This Rosh Hashanah, some of us will not be able to go to synagogue for safety reasons. Some people will blow shofar for themselves for the first time, while others may hear it in the park or other unusual locations. With that in mind, in lieu of the usual blog post, I have prepared a short list of some of the most important points to know about how to fulfill the mitzvah of Shofar even in a pandemic. -Rabbi Altonaga
When can I blow/hear the shofar?
The mitzvah of shofar is during the day of Rosh Hashanah and not at night.[1]
The first day of Rosh Hashanah this year is on Shabbat. When Rosh Hashanah takes place on Shabbat, do we still blow the shofar?
No. We don’t blow the shofar on Shabbat.[2]
Who recites the blessing on the shofar?
The custom is for the person who is blowing the shofar to say the blessing on behalf of everyone, as long as someone present is fulfilling their Torah obligation with that blowing. If they do not say the blessing for you, you should say the blessing for yourself.[3]
May I speak during shofar blowing?
You should not speak from the blessing until the final shofar blast; however, you may speak about issues related to the shofar itself.[4]
What should I think about when I hear the shofar?
You must have in mind that you are fulfilling the mitzvah of hearing the shofar on Rosh Hashanah.[5] You should also have in mind that the shofar is awakening thoughts of teshuva (return to God) in you.
Should I think about something special if I am the one blowing the shofar?
You must have in mind that you are helping everyone who hears the shofar to fulfill their mitzvah. [6]
How should I hold the shofar to my mouth?
It is preferable, but not required, to blow from the right side of your mouth.[7]
How many shofar blasts do I need to hear?
You should hear at least 30 blasts: Tekiah, shvarim, truah, tekiah 3 times, tekiah, shvarim, tekiah 3 times, and tekiah, truah, tekiah 3 times.[8] The custom in synagogue is to hear 100 blasts.
How do I blow a “truah”?
With one breath, exhale in 9 or more short bursts.[9]
How do I blow a “shvarim”?
With one breath, blow three times. Each blow should approximately the length of 3 truah bursts. [10]
How do I blow a “shvarim-truah”?
You should make a shvarim followed by a truah.[11]
How do I blow the “tekiah” sound?
With one breath, blow one long sound. If it accompanies a shvarim-truah, the tekiah should be about 4 seconds long. If it only accompanies a shvarim or a truah, the tekiah should be about 2 seconds long.[12]
[1] Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 588:1, letchatchila from sunrise, bidieved it would work from alos hashachar. Mishna Brura 588:1 adds that if it gets to bein haarbaim, you should blow without a blessing.
[2] SA OC 588:5
[3] SA OC and Rama 589:6, Sephardi women do not say a blessing however, based on the fact that they are not commanded to hear shofar. Ashkenazim hold that women can say blessings even for things they are not commanded in.
[4] SA OC and Rama 593:3
[5] SA OC 589:8
[6] SA OC 589:8
[7] Mishna Brura 585:7
[8] SA OC 590:1-2
[9] SA OC 590:3
[10] SA OC 590:3
[11] SA OC 590:4
[12] SA OC 590:3
What is the significance of each different sound (Tekiah, Truah, etc)?
And the number of Blasts? Why should you hear 30? Why are 100 blasts blown?
Excellent questions. The tekiah sounds are kind of like announcements for the other sounds. The other sounds represent different types of cries. The shvarim is like a wail. The truah is like a whimper. The shvarim-truah is like a wail that then breaks into a whimper.
The Torah tells us to hear a crying sound three times (each one preceded and followed by tekiahs for a total of 9 sounds), but we aren’t sure which of the three types of cries the Torah was referring to, so we do that 9 sound set for all three types for a total of 30 (shvarim-truah sets are 12 instead of 9). So by hearing 30 sounds, you are definitely hearing the 9 (or 12) sounds that the Torah wants you to hear.
In addition, there is a discussion if it’s better to blow shofar as a stand alone service or as a part of the Musaf service. So we do 30 as a stand alone service and also do another 30 during Musaf.
Once we are at 60 sounds, we add another 40 to make it an even 100, because 100 is the numeric value of the first two letters of the Accuser’s name. Hitting that number of mitzvos might nullify his council against us in the Heavenly Court.