard the sound of the shofar. The Gemara answers: We are discussing one who thinks that it is merely the sound of a donkey that he is hearing, and in this case, where the listener thinks that the sound was not that of a shofar, he does not fulfill his obligation.

(26) Once more the angel of the LORD moved forward and stationed himself on a spot so narrow that there was no room to swerve right or left.

(27) When the donkey now saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam; and Balaam was furious and beat the donkey with his stick.

(28) Then the LORD opened the donkey's mouth, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?”

(29) Balaam said to the ass, “You have made a mockery of me! If I had a sword with me, I’d kill you.”

(30) The donkey said to Balaam, “Look, I am the donkey that you have been riding all along until this day! Have I been in the habit of doing thus to you?” And he answered, “No.”

(31) Then the LORD uncovered Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, his drawn sword in his hand; thereupon he bowed right down to the ground.

(32) The angel of the LORD said to him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? It is I who came out as an adversary, for the errand is obnoxious to me.

(33) And when the donkey saw me, she shied away because of me those three times. If she had not shied away from me, you are the one I should have killed, while sparing her.”

(34) Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, “I erred because I did not know that you were standing in my way. If you still disapprove, I will turn back.”

(16) The LORD manifested Himself to Balaam and put a word in his mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and speak thus.” ... (21) He has seen no iniquity in Jacob, Nor glimpsed wickedness in Israel. The LORD their God is with them, And their King’s acclaim ("truah") in their midst.

(23) When Joseph came up to his brothers, they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the ornamented tunic that he was wearing, (24) and took him and cast him into the pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it. (25) Then they sat down to a meal. Looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead...

(21) They said to one another, “Alas, we are being punished on account of our brother, because we looked on at his anguish, yet paid no heed as he pleaded with us. That is why this distress has come upon us.” (22) Then Reuben spoke up and said to them, “Did I not tell you, ‘Do no wrong to the boy’? But you paid no heed. Now comes the reckoning for his blood.” (23) They did not know that Joseph understood, for there was an interpreter between him and them. (24) He turned away from them and wept. But he came back to them and spoke to them...

On Rosh HaShana Joseph came out of prison. From where do we derive this? As it is written: “Sound a shofar at the New Moon, at the covered time of our Festival day. For this is a statute for Israel, a judgment of the God of Jacob” (Psalms 81:4–5).

And immediately afterward it is written: “This He ordained in Joseph for testimony, when he went out over the land of Egypt” (Psalms 81:6), implying this took place on Rosh HaShana.

§ It was taught in the mishna: "If one sounds a shofar into a pit or into a cistern, he has not fulfilled his obligation if he hears the echo." Rav Huna said: They taught this only with respect to those standing at the edge of the pit. But those standing in the pit itself have fulfilled their obligation, since they initially hear the sound of the shofar.

Rav Kahana said that Rav Natan bar Manyumi taught in the name of Rav Tanḥum: A Hanukkah lamp that one placed above twenty cubits is invalid...

And Rav Kahana said that Rav Natan bar Manyumi taught in the name of Rav Tanḥum: What is the meaning what is written with regard to Joseph: “And they took him, and cast him into the pit; and the pit was empty, there was no water in it” (Genesis 37:24)? By inference from that which is stated: "And the pit was empty," don’t I know that there was no water in it? Rather, why does the verse say: There was no water in it? The verse comes to teach that there was no water in it, but there were snakes and scorpions in it.