Rabbi Akiva Yosef Schlesinger's Attempt To Reinstate Tekias Shofar on Shabbos - Part 1

Okay, good morning everyone. We're approaching Russash, our second to last year before and this year we have a somewhat of a unique phenomenon where Rashashana comes out on Shabas and there is a major discussion regarding Rashashana that comes out on Shabas. What about this thear and maybe we'll speak about that on another occasion. Today we're going to speak about an amazing controversy that erupted in the holy city from a very unique and spirited holy sadic regarding on rashashana. want to take the opportunity uh to let you know that if you haven't yet gotten the safer basic of hubman, you can now get it for free. All you need to do is learn it. If you learn it a little bit each week, you could get the safer for free. Go to safer toyra.com and request it. Learn a little bit each week. Very beautiful. and to all the also please make sure you have the safer the mystery and the majesty on the yim. So the phenomenon of rash shana coming out on chabas is not extremely rare. You could have clusters of years where you have in fiveyear period a bunch of them. I believe we had it in 2020. We had it in 2023 but before 2020 it was we hadn't had it for 11 years before that. So I believe uh 11 years before 2020 2020 2023 and then tshin pesian haba alinova. Now uh this is a topic which uh is very important to understand because the garra tells us that our entire destiny is dependent on the blowing of the and the garra says anyh and says even if an happens and we don't blow it's bad news. Nevertheless, Tyus brings that if Rashashana comes out on Shabas, we're we're okay. We're safe. And there's a big question why. It's a major topic. Aaron Cutler discusses it. The Messma discusses it. The AB discusses it. And we today are not going to discuss it. Maybe on a different occasion. Today we're going to discuss the controversy that erupted in the holy city of Jerusalem approximately in the year 1881 of a spirited individual who wanted to reinstate the blowing of the cha and with that we will introduce today's topic. The garra says in the Mishna in Rashashana, how do you do this? Like this, excuse me. Ifash comes out on Shabas. Um, Yam of Rashashana that comes out on Shabas. So the isdash and the base of mikdash they would blow the medina. They would not blow the in the medina. The big question is what is the medina? What do you mean they didn't blow it in the medina? What is the medina? Is the medina the rest of Israel is it anywhere but the mikdash? But anyway, the Mishna says from the time the mikdash was destroyed enacted that you should blow wherever there's a presumably this is in line with many of the decrees of mik that when the bikto was uh destroyed zak was mak that you blow wherever there's Rebel said no was only they said to both Yavna and anywhere there's a a okay so here we have an amazing uh record that after the B while the Bikd stood they blew blew the B mikdash on Shabas. After the Baham Mikdash was destroyed, they did not blow the B the Shaifer on Shabas. When the B mikdash stood, they blew on Shabas. And the Mikdash when the B mikdash uh was destroyed to blow wherever there's a bezdon. Rebelar says no, only in Yavna. The said no, anywhere there's a bezdon. Now does that mean even in Brooklyn? Does that mean even in Williamsburg? Does that mean in my does that mean anywhere in Israel? So let's see the garas. We are all familiar that the bottom line is that we insets or if you're for the most part you will not be blowing this year on the first day of rashish shana. However, the question is why. And regarding why we don't blow chaur on shabas, you'd be surprised that it's not necessarily unanimous why we don't blow on shabas because it's a mus the bavi and the usami. The usi in rashana [clears throat] the shami in rashashana in peragalid says occasionally it's good to read the USBA they were sitting aba and lish were sitting but it means as follows aba bara he said papa said that were sitting that that now once are sitting good stuff's going to happen if those two are together you know something great will happen they asked they said in the mikdash they would blow So you have to read it's a question if biblically you're not to blow the show that falls down on chabas then even outside of the mikdash you should uh I'm sorry like this in if you should blow when comes out on chabas then rash should push off shabas even outside of the mikdash in if it's not biblical to blow the on rash that comes comes out on chabasd so then you should not blow even in the mikdash if you're supposed to blowash that comes out on chabas then um if you're supposed to blow onash that comes out on Shabas, then you should blow the cha even outside of the mikdash. If you're not supposed to blow the chaur on rash shana that comes out on chabas, then you shouldn't even blow it in the mikdash. That is what the usi says kahana. Kahano was kahana. Kahana was passing by. By the way, that's rav kahana to