Can One Carry A Shofar On The Sabbath?

Can One Carry A Shofar On The Sabbath?

Arthur L. Finkle

Although Mesechta Rosh Hashanah seems dispositively to forbid one to carry a Shofar on the Sabbath, lest one be tempted to sound it, Shabbat 35 seems to disagree.

In the discussion  of the six blasts to alert those that the Sabbath is beginning, the  question is asked can one carry the Shofar home (on the Sabbath)?

One opinion was that you could leave it on the roof where you sounded the Shofar. Another was that you can take it home, presumably before the Sabbath.

Then a distinction is made that a private Shofar, not a communal

Shofar is carried. The rejoinder is that the communal Shofar should be used to care fo the poor.

Shabbat 35b:

When the third blast was begun, what was to be removed14 was removed, and what was to be stored away15 was stored away, and the lamp was lit.16 Then there was an interval for as long as it takes to bake a small fish or to place a loaf in the oven; then a teki'ah, teru'ah and a teki'ah were sounded, and one commenced the Sabbath. R. Jose b. R. Hanina said: I have heard that if one  comes to light after the six blasts he may do so, since the Sages gave the hazzan of the community17 time to carry his shofar18 home.19 Said they to him, If so, your rule depends on [variable] standards.20 Rather the hazzan of the community had a hidden place on the top of his roof, where he placed his shofar, because neither a shofar nor a trumpet may be handled [on the Sabbath].21 But it was taught: A shofar may be handled, but not a trumpet?22 -Said R. Joseph: There is no difficulty: The one refers to an individual[‘s]; the other to a community[‘s]. Said Abaye to him, And in the case of an individual's, what is it fit for?-It is possible to give a child a drink therewith?