Purpose of the Trumpet Blowing/2

Purpose of the Trumpet Blowing

Exegetical Approaches

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Assembly

The trumpets served a purely practical function, signaling the nation to gather for various purposes.

Sources:perhaps R. Saadia GaonSefer HaMitzvot 21:7About R. Saadia Gaon,¹ perhaps RashiRosh HaShanah 26bAbout R. Shelomo Yitzchaki²

"וְהָיוּ לְךָ לְמִקְרָא הָעֵדָה וּלְמַסַּע אֶת הַמַּחֲנוֹת" – According to this approach, this sentence serves as a heading for all of verses 2-10, and not just verses 2-7.  In each of the four cases mentioned in the unit (and not just the first two where the verses are explicit) the trumpets were blown as a signal to either gather or travel:

• War – In times of war, the trumpets served to announce the state of war so that the troops could gather and head to battle.
• Sacrificial service – This approach might suggest that, during the era of the Wilderness, trumpets were blown to signal the people to gather near the Mishkan (or, perhaps, to stand still by their tents)³ at the hour when communal sacrifices were offered.  Even after arrival in Israel, when this was no longer practical, the custom of blowing was maintained to mark the ideal that everyone is a participant in such communal sacrifices.

"נִזְכַּרְתֶּם לִפְנֵי י״י אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וְנוֹשַׁעְתֶּם מֵאֹיְבֵיכֶם" – If the trumpet blowing had no religious significance, as this position maintains, this verse is somewhat difficult. Why should a technical call to war elicit Hashem's mercy? These sources might suggest that Hashem's remembering of the nation is neither the goal nor a direct result of the trumpet blowing. It is mentioned in this context only due to the discussion of battle, to reassure the nation that Hashem will remember and aid them whenever they go to war.⁴

"וְהָיוּ לָכֶם לְזִכָּרוֹן לִפְנֵי אֱלֹהֵיכֶם" – This verse is similarly difficult. This position might explain that the subject of the phrase "וְהָיוּ לָכֶם לְזִכָּרוֹן" is the sacrifices themselves, not the accompanying blowing of trumpets. It is the sacrificial service which will be remembered by Hashem, rather than the technical signal to gather.

תרועות vs. תקיעות – There were two distinct sounds so as to distinguish whether the people were being called to gather⁵ or to travel.⁶ It is possible that the broken sound of the teruah reflects movement, and was therefore chosen as its signal, while the united blast of the tekiah better matches a gathering in one place.⁷

Placement of the unit – As the trumpets are not considered holy vessels it is understandable why they are not included in the discussion of the construction of the Mishkan.  They are mentioned now since the nation was about to begin their travels, necessitating their use.

Why limited to priests? Given the purely functional nature of the trumpet blowing, it is not clear why only priests were allowed to blow the trumpets.

Biblical parallels – See Shofetim 6:34, Shemuel I 13:3, Shemuel II 2:28, and Shemuel II 18:16 for instances in which a shofar (but not a trumpet) was blown to either assemble the nation to gather for war or to announce the battle's cessation.⁸

Why were trumpets blows only for the first two camps? If the blows were a practical means to indicate the need to travel, it is surprising that the signal was used only before each of the first two camps traveled. This position might agree with Baraita DeMelekhet HaMishkan13About Baraita DeMelekhet HaMishkan that, despite the silence in the text, trumpets were blown to signal each of the four camps to march. RambanBemidbar 10:6About R. Moshe b. Nachman suggests that this is implied by the phrase "תְּרוּעָה יִתְקְעוּ לְמַסְעֵיהֶם", explaining it to mean, "שיתקעו כן לכל מסעיהם".

Modern equivalents – This position's understanding of the trumpet calls in Tanakh can be compared to the role played by bugle calls in the army, where different sounds signal troops to assemble, return to quarters, stand at attention, charge, etc.