you. They said, "Here's a great man. Let's ask him." So they went and they asked him, he said to them, "One says is a day of blowing. One says it's a commemoration of blowing." When it comes out during the week, it's a day of blowing. When rash comes out on a a Tuesday, a Monday, a Thursday, it's a day of blowing. However, when it comes down, you remember it. Okay. So basically Rav Khana said that that which you don't blow on that comes out on Shabas is you don't blow on comes out why but if it comes out during the week it's so the Gmorrah asks if that's the case um the Gmorra asks a few lines down if when comes out on You don't blow. You shouldn't blow in the mikdash. Says that you shall it says you should blowash on the first day of the month. Now there are very few places in the world where we know with absolute certainty that it's the first day of the month. The only place that we know with absolute certainty is where in the mikdash. So in the mikdash then it's not then we have you blow the so the gumar says if that's the case so wherever there's a bezen they know when the first day of the month is and you should blow the if that's the case anywhere where they know that it's the first day of the month it should push off a shabus tonnah raji The raj the and you should sacrifice the makim shahbano craven in the place where carbono are brought meaning wherever carbono are brought only then you you blow the on shabas. So only in where carbonus are brought you blow the on shabas. If it's not in even though they know it's you don't blow friends according to the it seems that the reason you don't blow on that comes out on Shabas it's as um and during when comes out during the week you do blow what about in the mikdash why do you blow even on chabas also okay That's you Shami. But as you'll remember this year on Rashashana, we're going to say You're going to say that seems to be going like me because if you look in the says honey, how do I make this bigger? Let me try something. How do I know? One second. Ah, there you go. I'm just trying to make the mic bigger on the screen. You see it? >> Not yet. You see it? >> No. >> Now we got it. >> Now I'm not. Okay. >> We had it a second ago. >> You see it said you're sharing screen. Now we have it. >> Okay. [clears throat] Okay. So the says like this. the cost of fine. So far so good. That's exactly like the usi. By the way, I wanted to say that this Drussa that you shall quotes in the it's le I'm assuming it's the same. Okay, the rebi quoted in the US I'm assuming it's the same as in the problem comes along and has a problem with this you don't blow the comes out on chabas if comes down how could you blow in the mikdash and ra doesn't subscribe to what the raji has a drussa Furthermore, why exactly what could possibly be wrong with blowing on Shabas? Could somebody tell me why would you not blow on Shabas? Oh, you say you can't blow a musical instrument. No, it's I'm sorry. You maybe you'll say it's a maybe blowing is a so says famously for why would I need that to be there's no it's so what exactly is the problem blowing the on chabas and that we need to say no on chabas you don't blow it during the week you do blow it. So Rava revolutionizes the whole topic. Rabba says this has nothing to do with and what does Rava say? Rava famously says it's permitted to blow the chabas and the rabbi is made because of what rabb said by the way which rabb is it? It's everyone's but not everyone is where it's a maybe you'll carry it in your hand and you'll go to a baky to teach you and which is the reason of of and which is the reason of migillah. Okay. So we have why we don't blow the comes out on shabas. The usi says straight up and therefore in the mikdash we have a different the says it's the gazer by the way and according to the bavi why do you blow in the bdash? We didn't explain. The Gumar didn't explain. Right? The Bavi never explained why in the world of Rabba that Shama, why is there not a um why is there not? But just as an aside, the Torah Poskins that if Rashashana comes out during the week, you say and if it comes out on Shabas, you say I. Is that like the you? No, it's not. Why not? because it's just an once the explains once say that you don't blow the becomes an okay others say like angel says that the of was so early that the is already in effect when Mosenu came down from Hari. So it's true it could say in the Torah zu because it's that dates back really to uh to the Torah itself. Okay. Bottom line is and in the world of Rabba that the reason we don't blow when Rashana comes out on Shabas is because then what about in the Bdash comes Rashi? We don't have to worry in the BA mikdash. There's no in the mikdash. Rashi says okay the Rambam disagrees with Rashi meaning in other words if we were to ask Rashi are you allowed to blow shaif bman haz when rashash shana comes out on chabas even once the b mikdash um even when the b mikdash stood the reason we don't blow on chabas is because of yabeno and there's on the mikdash