- Q. Estimado Rabino. As you well know we have in Mexico City as well as in many other places, we serve special services on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur for people that do not regularly attend shul.
We try to make them as possibly comfortable and tend to all their needs with generosity, not only because of the mitzva itself, but also that since our history has proven many times, that some of them have become Baalei Teshuva and their children even ended learning in Yeshivot.
The Rav has answered many of our questions, so by his own experience is well familiar with them. In our shul we have on Rosh Hashana a problem that has become a bit severe. Because of the many families that attend the noise of the children is severe.
Besides also because of the heat we have to keep the windows open and as the Rav well knows, Mexico City is a very noisy city. Some of our regular attendants complain that because of the added noise, we may not be complying properly with the mitzva of Shofar. What can we do?
A. A practical and common solution used in many places, is to use separated rooms and areas for children and their caretakers and provide also different times for added Shofar blowing.
However, Poskim also rule after the fact that one may comply when the noise is not excessive.
On question 5114 we wrote:
“Q. I was Baal Tokeah for a neighbor who is bed ridden and lives with her daughter and a significant number of dogs and cats. As I was blowing the Shofar, the dogs where all howling and the cats where meowing quite loudly, accompanying the sound of the Shofar, this is the second year this phenomenon happens.
I could not ask them to take out the animals, as they are Muktzeh. Were this women at all yoitzeh (complied) with the Mitzvah, or is this a case of “trey kolei loi mishtamei”, you can not hear two voices at the same time, thus their brocho would be in vain, and I was prohibited to blow Shofar for them?
A. On question 874, regarding a small shul that is on a main street, where it is common that the street noises like trucks going by or sirens are heard inside as well as sometimes small children crying or the A.C. making sounds. If those noises are an issue when hearing the shofar and if you have to repeat the shofar, we wrote:
“Remoh (O.H. 588: 3) rules that if two individuals blew the complete set of shofar sounds required on Rosh Hashono at the same time or even if one was blowing a trumpet instead of a shofar, the listener complies with the mitzva.
Mishna Berura (ibid. 11) quoting Talmud Rosh Hashana (26a) explains that although usually we accept that two different voices or sounds cannot be heard simultaneously, when one of them is very pleasant and enjoyed as would be the story of Megilas Esther, you would pay attention to the preferred one and thus comply with the mitzva. In the case of the shofar since it comes only once a year it is also appreciated and liked more than any other sound and of course, noise.”
However, Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit’a advises to minimize as much as possible any other distressing and conflicting sounds, that may disturb the “kavana” and intention of the people complying with this great and important mitzva.”
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by, Horav Yaakov Hirschman, Horav Dovid Pam, Horav Aharon Miller, Horav Chanoch Ehrentreu and Horav Kalman Ochs Shlit’a
Important Numbers
