I would like to know about any mandatory breathing between shofar blasts during Elul shachris, and perhaps the same rule for during Yom Tov.

I believe I was taught to breathe as an extra pause between blasts, but I am not sure if that is only after the first tekia and before the final tekia, or if it is also required between the middle two, the shevarim and the teruah, whichever is which.

The Shulchon Orech in 590:4 brings a Machlokes regarding Shvarim-Truah how it should be. The first Shita says that you don't need to blow it in one breath, as long as there is no more than a breath in between. The Mishna Brurah says that his reason is since its a model of how people cry, first long wales and then tiny bursts of crying that's often one leads to the other. But its regular when someone cries in this fashion to pause between the two stages. So too the Shofar should be blown with a breath in the middle. More than a breath would make it too far apart and be considered two different sounds.

The Second Shita holds the whole blast should be done in one breath. The MB explains, since its one sound (that's the Truah in the Torah referring to, the Shvarim Truah) it should be blown within the breath not to separate them. He still maintains that at least some stop between them is needed so it wouldn't be a run on sound.

The Chazon Ish argues and says the 2nd Shita should be made without any Hefseik. This is what it means to be done in one breath. The first Shita holds there be some Hefsik, even less than a breath, but you are Yoitzeh if you make a Hefseik up to a breath's worth.

The Rama says the Minhag is like the first Shita, but many Minhagim do try to do on Rosh Hashana some blasts according to each Shita.

IMHO, the Machlokes between the 2 Shitos in S.O. depends on how we view the Truah- which resembles crying. Do we take into consideration the actual sounds of crying or do we also consider the whole experience of crying. The second Shita holds that we only view the Shofar as being the sound of the crying, so in order that there shouldn't be a Hefsek in the blowing there can't be a Hefsek in the sound. But the first Shita holds that the Shofer needs to resemble the whole experience of the crying, which includes the sound plus the pauses, thus a pause of a breath is not a Hefsek, but rather part of what connects the TRuah to the Shvarim, since its part of the Shofer blowing.

B"H

FOR YOUR INFORMATION:

It should be noted here that the Yemenites have a different custom in blowing the traditional "Teru'ah" or "quavering blast." With the Yemenites, the quavering blast is NOT a string of many short-lived, broken blasts made by the tongue ("tut-tut-tut-tut-tut-tut," etc.) as we find with most Ashkenazim and with most Sepharadim. But rather, the Yemenites will make a long, trembling (reverberating) blast originating from the stomach (not from the tongue)! I have heard that Babylonian (Baghdadi) Jewish communities practiced the same, as did also Aleppo Jews, and the German Jews known as "Yekkes."

David

quote:

I would like to know about any mandatory breathing between shofar blasts during Elul shachris, and perhaps the same rule for during Yom Tov.

This is what the Shulchan Aruch and the Mishna Berura write about blowing a whole set of notes in one breath:

שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן תקצ

סעיף ה
אם תקע תר"ת בנשימה אחת, יצא; ויש מי שאומר (כב) ד שלא יצא.

משנה ברורה סימן תקצ ס"ק כב

(כב) שלא יצא - דאין כאן לא ראש ולא סוף וסברא ראשונה ס"ל כיון דניכר סלקי לכל אחד ואחד ועיין בביאור הגר"א שמסכים לדעה הראשונה:

On RH itself it's usually not a problem as the Ba'al Makreh calls out the notes one by one so there is an obvious gap between the notes. During Elul, however, perhaps it would be better to breath between each note so as to satisfy the opinion brought in the Shulchan Aruch that blowing a whole set in one breath is no good.

Dear Rav Chaim:

Is there a method that does satisfy both opinions in the machlokes cited?


and

Dear Yisroel:

quote:

On RH itself it's usually not a problem as the Ba'al Makreh calls out the notes one by one so there is an obvious gap between the notes. During Elul, however, perhaps it would be better to breath between each note so as to satisfy the opinion brought in the Shulchan Aruch that blowing a whole set in one breath is no good.

On Rosh HaShana when there is a Shevarim-Teruah, that is that considered one or two notes in the middle? Does he take breath there?

And for Shachris in Elul, are you recommending a breath-pause between that Shevarim and that Teruah?