Obligation for the nation's benefit – This would not be the only case where mitzvot might play a utilitarian role. See, for example, Rambam's understanding of the laws of Kashrut, Shemittah and the Incense Altar.

Show of Honor

The trumpets served to announce the presence of Hashem.  Just as trumpet calls herald the arrival of a human king,⁹ they similarly honor and mark the appearance of Hashem, King of Kings.

Sources:Perhaps SfornoBemidbar 10:2-6About R. Ovadyah Sforno¹⁰

Holy or secular vessel – According to Sforno, the trumpets served a ceremonial rather than utilitarian role.

Common denominator – According to this approach, the common denominator between all cases in which the trumpets are blown is that they involve the appearance of Hashem's presence:

• Assembly – Sforno points out that gathering the nation required a trumpet call only because this took place in front of the Mishkan ("וְנוֹעֲדוּ אֵלֶיךָ...  אֶל פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד"). As the people moved to stand near the Mishkan, Hashem's abode, trumpets were blown in His honor.
• Travel – Trumpets were blown during travel due to the Mishkan's presence in the camp. Sforno¹¹ points out that this explains why trumpets were blown only when the first two camps traveled. Since the Levites carrying the Mishkan and its vessels traveled only with these camps, trumpets accompanied their travels but not those of the last two camps.
• War – Since the the Ark and Hashem's Shekhinah accompanied the nation when they went to battle,¹² trumpets were blown then as well.¹³ Here, too, it was Hashem's presence amidst the nation that prompted the trumpet call rather than the practical need for a signal to assemble the nation.
• Sacrificial service – When sacrifices were offered and Hashem's presence descended to accept them, trumpets were blown in greeting.

Biblical parallels – This understanding of the trumpet's function is supported by other verses which similarly speak of honoring Hashem through trumpet calls. The idea is expressed most explicitly in Tehillim 98:6, "בַּחֲצֹצְרוֹת וְקוֹל שׁוֹפָר הָרִיעוּ לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ י״י". See also Divrei HaYamim I 13:8, 15:24, and 16:6 which speak of trumpets being blown in the presence of the Ark.

"וְהָיוּ לְךָ לְמִקְרָא הָעֵדָה וּלְמַסַּע אֶת הַמַּחֲנוֹת" – As this language implies that the trumpets were used in order to gather and travel (ולמסע); i.e. to facilitate these actions, Sforno might need to reinterpret the phrase, understanding it as if written, "when gathering or traveling" (ובמסע).

"וְנִזְכַּרְתֶּם לִפְנֵי י״י אֱלֹהֵיכֶם" / "וְהָיוּ לָכֶם לְזִכָּרוֹן" – Though the trumpets were not blown with the intent that they bring salvation or any merit before God, this was nonetheless one of the byproducts of the deed. This approach might suggest that it is the people's acknowledgement of Hashem's presence in their midst which leads to Hashem's providence.¹⁴

Why limited to priests? As the trumpets played a religious role, it is logical that it is specifically the priests who were instructed to blow them.

Placement of the unit – If the trumpets were considered holy vessels, one might have expected that they be mentioned along with the other vessels of the Mishkan. This position might respond that as they are only secondary vessels, they are mentioned here instead, as it was first with the nation's travels and heading to war that they were to be used extensively.

תרועות vs. תקיעות – As this position suggests that the trumpets played no functional role, there would seem to be no need to make use of distinct sounds in different scenarios.  If the blasts always serve to send the same message, to honor Hashem as He appears, it is not clear why sometimes this is marked by a tekiah and at others by a teruah.¹⁵

Prayer

The blowing of trumpets functioned to aid the nation in prayer. As the nation went to war, the trumpets accompanied their cries for salvation, and when they returned home victoriously, the blowing accompanied their offerings of thanksgiving.

