Study Sukkah folio 54A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
מהו דתימא: אפילו כרבנן, ולאפוקי מדרבי יוחנן דאמר: שמע תשע תקיעות בתשע שעות ביום — יצא, קא משמע לן.
The Talmud answers: It is not obvious that Rav Kahana’s statement was stated in accordance with the opinion of R' Yehuda. Lest you say that Rav Kahana’s statement is even in accordance with the opinion of the Rabbis, and that he is coming to exclude the opinion of R' Yoḥanan who said: If one heard 9 blasts in 9 different hours on the day of Rosh HaShana, despite the considerable gap between them, he fulfilled his obligation. Therefore, the Talmud teaches us that Rav Kahana holds in accordance with the opinion of R' Yehuda alone and he does not allow even a brief pause between the sounds of the shofar.
ואימא הכי נמי! אם כן, מאי ״ולא כלום״?
The Talmud asks: And say it is indeed so that Rav Kahana holds in accordance with the opinion of the Rabbis and he merely comes to exclude the view of R' Yoḥanan. The Talmud answers: If so, what is the meaning of the phrase: At all, in Rav Kahana’s statement: There is no pause between a tekia and a terua at all? This indicates that Rav Kahana does not allow even a slight pause between blasts, and that could be only in accordance with R' Yehuda.
ערב שבת שבתוך החג כו׳. ואילו למעלה עשירית לא קתני. מתניתין מני? רבי אליעזר בן יעקב היא. דתניא: שלש למעלה עשירית, רבי אליעזר בן יעקב אומר: שלש על גבי המזבח.
§ The Mishnah enumerates the number of blasts sounded on Friday during the festival of Sukkot. Among those blasts were 3 sounded when pouring the water libation upon the altar. The Talmud infers: However, the Mishnah is not teaching that the trumpet blasts were sounded when the person carrying the water reached the tenth stair. According to whose opinion is the Mishnah? It is according to the opinion of R' Eliezer ben Ya’akov, as it is taught in a baraita: 3 blasts were sounded when arriving at the tenth stair. R' Eliezer ben Ya’akov says: 3 blasts were sounded when pouring the water libation upon the altar.