Rob, I am talking about your first question, whether there should be a breath between the Tekiah and the Shevarim, etc.

The Shevarim Teruah issue is a different one. Some Shuls have the custom to make no pause in the Tekios D'Meyushov, but do so in the Tekios D'Me'umod. Others do it the other way around.

quote:

Originally posted by Rav Chaim:
The Mishna Brurah says that his reason is since its a model of how people cry, first long wales and then tiny bursts of crying that's often one leads to the other. But its regular when someone cries in this fashion to pause between the two stages. So too the Shofar should be blown with a breath in the middle. More than a breath would make it too far apart and be considered two different sounds.

IMHO, the Machlokes between the 2 Shitos in S.O. depends on how we view the Truah- which resembles crying. Do we take into consideration the actual sounds of crying or do we also consider the whole experience of crying. The second Shita holds that we only view the Shofar as being the sound of the crying, so in order that there shouldn't be a Hefsek in the blowing there can't be a Hefsek in the sound. But the first Shita holds that the Shofer needs to resemble the whole experience of the crying, which includes the sound plus the pauses, thus a pause of a breath is not a Hefsek, but rather part of what connects the TRuah to the Shvarim, since its part of the Shofer blowing.

Strange, the first time I heard a Shofar blow ( on the 1st of Elul, several years ago) I was given a lesson about it, but I don't remember being told that it is supposed to resemble crying. However, for some reason after I heard the Shofar blow, there was a delayed reaction as the sound penetrated my soul. Then, I started crying hysterically for no known reason. It is not like I went around crying all the time.

If the shofar resembles crying, then why do we blow it on Rosh Hashanna, even though we are commanded. It is supposed to be a joyous event, but what is so joyous about crying? Is the reason for the Shofar blowing for us to be sympathetic and to invoke us to tears?>

quote:

Originally posted by Raybin:
If the shofar resembles crying, then why do we blow it on Rosh Hashanna, even though we are commanded. It is supposed to be a joyous event, but what is so joyous about crying? Is the reason for the Shofar blowing for us to be sympathetic and to invoke us to tears?>

Raybin,

The answer to your question can be found in the thread entitled, "The Shofar and Correct Number of Blasts." The so-called "crying sound" (Yababa) which is discussed here is supposed to resemble the sound made by Sisera's mother, since the great Targumists, when translating the word "quavering blast" (Teru'ah) - which is supposed to be made by us on Rosh Hashana – had written "Yababa" for this sound.

As for the original question about breathing between the blasts, this depends on custom. Rabbi Yoseph Qafih z"l, explained the Yemenite custom, when he wrote in his Commentary on Rambam's "Mishne Torah," Hilchos Shofar, ch. 3, vs. 3, footnote # 3:

"...But the custom and instruction that was widely accepted in Yemen was to make the [three] short lilting blasts (Shevarim), strictly-speaking, in [only] one breath, while the [three] short lilting blasts (Shevarim) and the long quavering blast (Teru'ah) in the [first] series known under the mnemonic as 'TASHRAS,' [and] which are [sounded by the horn] while the congregation sits, are all done in one breath. Moreover, those [same blasts] (i.e. the Shevarim and the Teru'ah) that are made while standing are done in two breaths. And thus do I have it as a practice, even though I do not know the reason for it being so in the language employed by Rabbeinu [Rambam]."

B'H

Reb David,

I already read the other thread on Sisera's mother before I asked the question.

When you hear the Shofar blowing on Rosh HaShanna are you supposed to cry? Or does that come later, on Yom Kippur?

I am sorry, I am stuck on this question.

Raybin

B"H

Raybin,

No! One is not supposed to cry on Rosh Hashana. It is a joyous occassion, on the one hand, which we are commanded to celebrate with eating and feasting, as it is written: אכלו שמנים ושתו ממתקים

Yet, still, the day should be one of self-reflection and of awe, as our deeds and actions come before G-d on that very day. Jewish women in Yemen were not permitted to don their gold jewellery on Rosh Hashana, so as not to conjure up memories of the golden calf!

So while one does not have to cry, he should be moved with great respect and repentance on that day. Formerly, many sacrifices were offered by the people on that day.

Sincerely,
David