Sources:Perhaps Ibn EzraBemidbar 10:2-10About R. Avraham ibn Ezra¹⁶

Common denominator – Ibn Ezra maintains that there must be a common denominator that unites all the cases in which trumpets are blown, leading him to suggest that they all relate to war:

• "לְמִקְרָא הָעֵדָה וּלְמַסַּע אֶת הַמַּחֲנוֹת" – According to Ibn Ezra, the gathering and travel mentioned in verses 2-7 were related not to the wanderings in the wilderness, but to the imminent battle with Canaan, as the end of the chapter attests, "‎וַיְהִי בִּנְסֹעַ הָאָרֹן וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה קוּמָה י״י וְיָפֻצוּ אֹיְבֶיךָ"‎.¹⁷
• "כִי תָבֹאוּ מִלְחָמָה בְּאַרְצְכֶם" – This refers to future wars.
• "...וּבְיוֹם שִׂמְחַתְכֶם" – Ibn Ezra suggests that this verse refers to celebrations and holidays (like Purim) that were made to commemorate victories in battle.¹⁸

Trumpets and war: "וְנִזְכַּרְתֶּם לִפְנֵי י״י אֱלֹהֵיכֶם" – Ibn Ezra reads the verse as if written,"'וזכרתם את ה" (instead of the passive "וְנִזְכַּרְתֶּם"), claiming that the trumpet calls in times of war served to remind the people to cry out to Hashem as they went to battle.¹⁹ Alternatively, one may suggest that the trumpets, whose cry induced fear and trembling, helped focus the people's prayer and repentance. It was this prayer that led them to be remembered by Hashem.

Trumpets and sacrifices: "וְהָיוּ לָכֶם לְזִכָּרוֹן" – According to Ibn Ezra, just as the trumpets accompanied prayer before battle, they accompanied offerings of thanksgiving afterwards. Ibn Ezra might explain the words "וְהָיוּ לָכֶם לְזִכָּרוֹן" as he did the phrase "וְנִזְכַּרְתֶּם לִפְנֵי י״י": i.e. that the trumpet calls served to remind the people to offer their own prayers of thanksgiving. Alternatively, the purpose might have been to focus the people's attention or simply to make the offering more festive. If so, the statement ""וְהָיוּ לָכֶם לְזִכָּרוֹן" is not the goal of the trumpet blowing, but rather the result of the festive sacrifices.

Biblical parallels – Divrei HaYamim II 13:10-15 contains an explicit example in which trumpets were blown in battle as part of the nation's cries for salvation, "וַיִּצְעֲקוּ לַי״י וְהַכֹּהֲנִים [מַחְצְרִים] (מחצצרים) בַּחֲצֹצְרוֹת".  The next verse further describes how this indeed led to salvation, "וַיְהִי בְּהָרִיעַ אִישׁ יְהוּדָה וְהָאֱלֹהִים נָגַף אֶת יָרׇבְעָם". See also Divrei HaYamim II 20:27-28 which speaks of trumpet blowing during victory celebrations ("וּבְיוֹם שִׂמְחַתְכֶם"). Yehoshafat returns from battle "בְּשִׂמְחָה" and heads to the Mikdash (perhaps to offer sacrifices) "‎בַחֲצֹצְרוֹת".‎²⁰

"וְכִי תָבֹאוּ מִלְחָמָה בְּאַרְצְכֶם" – This language is somewhat rare in Tanakh. One would have expected the verse to say "כי תצא למלחמה" if referring to an offensive war, or "כי תבא מלחמה בארצכם" if speaking of a defensive one.  However, if the verses are addressed first and foremost to the generation of the wilderness,²¹ the language is logical: the nation is about to come (תָבֹאוּ) to their land (בְּאַרְצְכֶם) to fight.²²

Why limited to priests? It is natural that the priests be tasked with the blowing since it served a religious function and not merely a technical one.

Complement to the "כהן משוח מלחמה" – The priests' role here might have complemented that of the anointed priest whose job was to encourage the people as they went to battle. One priest reassured the nation that Hashem was with them, while others led them in prayer.

