One Halacha on the laws of Rosh Hashana. We know this year 5764 (2003) we are going to blow the Shofar only on one day, on Sunday, the second day of Rosh Hashana. The question is, are we allowed to blow the Shofar outside the obligation of the, let’s say, the 101 sounds that we are supposed to hear.
For example, a person finished synagogue and he heard the Shofar and he fulfilled his obligation, and now he goes home and he wants to fool around with the Shofar and blow some sounds and show of his ability, and maybe make a Teruah Gedola. The question is, can he haphazardly just blow the Shofar?
Halacha actually brings down a Machloket (argument) about blowing the Shofar on Rosh Hashana outside the Mitzvah, as to whether it is permissible or not. It seems from Rav Chai Gaon that there is no problem. Because once the Torah and the Chachamim made it permissible to blow Shofar on Yom Tov, so it’s permissible in all situations.
From the Rosh however, he brings a story down from the city of Magansa, that they blew the Shofar in Shul and the Tokea (one who blows the Shofar) made a mistake on the Shivarim, and they made him repeat. But they made him repeat more than he had to. And then one of the Rabbis that was there got up and said what are you doing, you are making a mistake by blowing extra sounds. So you see, from the Rosh, from the story that he brings from Magansa, that you are only to blow what they allowed you. And that’s also the opinion of The Gaon Rabbi Eliyahu from Vilna. And it is also brought down in the Rama in the Shulchan Aruch.
So therefore, we have opinions on the side to say it’s permissible, which is the opinion of Rav Chai Gaon. This opinion is also shared by Tore Zahav, the Taz. The Taz brings proof, that since we are allowed to blow the Teruah Gedola, which is only used to confuse the Satan, and it’s not an obligatory, so they were lenient on blowing extra sounds. That’s the Taz’s opinion.
However as we said, it’s a Machloket on both sides. The Halacha Lema’ase (bottom line) that Chacham Ovadia rules is like this. Unless the person is in doubt if he filled his obligation, he should not blow the Shofar again. Which means let’s say, he was in Synagogue, and he doesn’t know if the Tokea blew the Tekeeot (type of Shofar sounds) the right way, or the Shevarim (type of Shofar sounds) the right way, and there is doubt, then for sure he can go and have somebody re-blow it for him or blow it himself. The Maharil Diskin, it is told about him, was very strict and he used to bring many people after Shul and blow the Shofar in order to make sure that the Tikeeot were done according to the Halacha. However, if a person is certain that he fulfilled his obligation, then the Halacha forbids to blow the Shofar on Rosh Hashana outside the Mitzvah.
The question then might be asked; can a person go home and blow the Shofar for his wife? Ladies technically are not obligated to hear Shofar, because it’s a Mitzvat Ase Shehazeman Gerama, and therefore you might consider that voluntary blowing. The Halacha, Chacham Ovadia writes, is that you can blow it for the ladies to hear the Shofar. Even though they are not obligated, but they do get a Mitzvah and therefore it is permissible.
However just to blow it, just for no reason at all, after you certainly fulfilled your obligation, this would be forbidden on Yom Tov Rosh Hashana.
