Responsa for Shabbat 70:5
אמר רשב"ג מה נעשה להם לבבליים שתוקעין ומריעין ושובתין מתוך מריעין תוקעין ומריעין הוו להו חמשה אלא שתוקעין וחוזרין ותוקעין ומריעין ושובתין מתוך מריעין מנהג אבותיהן בידיהן
Then there was an interval for as long as it takes to bake a small fish, or to put a loaf in the oven,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The word literally means to cause it to cleave, because the loaf was pressed to the side of the oven. ');"><sup>8</sup></span> and then a teki'ah, teru'ah, and a teki'ah were blown,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Teki'ah is a long blast; teru'ah, a series of very short blasts, all counted as one. These three were blown in rapid succession. ');"><sup>9</sup></span>
Teshuvot Maharam
Q. The oil-lamp of our synagogue emits a dense smoke which causes damage to the congregants and occasionally compels them to leave the synagogue altogether. Some persons have donated money for the purpose of buying oil for the synagogue. Must we continue to bear the smoke of the oil-lamp, or may we divert the donated money to another purpose?
A. The money may be used for buying waxen candles. The purpose for which the money was given may be changed by the members of the synagogue (though it can not be so changed by the donor) for the following reasons: a) Preparing an object for sacred use does not sanctify the object until it is actually used for such purpose; b) candles and oil used in a synagogue are not intrinsically sacred; nor are they even considered tashmishe kedushah (objects used for a sacred function) since they are not indispensable to the function of the synagogue.
SOURCES: L. 269; P. 299–300.
A. The money may be used for buying waxen candles. The purpose for which the money was given may be changed by the members of the synagogue (though it can not be so changed by the donor) for the following reasons: a) Preparing an object for sacred use does not sanctify the object until it is actually used for such purpose; b) candles and oil used in a synagogue are not intrinsically sacred; nor are they even considered tashmishe kedushah (objects used for a sacred function) since they are not indispensable to the function of the synagogue.
SOURCES: L. 269; P. 299–300.
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