תרועות vs. תקיעות – As the broken sounds of the teruah reflect sobbing and inspire awe in its alarm like tones, the teruah is an appropriate choice to accompany prayers for salvation. In contrast, the calmer tekiah is more fitting to accompany the thanksgiving offerings.²³

"וּבְרָאשֵׁי חׇדְשֵׁיכֶם" – The mention of "New Moons" as one of the occasions that trumpets are blown with the sacrificial service is difficult for this position, as it is hard to say that this refers to a celebration made on return from battle.²⁴

Why were trumpets blows for only the first two camps? Ibn Ezra suggests that the trumpet blowing was limited to the first two camps for technical reasons. By the time the third and fourth camps were to travel, the priests were no longer present, having traveled with the first two camps. According to this position, though, one might have expected no more than one set of trumpet calls.  It would make sense that the nation would cry out to Hashem all together before any of the camps began to march.

Placement of the unit – As the trumpets functioned only in connection to war, the command was first relayed as the nation prepared itself for the conquest of Canaan.

Changing Purpose

The trumpets' role changed over time. While they served a purely utilitarian role in the wilderness, in future generations they took on a ceremonial function.

Sources:RalbagBemidbar 10:1-10Bemidbar Toalot 10:1-10About R. Levi b. Gershom, AbarbanelBemidbar 10:1About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel

"וְהָיוּ לָכֶם לְחֻקַּת עוֹלָם לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם" – At first glance, this phrase is difficult for this position, as it implies that what was relevant in the wilderness period was also applicable for future generations, suggesting that there was a unified purpose in blowing trumpets throughout history. Ralbag, however, suggests that the phrase is not meant to link the two units, but rather to distinguish them. The words "וְהָיוּ לָכֶם לְחֻקַּת עוֹלָם" do not refer back to the previously mentioned laws, but only introduce those that follow. As such, the passage is composed of two distinct sub-units whose laws are not interdependent.

"לְמִקְרָא הָעֵדָה וּלְמַסַּע אֶת הַמַּחֲנוֹת" – These sources read this verse as a heading only for verses 2-7.  In the wilderness, the trumpets played a functional role, facilitating the nation's assembly and travel. Distinct sounds were necessary to distinguish the directives so the nation would know what was expected of them.²⁵

Was the trumpet blowing only for the first two camps? As the trumpet cries were a practical means to indicate the need to travel, Abarbanel asserts that the signal was given for all four camps even though the text only explicitly mentions it by two.²⁶

Trumpets and war: "וְנִזְכַּרְתֶּם לִפְנֵי י״י אֱלֹהֵיכֶם" – After the wilderness period, the trumpet blowing took on a religious nature, serving to accompany the nation's prayers for salvation in times of war. Ralbag asserts that the awe-inspiring sound²⁷ would awaken the people to repent and to pray with devotion. RambamHilkhot Taaniyot 1:1-2About R. Moshe b. Maimon²⁸ appears to go a step further, implying that the command "וַהֲרֵעֹתֶם בַּחֲצֹצְרֹת" is itself a directive to pray. The word "וַהֲרֵעֹתֶם" directs the people to cry out; this crying is then accompanied by trumpet blasts. According to both Rambam and Ralbag, it is the prayer and penitence which merits the nation to be remembered.²⁹

"עַל הַצַּר הַצֹּרֵר אֶתְכֶם" – These sources learn from this phrase³⁰ that trumpets are to be blown not only in times of war, but whenever the nation finds itself in distress, be it due to drought, plague or any other ailment. This reading is feasible due to the understanding that the trumpets function as prayer rather than being technical calls to assemble or the like.

Trumpets and sacrifices: "וְהָיוּ לָכֶם לְזִכָּרוֹן" – Sefer HaChinukh384About Sefer HaChinukh and Ralbag explain that trumpets were blown to focus the priests on their task, ensuring that they had proper thoughts and intentions as they sacrificed.³¹ Ralbag notes that the Levites sang at the same time, also with the intent of focusing the priests.³² This could be compared to the need for the high priest to wear bells on his clothing so as to properly channel his thoughts when he served in the Tabernacle.³³  Proper sacrificial service leads Hashem to remember the nation.