mikdash though when the ba mikdash was destroyed that den of mikdash doesn't apply anymore and according to rashi you would not be allowed to blow it in the b mikdash mikdash the raam says differently the ram says it's not because of mikdash it's because when they were goer not to blow on chabas they were goer in a place where there's no bezden. But when there's a mikdash and there was a shim token, everyone blew in and shabas so long as was situated. The ram learns this has nothing to do with mikt. This is not contingent on the fact that in the mak mikdash they didn't make a gazer. The ram learns it's because when you're in the presence under the opaces of bezden there's no gazer bez going to keep you in check ma according to the ram there's an expanded location of where you could blow and rash that comes out on shabas the ram learns everywhere where there's a bezden. So coming back to the question of what is considered Medina they blew when the B mikdash uh we saw earlier let's see where was that we saw earlier that Rashana comes out of Shabas they blew in the mikdash but not in the medina rashi learns not in the medina is anywhere in the gulan outside uh anywhere in Israel and not even in Shalim. According to Rashi, Medina means anywhere but the mikdash. The Rambam learns differently. The Rambam learns the mikdash means and the Rambam and the Rash are going. Rashi who says the reason you could blow is mikdash. So he takes the mikdash very literally. You could only blow literally in the makdash because of mikdash. The ram learns has nothing to do with mikdash. It's dependent on the best. So anywhere in it's of the convening of the you could blow the so when was that you could blow wherever there's a bezdon. Now we have to see what that means. The riff brings down the takana of Zakai. Um and the balamar is troubled. Why the rift brings down the suga of blowing bzdon? After all, bestden there's no more bestdin. You could have a bzin bisman. In order to have a bestden, what do you need? You need in order to have you have to have a a continuous um ordination going back to you know there's no more there's no more actual so is troubled why the riff would bring down this whole we know the riff only codifies only is mic the gumaras that are relevant so the balabar is troubled why is the riff bringing down the suga of blowing. However, the rush says something amazing and this will explain why the riff brings down these gar because we have a tradition that Rebi Alfus the riff blew and rash that came out on Shabas. The riff himself blew on Rash. They came out on Shabas. Now the rift did not live in the riff lived in Fez. I was actually in the rifful. In fact, says the Rash, it's Mashma from the fact that the riff brings down the memor of Rahuna. Why would the riff bring down the statement of the garra if it has no practical relevance? And that means the riff explains that when Zakai said wherever there's a bezdon, you don't need a Sanhedrin. All you need is the exceptional bezdon of the generation and that would allow you that would qualify you to blow on Shabas. So if that exceptional bezdon is in Shaim, you blow. If it's found in Lakewood, then you blow chaur on Lakewood on Shabas. Um, I don't think they're going to be blowing in the Lakewood uh in Lakewood this year, but the rush does site a tradition that the riff himself blew when Rashana came out on Shabas because you don't need a bestin. The Ritzvah as well says that um that Rebel Lazar holds you need a bezdon that can be mad theesh and the says that's not the we don't nobody ever followed that any bezdon would would allow you uh to blowif when comes out on chabas says the sen he also Alo reports the tradition that would blow in his yeshiva on chabas and the says if you want to know what to do pick them it's your choice you want to blow and rash comes out on chabas blow you don't want to blow don't blow but both are reasonable and acceptable practices so we have a tradition the riff himself blue chaur when comes out on chabas and the uh gives license to that custom we follow the and it's not relevant today what happened to have said or done you know sometimes people say the raam uh said this or did that we follow the and the pasin in tough pas that comes out on shabas. We don't blow the cha. We do not blow the cha. It doesn't matter if you're a big rabbi, a medium rabbi, an average rabbi, an above average rabbi, a goadic alam. You cannot blow shaifer the paskins when rash comes out on chabas. So it should be you would have expected this to be an open and closed issue. What more is there to talk about? However, there is more to talk about because that 150 years ago, a great go, the son-in-law of Rev Kalamaya, sometimes known as the Le arose. He was a thammed of the cyer and he stirred up interest to reinstate like the practice of the riff to blow the same way the riff who held you could blow by a bezen even on shabas and you don't need a bez of he wanted to that all the kakim should gather together and