On Rosh Hashona, we blow two sets of Tekiyos. The first set of Tekiyos that are blown after Krias Hatorah are referred to as the Tekiyos Demeyushav (the sitting Tekiyos). The Tekiyos that are blown during the Chazzan’s repetition of Musaf are the Tekiyos Demeumad.
To fulfil one’s Biblical obligation of hearing the shofar, one needs to hear the 30 notes; Tekiya-Shevarim-Teruah-Tekiya (TaShRaT) three time, Tekiya-Shevarim-Tekiya (TaShaT) three times and Tekiya-Teruah-Tekiyah (TaRaT) three times. These are the order of notes sounded in the Tekiyos Demeumad.
If we have already been Yotzai the Mitzvah with the first 30 notes, why do we blow the Shofar again during Musaf?
The Gemara asks this question and answers that it is in order to confound the Satan. Rashi explains that when the Satan hears how precious the Mitzvos are to the Jewish people, he is silenced in his accusations. Tosfos explains that when the Satan hears the Shofar for a second time, after we have already fulfilled the Mitzvah, he thinks that it is the Shofar that heralds the arrival of Moshiach when evil will be swallowed up. This fear prevents the Satan from being able to prosecute against us.
In the Tekiyos Demeumad, the Shofar is sounded after each of the three middle blessings of Musaf; Malchios, Zichronos and Shofaros.
Which are the primary Tekiyos?
The Levush writes that the Tekiyos in the Musaf repetition are the “Ikar Tekiyos” i.e. the ones that fufill the Biblical Mitzvah. In an earlier Siman he explains that this is why they are called the Tekiyos Demeumad and everyone must stand. In contrast, for the Tekiyos Demeyushav, we do not stand, since they are not for the purpose of the Mitzvah of Shofar. Only the Baal Tokeia stands as matter of respect for the community.
The requirement to stand for the Mitzvah of Shofar is derived by a Gezeira Shavah that equates the Shofar to the counting of the Omer, which must be recited while standing.
Most Acharonim do not agree with the opinion of the Levush. The Alter Rebbe writes that the blowing of the Shofar during Musaf is a Rabbinic enactment (and the Tekiyos Demeyushav are to fulfil the Biblical Mitzvah).
The reason that they are called the Tekiyos Demeumad is not because of an obligation to stand for the Shofar, but because they are blown in the repetition of the Amidah and everyone stands for the repetition. The Gezeira Shavah that requires standing for the Mitzvah of Shofar applies only to the Chazzan.
Which Shofar sounds are blown?
The Tur writes that the custom is to blow the four notes TaShRat one time after the Bracha of Malchios, TaShaT one time after the Bracha of Zichronos and TaRaT one time after the Bracha of Shofaros. This is the opinion of the Rif, Rosh and Rambam. This means that a total of 10 sounds are blown for the Tekiyos Demeumad.
Technically, we should sound TaShRat, TaShaT and TaRaT after each of the three Brachos of Malchios, Zichronos and Shofaros, so that we sound 30 notes in the Tekiyos Demeumad just as we did in the Tekiyos Demeyushav.
The Rif explains that since we have already fulfilled the Mitzvah of Shofar with the 30 blasts of the Tekiyos Demeumad, we do not want to burden the community (Tircha Detzibura) by blowing 30 notes in the Chazzan’s repetition as well. He notes that this was the Minhag in the two great Yeshivos of the Geonim, Sura and Pumpedisa.
Rabbeinu Tam questions the opinion of the Rif, writing that it is self-contradictory to blow the three different sequences only one time and to be Yotzai with them. He rules that instead, we should sound TaShRat one time after each of the three Brachos.
He explains that technically one is Yotzai the Mitzvah of Shofar by just blowing TaShRat three times. The only concern is that of a Hefsek (an interruption between the required sounds).
- The blowing of the Shofar during the silent Musaf prayer is a matter of Minhag based on Kabbalah. The essential Rabbinic enactment is to blow during the Chazoras Hashatz.
- Rosh Hashona 16a
- See Likutei Sichos volume 24 p222 for an explanation and lesson from this idea
- OC 592:1
- OC 585
- Concerning Shofar the verse says יום תרועה יהיה לכם and concerning Sefiras Haomer, the verse says וספרתם לכם
- Shulchan Aruch Harav OC 124:7 in the laws of the Shemoneh Esrei. From here we see that it is Halachically required and preferable to stand for every Chazoras Hashatz.
- Shulchan Aruch Harav 585
- Also in order to make up the 100 blasts corresponding to the 100 cries of the mother of Sisera (from where we learn that a Teruah is a crying sound).
- Due to the doubt whether the Teruah of the Torah is what we call Shevarim or what we call Teruah, or the combination of Shevraim-Teruah. We blow each possible sequence three times in the Tekiyos Demeyushav to be Yotzai according to each possibility. But when one blows only one of each sequence, how can one be Yotzai?
- E.g. if the real Teruah is the Shevarim, the Teruah that we blow would be a Hefsek between the Shevarim and the final Tekiya. If the real Teruah is our Teurah, the Shevarim would be a Hefsek between the first Tekiya and the Teruah.
- According to the Vilna Gaon, Rabbeinu Tam maintains that an unnecessary sound does not constitute a Hefsek.
- Biur Hagr”a. Shulchan Aruch Harav 592:4 also writes that this is the basis for Rif’s position. The Alter Rebbe in the footnotes writes that this is also the Rambam. Presumably he means the opinion of the Rambam is like the Rif, but the reason cannot be the same because the Rambam argues with the Geonim, maintaining that the reason for 30 notes is because of a doubt.
- The Shalah praises one who blows 30 notes.
- Shelah, Radbaz 4:29, Aruch as quoted in Tosfos 33b