Relationship between blowing for war and with sacrifices – According to these sources, the common denominator between the two cases is that the trumpets served a role in the nation's service and prayers, inspiring them to repent, focus, and properly channel their words or actions.³⁴

Role of priests – Ralbag³⁵ suggests that it might have been only in future generations, when the trumpets functioned as prayer, that the priests were tasked with the blowing.³⁶ In the wilderness, when the blowing was purely practical in nature, it is possible that others were allowed to blow as well.³⁷

תרועות vs. תקיעות – This approach might suggest that even in their ceremonial role, distinct sounds were appropriate for different occasions. The alarming sound of the teruah was necessary to inspire fear and prompt the nation to repent as they went to battle, but a tekiah sufficed to focus the priests during the sacrificial service.

¹ It is difficult to know how R. Saadia reads the entire unit as he defines the mitzvah in his Sefer HaMitzvot without elaborating on how his definition stems from the verses.  However, the fact that he chooses to define the obligation as "שיתקעו בהן ואז יתאספו" and does not note that the trumpets served any religious function might suggest that he views this practical role as being the main (or sole) one. His placement of the mitzvah among laws related to the king might further support the possibility that he viewed the trumpets as playing a practical rather than religious role.
Interestingly, in R. Saadia's אזהרות, a liturgical poem for Shavuot in which he alludes to the the 613 mitzvot, R. Saadia writes, "מים כבירים אם דלקוך חצוצרת על הצר ברפסדו ולמסע ולריע קרבנות ומזבח בלי מעלות ליסרו". Here he mentions trumpet blowing in connection to war, travel, and sacrifices, but not assembly.  This might be explained if we assume that R. Saadia viewed "למקרא העדה" (assembly) as being the ultimate goal of the blowing, and the other cases as specific instances in which this was necessary.

² In his commentary on the Torah, Rashi does not address the issue and his comments on Bavli Rosh HaShanah do not really suffice to allow the reader to fully understand how Rashi reads all the verses. Nonetheless, in his comments on the Bavli, Rashi suggests that the role played by the trumpets on fast days (learned from the phrase, "הַצַּר הַצֹּרֵר אֶתְכֶם") relates to assembly rather than prayer.  He explicitly connects this to the role given to the trumpets in verse 2, "לְמִקְרָא הָעֵדָה".  This suggests that he might be viewing the blowing of trumpets in all four cases discussed in the unit, both those applicable only in the wilderness period and those for future generations, as serving the same functional purpose.

³ If so, it would function like the sounding of sirens in Israel on Yom HaShoah and Yom HaZikkaron which signal the nation to pause and stand in silence.

⁴ As such, it might be similar to other promises of Hashem's aid found in other discussions of entry into the land such as Shemot 23:27-28.

⁵ This includes assembly either due to Moshe's call or for the sacrificial service.

⁶ This would include travel in the wilderness or for purposes of war.

⁷ See Haketav VeHaKabbalahBemidbar 10:7About R. Yaakov Mecklenburg and R. HirschBemidbar 10:5Bemidbar 10:8-10About R. Samson Raphael Hirsch who explain the etymology of the words, showing how the meaning of each matches its sound and function. The word "תקיעה" stems from the root "תקע", meaning to thrust or drive into, causing things to stick together, appropriate for gathering.  The word "תרועה", on the other hand, comes from the root "רעע", meaning to break, appropriate for movement.

⁸ Hoshea 5:8 provides an example of a trumpet call serving as an alarm for war, but it is not clear if it was meant to also signal troops to gather.

⁹ See Melakhim II 11:14 for an example of blowing trumpets in front of human kings. The verses of Shemuel II 15:6, Melakhim I 1:39, and 9:13 similarly speak of the blowing of a shofar upon a king's coronation.

