6098 - Not a Nice Noise?
Q. My dearest Rabbi and friend. As you well know I go to blow shofar to some of my neighbors who are elderly and unable to come to shul. Yet a number of his great young grandchildren are also present and want also to hear the shofar. However since the are young they make noise as children do, can I still blow the shofar
A. 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. Was this women at all yoitzeh 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 bracha would be in vain, and I was prohibited to blow Shofar for them?
A. On question 874, we were asked 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, and 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 Hashana 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, which may disturb the kavana and intention of the people complying with this great and important mitzva.”
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by, Horav Shlomo Miller, Horav Yaakov Hirschman, Horav Dovid Pam, Horav Aharon Miller, Horav Chanoch Ehrentreu and Horav Kalman Ochs Shlit’a, and Horav Dovid Bartfeld consulting, Horav Hagaon Rav Yitzchak Berkowitz Shlit’a
July 16, 2025
Reviewed by: Hagaon Rav Shlomo Miller Shlit'a
Published: September 13, 2026