Siman 592

And afterward the shaliach tzibbur repeats the prayer, and they blow the shofar according to the order of the blessings. And even though according to Torah law the blowings are not related to the blessings, and it is a mitzvah unto itself, and also the blessings are not from the Torah; nevertheless, when the sages instituted the blessings—they instituted that they should blow during them, as we learned in a Mishnah (33b): One who recited the blessings, and afterward a shofar became available to him—he blows, etc. And they inferred in the Gemara: The reason is that he did not have a shofar, but if he had a shofar—he would hear them according to the order of the blessings. And specifically in a tzibbur and not as an individual, for the individual blows all the blowings, and afterward prays Musaf. And the reason seems to be, that since the Torah decreed to blow three times—tekiah teruah tekiah—presumably it intended that in the first order they should accept the yoke of His kingship, just as they blow before the king. And the second that our remembrance should ascend before Him, may He be blessed, as it is written, "and you shall sound the trumpets, and you shall be remembered before Hashem your God," and so it is written (Numbers 10:10), "and you shall blow with the trumpets, and they shall be for you as a remembrance," etc. And the third to make heard the sound of the shofar as it was at the giving of the Torah, and so in the future if God wills. And therefore they instituted the order of the blowings upon these blessings. However, such a matter is only for the many, for the merit of the many is very great, and not for an individual. And therefore the individual does not blow according to the order of the blessings, as I have written.

The Rif and the Rambam wrote in the third chapter that this is the order of the shofar blasts: that for the blessings of Malchuyot – one blasts Tashrat, and for Zichronot Tashat, and for Shofrot Tarat. And so wrote the Tosafot and the Rosh there, that such was the custom of the ancients. And they wondered about this, for how could they change the teruah from Malchuyot to Zichronot, and from Zichronot to Shofrot? And the Rif wrote in this wording: And it is by law that they should blast according to the order of the blessings, just as they blasted while sitting. However, since they have already fulfilled the obligation of the blasts – we do not burden the congregation excessively. And such is the custom in the entire world, and in the two academies. Thus far his words, and so wrote the Tosafot and the Rosh.

However, our teacher Tam ordained that they should blow Tashrat for each one, as the change was not so great from what it was previously, and there is no burden on the congregation in this. Our teacher, the Beit Yosef, wrote that in their locale they blew Tashrat three times for Malchuyot, Tashat three times for Zichronot, and Tarat three times for Shofrot; see there. This is a strange and foreign custom, and there is no reasoning for it. In his great work, this is not mentioned at all. It appears that there is some printing error here, and the intention was: Tashrat, Tashat, Tarat for Malchuyot, and likewise for Zichronot, and likewise for Shofrot, just as we do today in most places (and so wrote the Grib). Our teacher, the Rema, wrote according to the ordinance of our teacher Tam. However, now they have adopted the custom in most places to blow Tashrat, Tashat, Tarat during Malchuyot, and likewise during Zichronot, and likewise during Shofrot, and this is the primary rule in the halacha.

Regarding the reasoning of our predecessors, the reason we brought regarding the burden on the congregation is not sufficient. For behold, these are but a few moments, and how much do we lengthen with "Mi Shebeirach" and other matters? Therefore, it appears in my humble opinion that according to what the Rosh wrote in the name of Rav Hai Gaon at the end of Rosh Hashanah, from the Torah even the shevarim is a teruah, and likewise the teruah, and likewise the shevarim and teruah together. Rather, Rabbi Abbahu instituted that all Israel should act uniformly, and not that there is truly a doubt in this. And we brought this in siman 590, section 4, see there. Therefore, our predecessors instituted Tashrat for Malchiyot, Tashat for Zichronot, and Tarat for Shofrot, to instruct us that all of them are from the essential law. And there is no doubt in this at all, and however they act – they fulfill their obligation. And many times it is found that in order to instruct the halacha – they did a thing that could have been done better, and only in order to instruct the halacha.

