How to Blow the Shofar

Parsha Halacha | December 10, 2025

The Shofar should be covered while the Ba’al Tokei’a (shofar blower) says the brachot and whenever he's not actually blowing the Shofar. This is to evoke the merit of the binding of Isaac who was kept hidden while Abraham built the altar.
One should blow from the right side of his mouth (if possible). This is because one’s left side is already protected by one’s Tefillin. A lefty should blow from the left side of his mouth.
The shofar blasts are kosher whether the sounds are “thick” or “thin.” All types of sound are acceptable.

The tekiah (long sound) should be as long as the middle sound of that set, i.e., for the first set, it should be as long as a shevarim and teruah combined (about six seconds), for the second and third set, it should be as long as a shevarim or a teruah (approximately three seconds).
Each of the shevarim should last for approximately one second.

One must take a breath in between each complete note.
One should not take a breath in the middle of a note (e.g., shevarim or teruah).
There is an argument as to whether or not one should breathe in between shevarim-teruah. The custom is to take a quick breath in between.
In a place that does not have a specific custom, it is better to do the shevarim-teruah in the first group of tekiot (before Musaf) without a breath in between (but with a small pause) and during the tekiot during Musaf with a quick breath in between.

If one blew the wrong note, he may have to begin from the beginning of the series that he's in the middle of blowing (e.g. tekiah-shevarim-tekiah). The Ba’al Makri (the one who points to the correct note) should know the laws in this regard so he can instruct the Ba’al Tokei’a as to how to proceed.
If the Ba’al Tokei’a was unable to complete the shofar blasts and someone else came up to complete them, he need not make the brachot (blessings) again, provided that he heard them when they were recited beforehand.

The Shofar should be covered while the Ba’al Tokei’a (shofar blower) says the brachot and whenever he's not actually blowing the Shofar. This is to evoke the merit of the binding of Isaac who was kept hidden while Abraham built the altar.
One should blow from the right side of his mouth (if possible). This is because one’s left side is already protected by one’s Tefillin. A lefty should blow from the left side of his mouth.
The shofar blasts are kosher whether the sounds are “thick” or “thin.” All types of sound are acceptable.

The tekiah (long sound) should be as long as the middle sound of that set, i.e., for the first set, it should be as long as a shevarim and teruah combined (about six seconds), for the second and third set, it should be as long as a shevarim or a teruah (approximately three seconds).
Each of the shevarim should last for approximately one second.

One must take a breath in between each complete note.
One should not take a breath in the middle of a note (e.g., shevarim or teruah).
There is an argument as to whether or not one should breathe in between shevarim-teruah. The custom is to take a quick breath in between.
In a place that does not have a specific custom, it is better to do the shevarim-teruah in the first group of tekiot (before Musaf) without a breath in between (but with a small pause) and during the tekiot during Musaf with a quick breath in between.

If one blew the wrong note, he may have to begin from the beginning of the series that he's in the middle of blowing (e.g. tekiah-shevarim-tekiah). The Ba’al Makri (the one who points to the correct note) should know the laws in this regard so he can instruct the Ba’al Tokei’a as to how to proceed.
If the Ba’al Tokei’a was unable to complete the shofar blasts and someone else came up to complete them, he need not make the brachot (blessings) again, provided that he heard them when they were recited beforehand.

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Parsha Halacha | September 13, 2025