instate in conjunction with the practice of the riff uh on Shabas. He wanted he felt he was supported by the Rambam who holds the mikdash means not like rashi only in the mak mikdash. Mikdash means and uh aka y schlesinger amed of someone who sat on the lap of the sifer. He was a very strong willed independent spirit. He actually is the one who promulgated and popularized the phrase attributed to even though he was the disseminated proponent of he was not afraid to innovate where he felt it had basis and he had the courage of his convictions. So in the year 1881 in preparation for Rashashana Shakalio Bashabis um he wanted to gather together 23 rabbanim. He was even going to make a a sanhedrin of Ashkanazic Raban raanim and Rabanim. And sure enough when that fateful day arose and it came time to blow the chaar and he turned around of his Sanhedrin of 23 or he had 46. He turned around and there like two and a half rabbis standing behind him. The other ones managed to sneak away, slip away uh so as not to be have their page in the FJJ journal. The rabbis with leading him blowing the onash. No, they would have nothing to do with this. So Rabio had a blow and it seems that he may never have done it again. Now, I don't know how we know that he blew it that year considering the fact that all the rabbis that had names slipped away and only the rabbis who will remain nameless remained there. I don't know how we have any accurate report that he actually did this. I wasn't there. You weren't there. And no, neither does anybody in history know anybody who was there. But that is what was reported that there were two and a half rabbis who privately blew the chaer with him. This whole saga is recorded in great detail in the great work of Rabbi Mikl Tachinsky known as Hakeshdashinsky is the um compiler of something called Luak which actually when I was in Israel recently I for the first time in my life picked up my copy of Luat Israel Well, and since you can't see what's going on in this room right now and all of the different volumes over here, it's it would be very difficult to explain why I can't find it right now, but take my word for it. I cannot find it right now, but I do have it here somewhere. And Rabbi Melkachinsky records 15 or so reasons why Rabbi Kais Schlesinger felt it was permitted to reinstate the blowing of the Shaifer. And Rab Akibsef Schlesinger was a very controversial individual. He was one of the big proponents of Rader. He had many antagonists regarding razinas, including someone who ripped his off of him and burnt it inim claiming that the razinas was idolatry and Rabbi Ka had other practices that he attempted to reinstate. Um, legend has it reports that he did not that did not have the opportunity to discuss this with salant and to clar to clarify salant the r ofamim's opinion but it's brought from rebuenstein a close confidant of salant that salant said of that fateful year even though he would not concur that they should blow the chaar if someone would ask him but he would I would say not to blow the but I also would not protest and I wouldn't stop someone who did from I would not protest or stop those who went to hear the in year tough rabdalid In 1904, in the summer when it was brought to the attention of the Aderas that uh soon uh Rashashana was coming on Shabas, the Adaras bemoaned Rashana is coming on chabas. Who knows if I'll ever have the opportunity again to hear and the adas is reputed to have said the elu David Rabinowitz to um the father-in-law of he's reputed to have said if y schlesinger would blow the year on Shabis I myself would go to hear him obviously behind the wall so nobody could see me but I myself he says would go to hear the kaser aka yossepher claimed that he had the approbation of the aderas and that he had the approbation of shag and as recorded in the safer gimlinsky records over a dozen reasons and ration why Akiva Rabika Yo Schlesinger felt it was permitted for him to reinstate and follow the opinion of the riff to blow on rash um basically based on the following rationale. Number one, what's stronger, a dissa or a draan? Certainly a dissa. Now, how do we know that the garra says in shabas if isa it would push off an of being a cle and nullifying it for its intended purposes. Ifa it would push off a so we seeing what's the reason you don't blow the on that comes out of house cuz you might carry that's aan so the should push it off. So you say that's absurd but that's what Rabba said. Rabba said you can't blow the cuz you might come to violate a dissa. No, says Rabika. Dois are stronger than the Raban. So you scratch your head. What's the man talking about? That's the of Rabba. He continues, "If you have an assay of a raim, of course, that's much stronger because an assay of aim, even if it's only pushes off an you hear this, a mitzvah of aim, let's say davening with a minion pushes off an of freeing an in this case blowing a on Shabas is an not of it's an of and not blowing the of carrying is a listen to what he's