And we have already written that an individual does not blow on the order of the blessings, and even if he would not need to blow himself, which would be somewhat of an interruption, but rather another would blow for him when he hears that he finished the blessing. He is likewise not permitted because of the reason we wrote at the end of section 1, but rather he blows himself, or another blows for him before he prays Musaf, and he does not need to blow a second time. And it is the custom that after the blowings of Malchuyot the congregation says "Hayom Harat Olam" and "Areshet Sefateinu." And also on Shabbat they say "Hayom Harat Olam," but they should not say "Areshet" on Shabbat, for how can we say "to the sound of our blowing," when we do not blow on Shabbat? And just as they say after Malchuyot, so too after Zichronot and after Shofarot.

The explanation of "Today is the birth of the world" – this is its meaning: that Adam was created on Rosh Hashanah. For on the twenty-fifth of Elul was the beginning of creation, and man was created on the sixth day, and on it the pregnancy of the world was completed, as man is the purpose of creation. And he sinned on that day with the Tree of Knowledge, and was judged on that day, and therefore "Today He shall cause all the creatures of the worlds to stand in judgment," as it is brought in the Pesikta (parsha 23): The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Adam: You are a sign for your children; just as you stood before Me in judgment on this day and emerged with a pardon – for he did not die on that day, and He extended it for him until the day of the Holy One, Blessed be He, which is a thousand years – so too your children shall stand before Me in judgment on this day. And afterward we say "whether as children or whether as servants," for in Kiddushin (36a) Rabbi Yehuda holds that when we conduct ourselves in the manner of children, meaning that we do the will of our Father in Heaven – we are called children, and if not, we are called servants. And for this we supplicate, for we do not know our status, and for this we say that in either case, You should have mercy on us.

The Rambam wrote (Chapter 3, Halacha 11) that the one who blew the shofar during the sitting—he should blow according to the order of the blessings, see there. And the intention is not that it is mandatory to do so, but rather because of proper conduct: for since he began the mitzvah—why should we push him aside from completing the mitzvah? However, it is not a requirement, and another may blow. Therefore, in a place where the custom is to honor all the blowers, such that this one blows during the sitting and this one during Musaf—there is no concern in the matter. For behold, regarding the Tamid offering, several kohanim merited in it (Magen Avraham, subsection 9). And one may honor several blowers in such a manner, that this one blows for Malchuyot, and this one for Zichronot, and this one for Shofrot. But in the middle—one should not take it from him to honor another, for it would be an affront to the first. Therefore, regarding the shofar blasts of the sitting—one should blow all the blasts, unless it is difficult for him to finish, as I have written in siman 585, see there.

Initially, one should not interrupt with any speech that is not relevant to the matter of the blowing and the prayers, between the shofar blasts of sitting and the shofar blasts of standing, whether the blower or the congregation. However, if one spoke idle words—he does not need to repeat the blessing. And it is not similar to one who spoke between the tefillin of the arm and the tefillin of the head, where he repeats the blessing, for they are two mitzvot, which is not the case here: it is one mitzvah. Furthermore: for he has already fulfilled the obligation of the shofar blasts of the Torah. However, according to the first reason, even if he spoke between the shofar blasts of sitting themselves—he does not repeat the blessing, which is not the case according to the second reason. And if he spoke between the blessing and the blowing regarding something not relevant to the matter of the shofar blasts—he repeats the blessing. And even regarding the matter of the shofar blasts—he should not initially interrupt, unless he is compelled to do so, such as to give him the shofar, and similar to this. And if he spoke of another matter, even regarding matters of prayer—he must repeat the blessing, for this is not related to the shofar blasts (Magen Avraham, subsection 5). And only between the shofar blasts of sitting and the shofar blasts of standing—matters of prayer would not be an interruption, for there the interruption is not a complete prohibition, which is not the case between the blessing and the blowing. And in all this there is no difference between the blower and the listener (ibid.). (See the Ran and the Maor, who wondered about the prohibition of interruption between the shofar blasts of sitting and standing, and only since the Geonim ruled so—one should not transgress their words.)