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Why are shofar/chatzotzros for war and for Temple service counted as one mitzvah (מצוה)? The underlying purpose is identical: creating community unity. When Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbos (שבת), the obligation is still fulfilled because Shabbos itself generates the communal bond that shofar normally creates.
This shiur explores a fundamental question raised by the Rav HaMagid: why does the Torah (תורה) count the mitzvah (מצוה) of blowing chatzotzros (trumpets) as one mitzvah when it serves two distinct functions - gathering the people during wartime emergencies and accompanying the Temple service during festivals and daily offerings. Rabbi Zweig rejects the Chinuch's explanation that both serve to enhance kavana (concentration), arguing that this would make the trumpet-blowing merely preparatory rather than an independent mitzvah, contradicting the Ramban (רמב"ן)'s principle that preparatory acts don't constitute separate mitzvos. The shiur proposes that the unifying theme is community building. The Torah introduces chatzotzros with "asei lecha shetei chatzotzros" - make for yourself two trumpets - specifically for "mikra ha'eidah" (calling the congregation). The primary function is to unify the Jewish people as a community. During times of crisis, the trumpets don't just call for help but emphasize that the nation is approaching God as a unified entity rather than as individuals. Similarly, during Temple service, the trumpets remind everyone that the communal offerings represent the entire community's service to God, not merely a tax collection for religious needs.
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Parshas Beha'aloscha 10:9-10
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What is the primary purpose of the cities of refuge - protecting the accidental killer or something else? The shiur argues that creating respect for law takes precedence over providing sanctuary. True deterrence comes from recognizing the gravity of murder itself, not fear of punishment.
