Halacha says that before the Shofar is blown on the first day of Rosh Hashana, two Berachot are made. The first Beracha is; ‘Lishmoa Kol Shofar’, and the second Beracha is ‘Shehechiynau V'kimanu Vi'higiyanu Laz'man Hazeh.’ So the question was asked why is Shehechiynau always put second. Why is the Beracha on the Mitzvah made first, and then the Beracha of Shehechiynau?
So to answer this question we bring a Gemara in Berachot that discusses the order of Kiddush. On Friday night, the Beracha of ‘Bore Peri HaGefen’ is recited first, and then the Beracha of ‘Mikadesh HaShabbat’. Bet Hillel gives 2 reasons why that is so.
The first reason is because the wine causes the Kiddush to be said. Which means if there is no wine, Kiddush cannot be made. This is also true when Kiddush is made on bread when there is no wine. So the wine (or bread) goes first for they cause the Kiddush to be said. So based on that logic, the Shehechiynau is only being said because of the Mitzvah. And therefore, the beracha of the Mitzvah comes first and then the Shehechiynau, for it is as result of the Mitzvah.
The second reason Bet Hillel says why wine comes before ‘Mikadesh HaShabbat’ is because of the rule of ‘Tadir V’sheino Tadir, Tadir Kodem.’ Meaning, say first the Beracha that occurs with higher frequency. The more prevalent the Beracha is, the more respect it is given by putting it first. The Beracha of Bore Peri HaGefen is more prevalent than Mikadesh HaShabbat. One can make Bore Peri HaGefen every single day. And therefore, based on the rule Tadir, Bore Peri HaGefen is said first.
However, this basis of ‘Tadir’ brings a question with regard to Shofar. Shehechiynau is more prevalent than ‘Lishmoa Kol Shofar’. We make ‘Lishmoa Kol Shofar’ only twice a year, but we say Shehechiynau many times a year. So there is a conflict here on the principal of Tadir. Shehechiynau should be first if we follow the principal of Tadir. So the Me’iri (Rav Menachem Meiri, born in Provence in 1249) gives an explanation that is important to remember. The Me’iri writes that the rule of Tadir is only applicable by Birkat HaMitzvot, by Berachot that are obligatory for a Mitzvah. For example, by Kiddush, wine is obligatory and Mikadesh Shabbat is obligatory. So in that case we would follow the rule of Tadir, and make Bore Peri HaGefen first since these are both Birkat Mitzvah. Shehechiynau is called Birkat HaShevach, which is a Beracha of praise. We are praising Bore Olam, thanking him for bringing us to this moment. And by Beracha of praise, there’s no rule of Tadir. And therefore you can put the Birkat HaMitzvah first, as in the case of the Shofar.
So bottom line, since it’s the Mitzvah that causes the Shehechiynau to be said, therefore the Birkat Mitzvah goes first before Shehechiynau, as in our case of Lishmoa Kol Shofar. The rule of Tadir does not apply since Shehechiynau is Birkat HaShevach.
