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Is there anything wrong with blowing a Shofar at night:

  1. on Rosh HaShanah for the Mitzvah (or just because one missed it and wants to hear it, eg., the person was ill)

  2. on Rosh HaShanah for practice

  3. during Elul for the Minhag of hearing it daily (eg., they missed it)

  4. during Elul for practice

  5. any time of the year for some communal purpose (a ceremony, wedding, demonstration, etc.)

  6. any time of the year for some personal purpose (practice, musical enjoyment, musical trick - hey look what I can do, teaching others to blow or just about the Shofar/R"H generally, etc.)?

Note that the question isn't "Is anything to be gained?".

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Regarding questions 1 and 2, the Rama rules (OC 596) that one should not blow the shofar unnecessarily on Rosh HaShana just like one avoids musical instruments on other Shabbatot and Yamim Tovim. So it would seem forbidden to blow for the sick person at night. The Magen Avraham there rules that one cannot practice on the first day in the afternoon for the second day as this constitutes forbidden preparation. From the fact that he does not prohibit it outright, we can see that one can practice blowing on a Rosh HaShana night for the following morning.

Regarding question 3 (and by extension I believe 4, 5, and 6) the Rama, when noting the custom to blow shofar each morning during Elul in OC 581:1, notes that some also had the custom to blow it each night as well after Maariv. So it seems such blowing would be permissible. (A friend of mine was in Switzerland for a day a week ago and at the shul he davened at they did just that: blew shofar after maariv!)

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  • 1
    blowing during marriv is a Rosh at the end of Rosh Hashana
    – sam
    Sep 6, 2012 at 1:30
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    It is possible that blowing after maariv is when they daven maariv before night which used to be the custom everywhere since there were no street lights.
    – expern
    Aug 9, 2013 at 8:58
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    @expern I daven mincha and maariv together around the time of plag in a shul following some "yekkish" customs and they blow after maariv before LeDovid Hashem Oeri.
    – Avrohom Yitzchok
    Aug 24, 2015 at 20:49
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The Piskei Tshuvos 581:3 brings in the footnotes from the Aruch Hashulchan seif 12 that one should not blow at night the whole month of elul even to practice because we don't do hissarirus at night.He also brings the Igros Moshe 4:21 that when the Rama said that there are those who blow shofar at night he meant after mincha or places who daven maariv during the day.However the Mateh Efraim seif 7 in אלף למטה says maariv.He also brings the Kaf Hachaim 113.

Regarding blowing shofar if one missed it ,he brings the Tzitz Eliezer 12:48 that it is only a tzibur inyan,and if one davened by himself then he does not blow the shofar.

A side note: The Bach(592 end of seif 10) says lfi the words of the Aruch one should blow tashrat,tahshat,vtahraht,not just tashraht.

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  • On your side note, when do you mean? Elul?
    – Seth J
    Aug 23, 2013 at 15:22
  • The blowing during elul before ldavid
    – sam
    Aug 23, 2013 at 16:16
  • Interesting that the P"T says you should not blow at night even for practice. A local Kollel is hosting a "Shofar Night" program this Sunday.
    – Seth J
    Aug 28, 2013 at 13:05

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