Exotic Shofars: Halachic Considerations

1. Exotic Shofars: Halachic Considerations Based on ZooTorah.org article by Rabbi Natan Slifkin Michael Kosowsky, Avi Geller, Dahlia Gruen, and Marissa Schwartz

2. Kosher Animal: Does it matter? • The Ramah says that the animal whose horn is used for a shofar must be kosher. He bases this ruling on the Ran. • The Magen Avraham says that this is not an issue because only kosher animals have horns, as stated in the Mishna. • Some commentators, such as the Pri Chadash, disagree with the Mishna, believing based on observations that some non-kosher animals do have horns. • Most likely, the only non-kosher animal to have horns is the rhinoceros. However, shofrot from rhinoceroses would practically not be sold. • In conclusion, the issue of a shofar coming from a non-kosher animal is not really a problem, because pragmatically such a shofar would never be available.

3. Ibex

4. Hollowness • There are two kinds of shofrot. One kind, from animals such as the sheep, antelope, and cattle, can be hollowed easily. However, the second kind of shofar requires a drilling process to hollow them. Would this be permitted? • The Shulchan Aroch says that this second kind of shofar would not be permitted, likely for two reasons: • The word shofar might imply something which is beautiful and prepared for use in its natural state. • The word shofar might imply something which is hollow in its natural state.

5. Ibex

6. Straight vs. Curved Point of interest: The word Ya’al, which means ibex, has an etymological route that relates to its behavior. The ibex climbs beautifully and high, and the Hebrew verb meaning “to go up” is La’alot. Thus, the animal which so amazingly “goes up” came to be known as the Ya’al! • The Mishna records two opinions about the required shape of the shofar of Rosh Hashana. One opinion says that the shofar should be straight, from an ibex. The other opinion holds that the shofar should come from a ram, and thus be curved. • The Gemara records reasons that one would prefer a straight or curved shofar. A straight shofar suggests rising up to God on this significant day, while a curved one suggests bowing down to Him in submission. • The bottom line from explanations of the discussion of shofar’s shape in the Talmud: a curved shofar is preferred, but if one is not available, a straight one may be used.

7. Kudu

8. Issues of particular animalsdue to the straight/curved debate • The Gemsbok is straight, one reason it may not be permissible. But we’ll come back to this interesting animal soon… • The Ibex and Eland are likewise not very curved, so they may not be preferable if a curved shofar is available.

9. Kudu

10. Problems with the Process • The process to straighten a shofar may be problematic. To straighten the shofar, one has to heat the horn, remove the keratin, redo the shape, and drill a hole in it. • Several authorities find severe problems with this process.

11. Oryx

12. Oryx Oryx

13. Rabbi Yosef Kapach • Point of Interest • Rabbi Yosef Kapach lived from 1917-2000. • He was one of the leaders of the Yemenite Jewish community. • He first lived in Yemen and later in Israel. • He is known for his translations of the works of Maimonides and other Rabbinic writings. • Rabbi Yosef Kapach, an esteemed Yeminite authority, argues that the straightening process is not okay. • The Mishna says that the shofar must be “Kafuf” (curved), and not “Pashut” (straight). However, based on an ibex, whose horn has a slight curvature, “Pashut” includes a slight curvature. • As Meiri explains, in relation to a ram’s extremely curved horn, the horn of an ibex appears straight, even though it is slightly curved.

14. Oryx

15. Rabbi Kapach • Rabbi Kapach also argues that the straightening process is not okay. He argues that one is forbidden to change the shape of the shofar. • Rabbi Kapach brings in two proofs: • Rav Saadiah Gaon who claims that changing the shape of the shofar makes the shofar invalid. • The Talmud that states, “it [the shofar] is required that it be in the way that it is carried [by the animal].”

16. Ram

17. What does the Talmud prohibit? • The Talmud indicates that all major changes to the shofar are forbidden. However, simply straightening or drilling a hole in the shofar should not be a problem. • Rabbi Sternbuch adds that Yeminite shofrot are preferred, and considered a hiddur, because of the natural sounds that they produce.

18. Ram

19. Ram • As the Talmud states, the reason for a ram is Akeidat Yitzchak. • Rambam adds that one must use sheep. • The Tur adds that it is preferable to use a ram, but he emphasizes the word “bent,”being the main credential for a shofar. • However, if you do not have a ram, it is preferable to use a goat, because goats and rams are referred to by the same terminology in the Torah.

20. Oryx (Gemsbok)

21. Yeminite Shofar • Most Yeminites use the horn of the Kudu. • A problem arises: how do the Yeminites use the Kudu horn if Maimonides, who they almost always follow, explicitly says that only a sheep horn is valid? • Some Yeminites answered: the Kudu horn is better than that of the sheep because it is more beautiful and good sounding. They also believed that the Kudu is actually enough like the sheep to make its use permissible.

22. Auroch

23. Attributes of a “Re’em”Shofar • There are three pasukim about the Re’em. They list these various attributes of the Re’em’s horns: • They are magnificent and beautiful. • They are pointed straight upwards. • They have extreme strength. הֲיֹאבֶה רֵּים עָבְדֶךָ;    אִם-יָלִין, עַל-אֲבוּסֶךָ.הֲתִקְשָׁר-רֵים, בְּתֶלֶם עֲבֹתוֹ;    אִם-יְשַׂדֵּד עֲמָקִים אַחֲרֶיךָ. (איוב)  הֲתִבְטַח-בּוֹ, כִּי-רַב כֹּחוֹ (דברים) בְּכוֹר שׁוֹרוֹ הָדָר לוֹ, וְקַרְנֵי רְאֵם קַרְנָיו (תהילים)  וַתָּרֶם כִּרְאֵים קַרְנִי

24. What animal is a Re’em? • Radak says that a Re’em is a unicorn, and is therefore not permissible to be a Shofar. • Most scholars maintain that the Re’em is one of the following two animals: • Aurochs (became extinct in 1627). It is the ancestor of the modern-day “cattle,” and much resembles an ox. • Some say that Re’em horns are actually quite weak. Rav Sa’adiah Gaon, therefore, says that the Re’em is an oryx. A gemsbok is a type of oryx.

26. Possible disqualification of Re’em • Tosfot says that Re’em horns are like antlers, which are not permissible. • Re’em is mentioned in the Torah without the word Shofar, so they may be disqualified. • According to these opinions, a Gemsbok shofar, which is a kind of Re’em, would be invalid for use as a shofar.

27. By: Rabbi Natan Slifkin

28. THE END THANK YOU FOR WATCHING

29. CREDITS BASED ON AN ARTICLE BY RABBI NATAN SLIFKIN WWW.ZOOTORAH.ORG PRESENTATION BY: AVI GELLER DAHLIA GRUEN MICHAEL KOSOWSKY MARISSA SCHWARTZ SPECIAL THANKS TO RABBI BOSSEWITCH