The Gemara in Menachot 28b quotes a very curious halakha involving the chatzotzrot:

All the vessels that Moshe made were valid for him and valid for future generations.  The trumpets [however] were valid for him and invalid for future generations.

כל הכלים שעשה משה כשרים לו וכשרים לדורות, חצוצרות ־ כשרות לו ופסולות לדורות.

At first glance, this halakha seems very strange.  What is it about the trumpets that they alone must be made anew for every generation? Let us turn to two other texts to gain some insight.

On the first night of Pesach, we begin the seder with הא לחמא עניא This is the bread of poverty.  Just after Pesach¸ we begin learning Pirke Avot on Shabbat afternoons.  The very first chapter of Pirke Avot contains the following statement of Hillel’s: הוא היה אומר נגד שמא. אבד שמיה. ודלא מוסיף. יסיף...  He used to say “One who pursues a reputation, his reputation shall be lost, and one who does not add [to his Torah learning] it will cease [that learning which he already has]…”  These two statements share a striking peculiarity.  They are both in Aramaic, despite their being found in Hebrew texts.  Why did the Ba’al Haggadah see fit to begin the seder in Aramaic?  Similarly, why did Hillel, whose teachings are almost entirely in Hebrew, deem it necessary to express this particular idea in Aramaic?  Our classic commentators offer insights into both of these apparent anomalies.

The Ritva offers two explanations as to why the Haggadah opens in Aramaic.  While he does present one mystical approach, the explanation that he refers to as “correct” is a purely practical consideration:  Babylonian Jews in the Talmudic period spoke Aramaic.  In order that everyone should understand, we open the seder in the common language.  The idea here seems to be that in order to facilitate the involvement of everyone at the seder, the Ba’al Haggadah composed the first part of the Haggadah in a way that would draw everyone in.  After all, the seder is for all Jews, whether or not they have had the advantage of a strong Jewish education[1]. 

And what of Hillel’s statement?  Here, R. Liphshutz in his Tiferet Yisroel, explains that Hillel’s statement concerns modesty in one’s behavior.  Hillel discusses several ways in which the arrogant are liable to stumble as well as the consequences.  It was for this reason that it was so critical that everyone understand, and so he taught this in Aramaic, which is the language that most Jews spoke at the time.  The common denominator between these two explanations is that ideas that are necessary for the entire nation must be expressed in a language they can understand.[2]  How does this relate to the abovementioned halakha concerning the chatzotzrot?

Rabbi Baruch Simon שליט"א, in his Imre Baruch (Parshat Toldot), cites a beautiful explanation as to why the trumpets must be remade for each generation.   R. Avraham Weinfeld observes that the function of the trumpets is to gather and mobilize the people.  They summon the people to gather around the leader, and therefore serve to mobilize the people, not only physically but also spiritually.  Each generation speaks a somewhat different language, and while the message is eternal, it cannot be restated in exactly the same way from one generation to the next.  Rather, it needs to be communicated in a manner appropriate for that generation.  What spoke to the people some years ago may fall on deaf ears today.  While the content is unchanging, the manner in which it is communicated not only may, but must change.

As we approach the festival of Shavuot, in which we prepare ourselves to receive the Torah once again, we should keep in mind that every individual “hears” differently than others. It is not merely worthwhile, but essential, that we search out those works which can speak to us.  One person may understand the “language” of the Rambam, while another can better appreciate the thought of the Ramchal or the Maharal.  Others may be more drawn to contemporary writings, such as Rav Kook’s or Rav Soloveitchik’s.  May we each find an authentic voice of the Torah which we can comprehend and to which we can connect.

[1] It is striking that the רמ"א, in סימן תעג writes that ויאמרו בלשון שמבינים הנשים והקטנים או יפרש להם הענין וכן עשה ר״י מלונדרי כל ההגדה בל׳ לע״ז כדי שיבינו הנשים והקטנים. (כל בו ומהרי״ל).  Here we see a sage not only saying the introductory part of the seder in the commonly spoken language, but the rest of the Haggadah as well! Obviously, on the seder night, we want everyone to participate.

[2] In the 4th mishnah of the 8th chapter of עדיות we find yet another tannaitic source in Aramaic:  העיד רבי יוסי בן יועזר איש צרדה על איל קמצא. דכן. ועל משקה בית מטבחיא. דאינון דכיין. ודיקרב במיתא. מסתאב...  Yossi ben Yoezer is lenient regarding three different purity related laws.  Why is this mishnah recorded in Aramaic?  Perhaps the answer is exactly what we said above.  The third item discussed by Yossi ben Yoezer concerns one who comes into contact with a human corpse.  In such a case, the person becomes טמא or impure. Rabbi Pinchas Kehati, citing the Gemara, explains that Yossi ben Yoezer’s leniency is that the person only becomes טמא if we are certain—assuming the potential contamination was in a public area—that he came into contact with a corpse, but if it there is a doubt, the person remains pure.  While this was, in fact, always the halakha, it was never publicized.  Now, however, Yossi ben Yoezer perceived the need to publicize this law.  We might suggest that this mishna was taught/recorded in Aramaic for the same reason given by the Ritva and Tiferet Yisroel mentioned above.  When a particular teaching or message needs to reach the widest possible audience, it is taught in the language that most people understand. Since his goal was to publicize this previously unknown law, it makes sense that he did so in Aramaic.