saying are stronger than so should for sure push off the of carrying furthermore would for sure push off even a so certainly And I say should push off a so you'll say what do you mean? No says Rabba's was on the pratt was on the not on the seabore. Rabba is going to uproot mitzvah raim on Ashishana. No, Rabba only uprooted it in Cedarhurst and in Woodmir and in Q Garden Hills and Jamaica states and wherever and in I don't know I think maybe one of you are in Bokeh. I see a holy brother in Bokeh. Yeah. But yeah, thank you. You see, I got it. But to say you're not going to blow it anywhere, Rabba can't do that. Rabbi doesn't have the capacity to be because of you can be. No way. Rabbi can't do that. I we find We know the rabbis did that. But what if we're not sure if the rabbis did it like inim? We don't know whether maybe the is like rashi and you can only blow the when the mikdash is standing or in the mak mikdash or maybe only if the sanhedrron has or maybe like the riff that you're allowed to blow anywhere where there's a bezen. So anytime there's a doubt whether the why would you give the benefit of the doubt and say no no no don't blow don't blow just the opposite give the benefit of the doubt to the mitzvah and continue to blow meaning the onus and the burden of proof rests on those who want to uproot the mitzvah not on those who want to reinstate the mitzvah blowing the chaur is a much better default than not blowing ing the doing the mitzvah is a much better course of action than refraining from it. It's much safer to blow than not to blow. So if it's a matter of uncertainty, historical uncertainty, let's assume we should blow the cha based on the the value system that theas are greater than and even dabons of a raim are greater than a dice of a and certainly a of aim is greater than a of a and kibleser said further. Zan asks a very important question. Once when the BA mikdash stood, do we take a van on Shabas? No. Did they do it when the B mikdar stood? Yes. Yes. When the B md was destroyed. No. Why? They did blow. When the base of mikdash was destroyed on chabas and lul love they didn't take once the base of mikdash was destroyed why were they why did they uproot lul love and not cha and the ran says lul love is not an issue cuz at least lul love if you don't do it on day one okay you'll do it on day two you'll do it a different day you didn't lose itashan is only one day back in the So therefore, if you're going to uproot the you're going to lose it out completely. Especially the Ran adds which is so critical to the whole uh destiny of the Jewish people. It's malus. They don't want to be mat. So says Schlesinger, you see from here that it is very difficult to be the mitzvah of lul when if you don't do it on shabas, you could do it a different day. Okay, we're more uh open to be not to take the lul on shabas once mdash was destroyed. But we see we're very hesitant because then you're being the Now another point do you remember what's the even though we don't take the lul on chabas let's say a kid is born on chabas does he have a meal on chabas yes I had a mil on chabas my breast was on chabas what do you mean she yavenu the the baby rau the knife maybe you're going to be m the cookies that you bought bring for the bris. No, there's something called the taz haya. The well-known taz the well-known taz establishes that when you have an explicit puk to do something [snorts] the rabbis cannot contravene and there's an explicit pukashi basar we will not uproot it with therefore says the says that it says Yua even on Shabas [snorts] it says Yimua you cannot uproot it the rabbi the rabbis don't have the capacity and even the Rambam who may imply that you need a bezden who has no the raam says does not argue with the riff they don't need to have they just need to be And therefore to cover all bases gathered an Ashkanazic court and a spare court because in case Msiah comes and Mashiach says no the Ashkenazim have it all wrong. It's the way the do it this way we have uh we cover all of our bases. Okay. Furthermore says, "We know the is that even though you're not allow to dry yourself with a towel on Shabas cuz you might squeeze it out, 10 people could dry themselves with a towel." Why? They will remind each other. We're not afraid they're going to forget and they'll squeeze out. So too wanted to be um in a a raim in a situation where there's a and in such a scenario there's no longer because since it's with they will remind each other furthermore he adds why Did Rabbus say we don't blow Shabas? You may carry. Okay. Could you tell me where there's a rishabimaz? I don't know of too many. There are no rishas harabs in Cedarhurst. There aren't any in Woodmir. There aren't any in Inwood. There aren't any in Bokeh. Rab Mosha has a chuva. There aren't any in Kugarn Hills. You know about that choua that's why the Qarn Hills of is an excellent there's no dissa there's no the only maybe is in ocean parkway says kibles the raam was who says we have to be worried because