תקפח זמן תקיעת שופר ובו ט' סעיפים

The Time for Blowing the Shofar

1. The time for blowing the shofar is during the day, as it is stated: "A day of blowing the shofar," etc. (Bamidbar 29:1). This means during the day, not at night. The entire day is valid for blowing the shofar, from dawn until the appearance of the stars. However, the Sages required waiting until sunrise, so that there would be no doubt that it is still night, since not everyone is expert in determining dawn. Nevertheless, if one already blew from the time of dawn, before sunrise, he has fulfilled his obligation and does not need to blow again.

2. If one heard part of a blast before dawn and part of it after dawn, this is explained in Siman 587.

3. If one heard nine blasts in nine different hours of the day, or from nine people blowing at once, this is explained in Siman 590 (sections 3–4).

4. If Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbos, the shofar is not blown. Even though blowing the shofar is not a melachah, and is only rabbinically prohibited on Shabbos and Yom Tov because it is considered a weekday activity, why do we not set aside such a minor prohibition for the sake of a Torah commandment, as we do on every Yom Tov of Rosh Hashanah, since it is not a complete rabbinic prohibition? The reason is that everyone is obligated in blowing the shofar, but not everyone is expert in blowing it. There is a concern that someone might carry it in his hand to an expert to learn, and thus carry it four amos in the public domain.

5. The laws of moving the shofar on this Shabbos are the same as moving it on any other Shabbos: it may only be moved if needed for its place or for its use, such as to support a bowl or similar purposes. This applies on Shabbos, but if Rosh Hashanah falls on a weekday, even though it is permitted to move it even not for its use or its place, since it is blown that day, it is considered a utensil whose primary use is permitted, as explained in Siman 308. Nevertheless, it is forbidden to use it or benefit from it that day, such as to support a bowl or similar uses, since it has been set aside for its mitzvah, as will be explained in Siman 605.

6. If a minor blows the shofar on this Shabbos, the Beis Din is required to prevent him, even if he has not reached the age of education, as stated in Siman 343 (section 1). Even though the main mitzvah of hearing the shofar is only to hear its sound, nevertheless, if the one blowing is exempt from this mitzvah, he does not fulfill the obligation for others with his blowing. Those who are exempt are: women and slaves, because it is a positive, time-bound commandment; a deaf-mute and a person who is mentally incompetent; and a minor, even if he has reached the age of education, does not fulfill the obligation for adults, who are obligated by Torah law.

7. A deaf person who hears but does not speak is like a competent person and is obligated in blowing the shofar. Therefore, he can fulfill the obligation for others. One of the listeners recites the blessing, and he blows. But one who speaks but does not hear does not fulfill the obligation for others, since he does not hear and is not obligated. For the mitzvah is in the hearing, not in the blowing.

8. A blind person is obligated in blowing the shofar. If he was established as the one who blows every year and was removed because of concern for the opinion that a blind person is exempt from all the mitzvos stated in the Torah, if there is no one as expert as he is, he should be reinstated. However, initially, he should not be removed, even if there is someone as expert as he is, since our main view is that a blind person is obligated in all the mitzvos stated in the Torah.

9. A tumtum and an androgynous are only obligated out of doubt, since perhaps they are male. Therefore, they do not fulfill the obligation for others who are definitely obligated. However, an androgynous can fulfill the obligation for another androgynous, since both are only obligated out of doubt. But he does not fulfill the obligation for a tumtum, and even a tumtum does not fulfill the obligation for another tumtum, even though both are doubtful, because perhaps when this tumtum is clarified, he will be found to be male, and when the other is clarified, she will be found to be female.