Chabad Rabbonim Warn of Common Mistake in Shofar Blowing

Ahead of Rosh Hashanah, Beis Din Rabbanei Chabad of Eretz Yisroel issued a letter to Anash, cautioning that a mistake has taken hold among many baalei tekiah in the way they are blowing shevarim, as they try to follow the minhag of the Rebbeim.

The letter notes that our Rebbeim’s minhag was to add a short sound at the end of the shevarim, described as a “kol pashut k’ein tekiah,” a simple sound resembling a tekiah, as the Rebbe did, brought in the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch.

The Beis Din writes that it has received video clips showing that this minhag is not being followed consistently.

“Some do only two shevarim, some cut short the last shever,” the letter states, warning that this has “created confusion in the way of blowing shevarim.”

“As long as it is not clear to the one blowing, he should not add or change from the simple way of doing shevarim of three alone,” the letter states. “In order to properly keep this minhag, one should consult with a rav who is expert in the matter, since a rav who himself is unclear cannot guide others correctly.”

The letter is signed by the members of the Beis Din Rabbanei Chabad.

The concern echoes a point Wisconsin shliach Rabbi Yisroel Shmotkin has been raising for some years.

“As shluchim and many of anash want to and are running to give our fellow Yidden the zechus of hearing shofar, on Rosh Hashanah and now during the month of Elul,” Rabbi Shmotkin shares, “unfortunately only a few, among those whose blowing I have heard, blow correctly. Many blow incorrectly, and most have not learned the halachos of tekias shofar. Without that, it is not possible to blow correctly.”

He notes that many baalei tekiah believe they are copying the way the Rebbe did it, but says this is not accurate. “That is not how the Rebbe blew.”

Speaking about the kol katzar he explains: “Some turn this short sound into the third shever itself. Others make two short sounds after the first two shevarim. In both cases the third shever is missing, and if the required length is not there, then shevarim was simply not done.”

He also points to another halacha that is frequently missed: the requirement to pause and breathe at specific points during the tekios. “Many do not know what is written in Shulchan Aruch about the requirement, and the order, to pause and breathe between the tekiah and the shevarim, between the shevarim or teruah and the tekiah, and so on.”

As for trying to imitate the Rebbe’s own tekios directly, Rabbi Shmotkin says that anyone who was present knows this cannot be fully done. “Regarding the Rebbe’s own tekios, anyone who was present knows it cannot be imitated, except for the way the Rebbe blew teruah, which was not tiny, rapid sounds, but slow and deliberate.”

Attached is a recording demonstrating the correct way to blow shofar, including the kol katzar, along with a summary of the relevant halachos for anyone preparing for Mivtza Shofar this Elul and Rosh Hashana.

“Publicizing this information is itself considered a mitzvah,” Rabbi Shmotkin adds.

The following is a sample of the way the shofar should be sounded: