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Can a woman blow the shofar during Elul for herself? Can anyone?
Does a woman fulfill the obligation to hear the shofar during Elul if she blows it for herself, or is this one of the mitzvot where a man (must? should?) perform the action on behalf of others? For that matter, can anyone fulfill the obligation by personally blowing, or do you need to hear someone else?
I have learned, though I don't remember where, that hearing the shofar must be in person, not over the phone. I am wondering about the case where that is not possible, not due to illness (when I think I've learned you would be excused) but because there is no minyan. Can one "self-serve"? Including women?
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I would posit that there is no obligation of Shofar during Elul. It is a longstanding custom, but there are none of the hallmarks of an obligation, even Rabbinic:
- No ברכה (blessing) associated with it
- No calling out of the notes, as is required on Rosh Hashanah
- Extreme leniency (at least in my experience) with regard to length/quality of the notes
On that basis, there would seem to be no need to blow the Shofar during Elul without a Minyan. (See e.g. Tzitz Eliezer 12:48 and Rivevot Ephraim I:394.) On the other hand, doing so would not seem to be forbidden in any way (e.g., without a Minyan or by a woman), as there is no Muktzah or other restriction on use of a Shofar except on Shabbos or Yom Tov.
According to the views cited in the Dirshu Mishna Brura1: if one is praying without a minyan, there is no need to blow shofar. It is (apparently) a custom for a community, not for individuals.
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Dirshu Mishna Brura 1st edition, תקפא footnote 6, in the name of Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, הליכות והנהגות, תשרי עמ' ג; Rabbi Eliezer Waldenberg, ציץ אליעזר חלק י"ב סי' מ"ח. See there for further discussion regarding "making up" these shofar blasts in shul at mincha time if they did not blow shofar in the morning. (Rav Elyashiv: no need. Rav Moshe Feinstein: yes.) ↩
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Official rabbinical guidance from my Shul Young Israel Shomrai Emunah of Greater Washington:
One of the most cherished practices in this time of year is the blowing of shofar in shul during the month of Elul. In these very strange times we have been doing many things differently than we would like. In recognition of the health risks associated with the blowing of shofar, that shofar blowing during the month of Elul is a minhag as opposed to a mitzvah, and the best precautions and policies sometimes erode over the course of a month, we will not blow shofar in shul during Elul. If people would like to blow shofar for themselves at home they are certainly welcome to do so, though it is not necessary to make special arrangement to hear shofar during Elul.
We certainly plan on blowing shofar in shul on Rosh Hashanah, and will follow the medical precautions advised.
Obviously, every community (and every Shul within a community) will make their own decision. I know that discussions of possibilities here ranged from "inside the building, aim the Shofar at the wall" to "Baal Tokeah steps outside a door, leaving the door open but blowing outside" to "put a mask on the Shofar" to "not at all".
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