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Why blow shofar twice on Rosh Hashanah when this might violate bal tosif? The shiur develops a yesod distinguishing individual versus communal obligations: a yachid has separate duties to blow shofar and daven musaf, but a tzibur must combine them as one d'oraisa requirement. The rabbinic institution of double blowing preserves both individual fulfillment (sitting) and communal duty (standing during davening) while confusing Satan.
This shiur analyzes Rosh Hashanah 16a-b which asks why we blow shofar twice on Rosh Hashanah - once sitting (after Kriyas HaTorah) called tekias demiyushiv, and once standing (during Chazaras HaShatz). The Gemara (גמרא) presents two explanations: Rashi (רש"י) says it demonstrates our chibah (affection) for mitzvos, while Tosafos (תוספות) explains it's to confuse Satan who, hearing the shofar twice, thinks it's the shofar of the final judgment when he'll be destroyed, causing him to flee without time for accusations. Rabbi Zweig examines Tosafos's question about bal tosif - isn't doing a mitzvah (מצוה) twice forbidden? Tosafos initially suggests that after fulfilling the obligation once, doing it again is like 'after the time' with no bal tosif issue. However, Tosafos rejects this based on a parallel from Birchas Kohanim - if kohanim give four blessings instead of three to one minyan but could still duchan for another minyan later, they violate bal tosif because their 'time' hasn't ended. The shiur explores the fundamental difference between individual (yachid) and communal (tzibur) obligations. A yachid has two separate obligations - blowing shofar and davening musaf with the special brachos of malchuyos, zichronos, and shofros. A tzibur must combine these - blowing during the seder brachos is a Torah (תורה) obligation (d'oraisa). Rabbi Zweig suggests that originally, communities only blew once during davening, fulfilling both obligations together as one d'oraisa. The rabbis instituted blowing twice to confuse Satan, even though this might result in losing the d'oraisa status of the second blowing, because without confusing Satan, the community would have a terrible year. The shiur concludes with a novel interpretation of why the first blowing is called 'tekias demiyushiv' - it indicates that everyone is fulfilling their individual obligation (sitting like a yachid), while the second blowing during Shemoneh Esrei represents the communal obligation (standing like a tzibur). This explains the Rambam (רמב"ם)'s ruling that individuals may blow sitting while communities must stand.
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How long must Hashem tolerate the Jewish people's rebellious behavior? A Midrash compares this to the halachic question of carrying a child holding muktze on Shabbos. The analysis reveals that rejecting Eretz Yisrael represents a deeper spiritual corruption than individual acts of avoda zara.
Rosh Hashanah 16a-b
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What did Dovid mean when he reduced the 613 mitzvos to twelve principles? The Gemara reveals that mitzvos have two dimensions: fulfilling the obligation and achieving personal completion (hashlomah). Dovid identified twelve core principles that encapsulate the essential character development aspect of all mitzvos.
