משנה: עַל אֵילּוּ מַתְרִיעִין בְּכָל־מָקוֹם וְעַל הַשִּׁדָּפוֹן וְעַל הַיֵּרָקוֹן עַל הָאַרְבֶּה וְעַל הֶחָסִיל וְעַל חַיָּה רָעָה וְעַל הַחֶרֶב מַתְרִיעִין עָלֶיהָ מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִיא מַכָּה מְהַלֶּכֶת׃ MISHNAH: About the following one blows the shofar everywhere: About blight and canker64These destroy the harvest., about locusts and ḥasil65Kinds of locust as explained in the Halakhah., about dangerous beasts, and on war66Mainly civil war. one blows the shofar since it is a moving plague.
הלכה: רִבִּי חָמָא בַּר עוּקְבָּה בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בֶּן חֲנִינָה. מַתְרִיעִין עַל פְּרַגְיָא שֶׁלְפִּשְׁתָּן. מַה טַעַם. שַׁמָּה֙ וְשָׁ֣עֲרוּרָ֔ה נִֽהְייְתָה בָּאָֽרֶץ׃ רִבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹנָתָן. מַתְרִיעִין עַל הֶשָׁרָב. מַה טַעַם. קוֹדֵ֣ר הִילַּכְתִּי בְּלֹ֣א חַמָּ֑ה קַ֖מְתִּי בַקָּהָ֣ל אֲשַׁוֵּֽעַ׃ אָמַר רִבִּי לָֽעְזָר. אוֹקִיר לְאַסְייָךְ עַד דְּלָא תִצְטָרֵיךְ לֵיהּ. מַה טַעַם. הֲיַֽעֲרוֹךְ שׁ֖וּֽעֲךָ לֹ֣א בְצָ֑ר וְ֝כֹ֗ל מַֽאֲמַצֵּי־כֹֽחַ׃ רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן וְרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ. רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר. אִם סִידַּרִתָּה תְפִילָּה [לֹא יְהֵא לָךְ צָרֵי עַיִן מִלְּמַעֲלָה. אֶלָּא הַכֹּל יְהוּא מְאַמְּצִין כֹּחֲךָ. וְ֝כֹ֗ל מַֽאֲמַצֵּי־כֹֽחַ׃ וְרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ אָמַר. אִם סִדַּרִתָּה תְפִילָּה] לֹא תְּהֵא מֵיצַר פִּיךָ. אֶלָּא הַרְחֶב־פִּ֜֗יךָ וַֽאֲמַלְאֵֽהוּ׃ HALAKHAH: Rebbi Ḥama bar Uqba in the name of Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina: One blows the shofar for the failure of the flax crop. What is the reason? Horrible and execrable things happened in the land67Jeremiah.5.30">Jer. 5:30.. Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman in the name of Rebbi Jonathan: One blows the shofar about hot East wind68Which coming from the Arabian desert is very dry and threatens to dry out growing crops.. What is the reason? I went black without sun69The sand blown by the East wind makes the sun disappear in a haze., I rose in the assembly to pray70Job.30.28">Job 30:28.. Rebbi Eleazar said, honor your healer before you need him71A quote from Sirachides 38:1.. What is the reason? If your prayer had preceded your need, and all efforts of power72Job.36.19">Job 36:19. Just as one should have good relations with one’s doctor before sickness strikes, so one should pray to prevent bad things to happen. The ḥamsin itself is not dangerous but it points to dangerous consequences.. Rebbi Joḥanan and Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish. Rebbi Joḥanan said, [if you prayed, no one up high will begrudge you, but all will reinforce your power, and all efforts of power. Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said, if you prayed,]73Corrector’s addition from the quote in Yalqut Job #920. A different, more explicit, version in the Sanhedrin.44b">Babli, Sanhedrin 44b. do not keep your mouth narrow, but open your mouth and I shall fill it74Psalms.81.11">Ps. 81:11..
לֹא סוֹף דָּבָר אַרְבֶּה אֶלָּא אֲפִילוּ כָנָף. וְלָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ חָסִיל. שֶׁהּוא חוֹסֵל אֶת הַכֹּל. וְלָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ גּוֹבַיי. דּוּ גָבֵי דִינָא דְמָרֵיהּ. לֹא סוֹף דָּבָר חַיָּה רָעָה אֶלָּא אֲפִילוּ בְהֵמָה רָעָה. כְּבָר הָיוּ שָׁנִים בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל חֲמוֹר נוֹשֵׁךְ וּמֵמִית שׁוֹר נוֹשֵׁךְ וּמֵמִית. לֹא סוֹף דָּבָר חֶרֶב שֶׁלְמִלְחָמָה אֶלָּא אֲפִילוּ חֶרֶב שֶׁלְשָׁלוֹם. שֶׁכְּבָר עָשָׂת רוֹשֶׁם בִּימִי יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ. Not only a locust but even a wing75Since a wing recognizable as from a dangerous locust proves their presence. Taanit.22a">Babli 22a. And why is it called ḥasil because it eliminates everything76The words used in the Mishnah for “locusts” are biblical. In Talmudic times the name was govai, possibly Arabic גוואב “traveller through the desert.”. And why is called govai? Because it forecloses the claims of its Master77Is an instrument of Divine retribution.. Not only a dangerous beast but even a dangerous domestic animal. Already there were years in the Land of Israel when a donkey’s bite was deadly, a steer’s bite was deadly. Not only declared war, but also war in peacetime78Or the Roman army in Roman territory since its pay was mostly plunder. Taanit.22a">Babli 22a., which already happened in the time of Josiah.