the ram is going to that rishabims the we who hold you need 600,000 people to create a rishab And that doesn't exist anymore. So the whole gazer of rabba is not really is downgraded by manazan. Furthermore, in when Kibf wanted to reinstate the blowing of the chaer again, there were terrible pgrams happening in Russia. The is that are you allowed to blowifer on shabas um as a call for aid and and for public if you saw you're allowed to I are permitted um and the was only if we didn't if we were not And Bisman said he would say he said to the Adaras listen even we should be allowed to blow because we're also blowing as a call for as a call for public aid to Israel in Russia. So that's another factor to be lenient. Furthermore says, "What's the of when exactly are you going to carry?" He brings rias. We're afraid you're going to carry after you've already blown the so I have a great idea. If the kshash is only that the baltora will carry it after the chaer is blown. Let's ensure the chaer remains under the oposes of the bezden so that once it's blown it ain't going nowhere. Nobody's going to touch it. No one's going to take it. No one's going to carry it. You see we'll ensure we'll nip it in the bud. We'll create a mat where there's noash to begin with that anyone's going to blow uh blow it and anyone's going to carry a dollar. According to some even wanted to cement the into a brick so then it's not even feasible to carry it. Furthermore says Ka Yseph Schlesinger there is a concept in of redo hapas let's say somebody put bread into an oven right before shabas and now if it remains there it's going to bake on shabas so is removing bread from an oven on shabas is only and if it continues to bake it's going to be an isa is shim allowed to violate so that ruin doesn't violate. So there's a concept called you're allowed to do a small sin um in order to save your friend a big sin. says, "Wait a second. The the isser of blowing the from comes out on Shabas, is that is that an isser for the listeners?" No. None of the hundred listeners who come to hear the being blown on Chabas are over any isser whatsoever. The is only on the blower. The blower is violating. The listeners are all fulfilling a mitza. I'll blow I'll take it on the chin for the team. I'll take I'll violate the so that the rest of the people of could be it's to do such a thing. It's better for one person to violate a small so that many people could fulfill a big mitzvah. So for these dozen or so reasons, Rabbi Klesinger wanted to reinstate in following the practice attributed to the riff, the rush and the ritzvah attribute to the riff that he in fact did blow shaifer when rashana came out on chabas. This attempt was not accepted by the consensus of the piskim and the main reason being that the gazera of rabba as recorded in the tamud bavi was unqualified. It didn't it applied to the mikdash only maybe because an mikdash or because under the authority of the bezdon and such a decree is the default position until until you could prove without a cert without any uncertainty that with this status of the would not apply. Next week we will try to see how the um responded but the main response really was as follows. The main response was since the riff blew the Shaifur in Fez for over 500 years there were there were rabbis in Shalai and by the way not as many as you would have thought. How many rabbis do you think have been um chief rabbis of usim from the time of the riff until rak there weren't uh so many you had the pre kadesh you had mid alghazi and there were others nobody ever dared reinstating and attempting to establish the practice of blowing the when rashana comes out on shabas So if the prehadesh the rv of us by the way the prehadesh was offered to be the rv of Amsterdam and they made him a very very lucrative offer. They made him an offer really no one could possibly turn down and the prehadesh turned them down and he said to the board listen up board you know and I know you just want me to sit up front and look good up there and make you look good. But the moment I tell you other yes or no, you're not going to be listening to me. So then what's the purpose of me collecting a big salary and having no impact? No, I don't want such a job. And the precades turned down the most prestigious rabus of the time. The records about the prehadesh in the mag. Fortunate is the share of the prehadesh in this world and the world to come. Not to uh be lured in by fake honor and money and instead to uh assume a position where he can have uh impact on on yidden who will listen to him. In any event, the main Tina is in there's called precedent. You can't just reinstate something even for valid reason. Even if you think you have substantiation, if the verdict of historical did not seem to follow that approach, it is notically acceptable. Okay, we'll continue this subject next week. Thank you for joining. Have a great day. >> Thank you. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> Recording stopped. X not.