¹⁰ Sforno does not address the role of the trumpets with regards to the sacrificial service on holidays and only hints to their role in war.  The approach developed below attempts to apply his understanding of verses 1-7 to verses 8-10 as well.  Cf. R"E Samet, "פרשת החצוצרות" who also develops Sforno's interpretation.

¹¹ Cf. Chizkuni who precedes him, "תרועה יתקעו למסעיהם לשני המחנות דוקא ולכבודו של משכן הנוסע אחר שני דגלים אלו".

¹² See, for example, Bemidbar 10:35, "וַיְהִי בִּנְסֹעַ הָאָרֹן וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה קוּמָה י״י וְיָפֻצוּ אֹיְבֶיךָ", Devarim 23:15, "כִּי י״י אֱלֹהֶיךָ מִתְהַלֵּךְ בְּקֶרֶב מַחֲנֶךָ לְהַצִּילְךָ וְלָתֵת אֹיְבֶיךָ לְפָנֶיךָ", and Devarim 20:4 similarly, "כִּי י״י אֱלֹהֵיכֶם הַהֹלֵךְ עִמָּכֶם לְהִלָּחֵם לָכֶם עִם אֹיְבֵיכֶם לְהוֹשִׁיעַ אֶתְכֶם".

¹³ See Bemidbar 31:6 which speaks explicitly about the combined presence of "כלי הקודש" (understood by the Sifre to refer to the Ark) and the trumpets in battle: "וְאֶת פִּינְחָס בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן לַצָּבָא וּכְלֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ וַחֲצֹצְרוֹת הַתְּרוּעָה בְּיָדוֹ".

¹⁴ See Aviyah's words to Yerovam in Divrei HaYamim II 13:12, where he points out that Hashem's presence in his army ("וְהִנֵּה עִמָּנוּ בָרֹאשׁ הָאֱלֹהִים וְכֹהֲנָיו") will lead Yehuda to victory.

¹⁵ R"E Samet ("פרשת החצוצרות") suggests that the differing sounds relate to whether Hashem is appearing in the Mishkan or departing from it.  When the nation assembled near the Mishkan and during the sacrificial service, His presence was there and this was marked by a tekiah.  During times of war and travel, Hashem left the Mishkan to accompany the people.  In such cases, a teruah was blown. He does not explain what about each sound made it appropriate for its specific use.

¹⁶ Ibn Ezra suggests that all the cases of trumpet blowing in the unit relate to war, but does not explicitly address the purpose of each. In his comments to verse 9, he mentions the role played by the trumpets in awakening the nation to prayer so it is possible that he thinks this is consistently their purpose. However, it is also possible that he maintains that the trumpets played both a religious and practical role, and that the first verses speak only of their role in signaling the nation to gather for battle.

¹⁷ See also Moshe's words to Chovav in verse 29, "נֹסְעִים אֲנַחְנוּ אֶל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אָמַר י״י אֹתוֹ אֶתֵּן לָכֶם". Since the Sin of the Spies delayed entry for forty years, pushing off the Conquest to the Book of Yehoshua, the reader sometimes forgets that the nation's next stop was meant to be Israel. This leads the reader to assume that the assembly and traveling refers to the forty years of wandering. In reality, though, at this point in history there was not meant to be forty years of wandering.

¹⁸ Ibn Ezra also brings a second possibility, mentioning the Sifre who understands "וּבְיוֹם שִׂמְחַתְכֶם" to refer to Shabbat and the verse as a whole to refer to the various occasions when communal sacrifices were brought: Shabbat, holidays and New Moons.

¹⁹ He writes,"גם תרועה זכר לנפשות לצעוק לשם". This reading might be partially motivated by the philospohical problem of Hashem needing to be reminded of anything.

²⁰ See also Ezra 3:10-11 for another example of how trumpets served to accompany prayers of praise and thanksgiving, though not in the aftermath of victory in war.

