תקפז דין התוקע לתוך הבור ובו ה' סעיפים

The Law of Blowing into a Pit

1. Hearing the sound of the shofar must be without any mixture of another sound at all. But if one heard the sound in a mixture, he has not fulfilled his obligation. Therefore, one who stands inside a large barrel, or a pit, or a cistern—which is a structure most of which is below ground (but if most of it is above ground, even if part of it is below ground, its law is like that of a house)—and likewise, one who stands inside a cave and blows, and others hear from outside: if it is clear to them that they heard the sound of the shofar, they have fulfilled their obligation; but if not, they have not fulfilled it. For the sound becomes confused in the echo of the pit or cistern before it emerges outside, and it is possible that they only heard an echo. It is proper to be stringent, that even if it is clear to him that he heard the sound of the shofar, he should not rely on his expertise, but should hear the blasts again from someone not blowing in the pit. However, he should not recite the blessing again, unless it is clear to him that he heard only an echo, for in cases of doubt regarding blessings, we are lenient.

2. In what case are these words said? Regarding those standing outside the pit. But the one blowing himself, and those standing with him inside the pit, have fulfilled their obligation, for they certainly heard the sound of the shofar. In what case are these words said? In a pit, cistern, or cave. But in a large barrel, where the echo is great, even the one blowing and those with him inside may have heard only an echo. Therefore, if it is clear to them that they heard the sound of the shofar, they have fulfilled their obligation; but if not, they have not fulfilled it.

3. If one began to blow in the pit, then went up out of the pit and finished the blast that he began in the pit, he has fulfilled his obligation, for everything he heard, whether inside or outside, was certainly the sound of the shofar. But if, when he came up from the pit, he brought his ears outside the pit before bringing the shofar out, he has not fulfilled his obligation, unless it is clear to him that at that moment he heard the sound of the shofar. And since it is impossible to synchronize bringing out the ears and the shofar at the same time, it is best to bring out the shofar first, before the ears. Then he will certainly hear the sound of the shofar, since the shofar is outside, in a place where there is no echo. And those who were standing with him in the pit at the time he began to blow there, even if they did not come out of the pit with him, nevertheless, they fulfill their obligation with the blasts. For when a person is in the pit and the shofar is outside the pit, he certainly hears the sound of the shofar and not an echo, as explained above.

4. One who hears part of a shofar blast and part echo—for example, he was standing outside the pit, and the blower began to blow in the pit, and in the middle of the blast came out of the pit and finished it outside. Likewise, one who hears part of a blast not at the time of obligation, that is, before dawn, and part of it after dawn. Likewise, one who says to someone who is blowing without intent to fulfill anyone's obligation, and in the middle of the blast says to him, "Intend to fulfill my obligation," and he blew and extended it for the length of a blast—all these, since part of the blast was not as required, even though in the part that was as required there was the length of a blast as will be explained in siman 590:16, he has not fulfilled his obligation. For every blast must be valid from its beginning to its end, even if it is very long.

5. One who blows in the synagogue, and there are people standing outside, a bit distant from the synagogue: if it is not clear to them that they heard the sound of the shofar, they must hear the blasts again, for it is possible they heard only an echo. But if it seems clear to them that they heard the sound of the shofar, they do not need to be stringent with themselves and hear it again.