I’m the new chosen Baal Tokea (blower) of the Shofar in our large new shul, and I need still lots of training and preparation. I avoid blowing at home as it disturbs the family. Is it permitted to blow in the Shul?
A. On question 4401 we wrote:
Q. I was training in our large Beth Haknesseth to blow the shofar. Then someone apparently a Rabbi, who noticed the voices (open windows) came in from the street and told me that it is incorrect and improper to learn how to blow the shofar in a shul. And I should do so at the Ezras Nashim (women’s section). Is that correct?
A. Mekor Chaim (591), Moed Lechol Chai (11: 51) and others (See Nitei Gavriel 4: 12) indeed advice not to learn how to blow shofar in the shul itself.
However, Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit’a maintains that since one who is learning how to blow has to have at least in his mind at that time, the Halachos, traditions and likely intentions necessary for performing the mitzva correctly, it is permitted to do it in the shul itself.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by, Horav Yaakov Hirschman, Horav Dovid Pam, Horav Aharon Miller, Horav Chanoch Ehrentreu, Horav Kalman Ochs and Horav Dovid Bartfeld quoting Horav Berkovits Shlit’a .
Important Numbers
