Q:
Please could you explain the halochos pertaining to the Mitzvah of Shofar on Rosh Hashona?
A:
The custom is to stand even for the tekios which are referred to as the tekios dimiyushav, the 1st 30 tekios, 3 sets of Tashras, Tashas and Taras. A weak, ill, or old person can be lenient.
The 30 tekios after that are referred to as the tekios dimeumad because one is required to stand for those. However, if one sat during these tekios he has nevertheless fulfilled his obligation.
The congregation should stand while the Baal Tokeah makes the Brochas on the shofar and then they may sit for the blows prior to Mussaf. For the blows during Mussaf and the Chazoras HaShatz, the congregation should stand.
One who couldn’t go hear the shofar with a congregation and is having it blown for him at home, must stand for the shofar blowing.
One should refrain from talking from when the brocha is recited until after all 100 tekios are blown. One should also try not to cough or yawn during the shofar blowing so as not to confuse or disturb any other listeners.
If one is unsure if he heard the shofar or not, he should hear it again without a brocha.
Ideally, the shofar blower should try to blow it from the right side of his mouth, but this certainly doesn’t prevent one from fulfilling his obligation if he doesn’t.
Women are exempt from blowing or listening to the shofar. Nonetheless, it is a mitzvah for women to voluntarily hear the shofar. According to Ashkenazim she can recite the brocha or the one blowing can recite the brocha even if blowing only for women, while according to Sephardim she may not recite a brocha and someone blowing just for women also may not recite the brocha.
According to The Shulchan Aruch and Rama Orach Chaim 589:6 in general for the mitzvos that are time bound and so women are exempt but they may volunteer, there is a major dispute as to whether they can recite the brochas. The Rambam (Hichos Tzitzis 3:9 and Hilchos Sukkah 6:13) holds that since women are exempt from the Mitzvah of Tzitzis they can’t make a Brocha on it. However, the Raavad (Hilchos Tzitzis 3:9) and Tosfos (Eruvin 96a) quoting Rabbenu Tam argue that even if women are exempt from a mitzvah they may opt to recite the brocha if they want to do the mitzvah. The Maggid Mishna Hilchos Sukkah 6:13 explains the Rambam as saying that it is impossible to say VeTzivonu if a person is exempt from the mitzvah. Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 589:6 follows the Rambam, while the Rama Orach Chaim 17:2 accepts the Rabbenu Tam. What emerges from the halacha is that Ashkenazim hold that women may recite the brocha upon a mitzvah that they are volunteering to do, while according to Sephardim they may not. See Chida (Birkei Yosef 654:2) who says that even Sephardim have what to rely upon to follow Rabbenu Tam and Kaf Hachaim Orach Chaim 17:4 who quotes this. Given the dozens of Poskim who rule that a Sephardic woman may recite the brocha and that that was the custom in their communities, Rav Mordechai Lebhar (Magen Avot, Orach Chaim 589:6) writes that women from those communities may continue with their traditions, but others may not, as the Shulchan Aruch rules stringently and we would say Sofek Berachos Lehakel.
A child who reached the age that chinuch applies should hear the shofar being blown but can fulfill his obligation by blowing shofar for himself.
If Rosh Hoshana falls out on Shabbos, we do not blow the Shofar. This derabbonon because there is a risk that one will take the shofar and go to an expert to learn how to blow it, and he will carry it four cubits in the public domain. |