²¹ Ibn Ezra himself suggests that this verse is referring to future wars, but even so, he would agree that the first of such wars was the conquest of Canaan.

²² Cf. Bemidbar 32:6, "הַאַחֵיכֶם יָבֹאוּ לַמִּלְחָמָה", where the same language is used in the context of heading to conquer Canaan.

²³ Cf. RambanBemidbar 10:6About R. Moshe b. Nachman who suggests that the teruah reflects Hashem's attribute of justice, while the tekiah reflects His attribute of mercy.

²⁴ This leads R"Y Bekhor ShorBemidbar 10:9-10About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor to suggest a different relationship between the trumpet blowing during the sacrificial service and that related to war. He suggests that the verse is saying that the blowing of trumpets with the sacrificial service will serve as a merit when the people go to war.  Thus, when trumpets are blown in battle, the trumpet blowing of the sacrifices will be remembered and lead to their salvation.

²⁵ See the discussion above as to why specifically a tekiah might have been chosen to announce assembly, while a teruah was chosen to announce movement.

²⁶ See Ramban above who suggests that this might be implied by the phrse, "תְּרוּעָה יִתְקְעוּ לְמַסְעֵיהֶם", understanding it to mean, and so they will sound for the other travels. Alternatively, the text is simply assuming that one learn from apply the directives given for the first two camps to the others.

²⁷ As evidence that such blasts instilled fear, he points to Amos 3:6, "אִם יִתָּקַע שׁוֹפָר בְּעִיר וְעָם לֹא יֶחֱרָדוּ".

²⁸ See his description of the command in Hilkhot TaaniyotHilkhot Taaniyot 1:1-2About R. Moshe b. Maimon, " מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה מִן הַתּוֹרָה לִזְעֹק וּלְהָרִיעַ בַּחֲצוֹצְרוֹת".

²⁹ Considering the rationalist bent of both these philosophers, it is perhaps not surprising that they emphasize the importance of prayer over the trumpet blowing.

³⁰ Ralbag explains that the words are otherwise redundant. Once the verse mentioned war, it is clear that an enemy has attacked. As such, the words "הַצַּר הַצֹּרֵר אֶתְכֶם" must be more inclusive, coming to teach "שבאי־זה צר שיצור ישראל יעשו כן".

³¹ Abarbanel, instead, posits that on happy occasions when the entire nation gathers it is likely that they might come to sin. As such, the trumpets were blown to arouse repentance.  According to him, then, the blowing in war and in peace serve the same main function – to bring the people to repent.

³² As evidence he points to Divrei HaYamim II 29:27-28, "וְהַשִּׁיר מְשׁוֹרֵר וְהַחֲצֹצְרוֹת [מַחְצְרִים] (מחצצרים) הַכֹּל עַד לִכְלוֹת הָעֹלָה".

³³ See Ralbag in Warning Bells.

³⁴ RambamPositive Commandments 59About Rambam Sefer HaMitzvot, in fact, considers the two directives to jointly comprise but one mitzvah. His placement of the mitzvah in between laws of holidays and sacrifices suggests that he views the trumpet blowing even in times of war as being integrally related to the service in the Mikdash. Ralbag, in contrast, suggests that the two directives be counted as two distinct mitzvot.

³⁵ Ralbag is not totally explicit and might instead be differentiating between blemished and unblemished priests, suggesting that the latter were allowed to blow in the wilderness when the blasts served just to assemble the nation, but not late when they took on a more ceremonial role.

³⁶ R. Hirsch disagrees, suggesting that even in the wilderness the priests were the ones to blow.  Since the nation was being assembled to hear Moshe relay Torah and mitzvot, it was appropriate that the priestly class, teachers of Torah, were the ones in charge of the assembly.

³⁷ This necessitates reading "וּבְנֵי אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֲנִים יִתְקְעוּ בַּחֲצֹצְרוֹת" of verse 8 as referring only to the cases that are mentioned afterwards.