By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com Perhaps in one hundred years it will be known as “the Great Shofar Blowing Controversy of the COVID era.” This Rosh HaShana, there are many shuls that will be cutting the blasts to a minimum of thirty.  Others are keeping it to the classical one hundred blasts.  What is the reasoning behind the controversy? There is no question, of course, that when there is a danger we should be modifying what we do in order to minimize the spread of COVID-19.  It is this author’s opinion that outside minyanim are far, far preferable to indoor minyanim.  Infection rates of outdoor gatherings without masks and social distancing were tested to be 1/19th the rate of indoor gatherings. But let’s get to the issues. SISREH’S MOTHER The Tur in Orech Chaim Siman 592 cites the view of the Aruch that we perform 100 blasts in order to counter the 100 wails of the mother of Sisreh discussed in Shoftim 5 when he does not come home after Yael smashed his head with a tent peg.  We need zechusim to counter any possible charge against the nation of Israel.  The extra blasts are seen either as a merit out of our love for the Mitzvah (See Rashi, Rosh haShana 16b) or as a means of confusing the Satan (See Tosfos ibid citing the Aruch and Yerushalmi).  The Torah requirement is that we perform 9 blasts but out of a doubt as to what they are exactly – we perform 30 blasts. THE 30 VIEW The contemporary Rabbis that say, “just do thirty blasts” are of the opinion that the Rabbinic obligation is for only thirty blasts. The extra blasts that we do in the davening are just a mere minhag or custom that could be done away with – when necessary. This may be seen from the implication of the words highlighted below in the very last Mishna in Rosh haShana. The order of the shofar blasts are: three sets of three. The length of a tekiah is equal to three teruahs, and the length of a teruah is equal to three yevavos. If one lengthened the first tekiah so that it connected to the second, it counts only as one. One who has already said the Mussaf shmoneh esreh and then a shofar is given to him, he sounds a tekiah teruah tekiah three times. Just as the shliach tzibbur is obligated, so too is every single individual obligated. Rabban Gamaliel says: the shliach tzibbur causes the whole congregation to fulfill their obligation. THE 100 VIEW The contemporary Rabbis that say that we should not change up the hundred blasts are of the opinion that there were actually two enactments of the sages as to how to blow the Shofar.  There was one enactment for single daveners (by single, we mean without a minyan) and there was a different enactment for a Tzibbur.  The second enactment created an obligation of performing sixty blasts –  NOT 30 BLASTS. [All would agree that the Rabbinic obligation is not more than 70 blasts]. NO DIFFERENT THAN THE FOUR CUPS OF WINE This second track of enactments was no different than the enactment of the four cups of wine on the Haggadah.  In other words, just like one does not fulfill the Mitzvah of […]

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