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Most siddurim (Nusach Ashkenaz Sefard) group the shofar blowing as follows:

  • 30 blasts before Musaph divided as:
    • A 3 times Tekiah Shevarim-Tru'ah Tekiah
    • B 3 times Tekiah Shevarim Tekiah
    • C 3 times Tekiah Truah Tekiah

During Musaph

1 time of each group A, B and C from above. Each one done at the end of each of the 3 middle sections of Shmoneh Esreh - chazan's repetition.

After Musaph,

repeat of procedure that was done before Musaph + procedure used during musaph.

Is one allowed to break up this sequence in any way? E.g. can he do only groups A and B and leave C for after Musaf to add on to the others?

If one is allowed to break things up, must he have at least a group of 10 in the format:

Tekiah Shevrim Truah Tekiah Tekiah Truah Tekiah Tekiah Tru'ah Tekiah

Or can he do less than 10 at a time?

If he is not allowed to divide anything from what the siddur's format (say he must do all 40 at once as indicated), what if he has an "emergency" and is short of breath. Can he finish the rest later, or must he find someone else to complete the group for him at that time?

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  • judaism.stackexchange.com/a/45312/759
    – Double AA ♦
    Sep 9, 2015 at 21:53
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    IIRC in the Yekkish Machzorim and Shuls, they break up the "10" during the repetition, with only 1 sub-set per Bracha. By the end of Chazoras HaShtaz you now have 10 more, not 30 more.
    – Danny Schoemann
    Oct 11, 2015 at 12:14

2 Answers 2

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i will answer your question in numbers: 1) no you can't, we are unsure what the torah wants when it tells us to blow the shofar and therefore we have to do all of those types, and each one in 3 being that you need that many sounds for the mitzvah and the one you are currently doing may be the one. that being said and we know shofar should be blown when the bracha is made you cant skip out group "c" being that it may be the one mentioned by the torah and now you are taking it away from it's brahca.(the same would apply for any of the other groups) 2)i don't fully understand this question but i suppose it is answered through the 1st question 3)it is obviously better to find someone to do it right away so as not to have the same problem of the bracha, but shofar could be split up and still do the mitzvah like it says in shulchann aruch you could hear from 9 different people at 9 hours of the day (that's just bringing out the point) and still fulfill your obligation, it is brought in the piskei teshuvos that if one won't have enough strength to blow all sounds he can make one of each group and that is enough according to some opinions while others argue and say he needs all the types of sounds to fulfil his obligation.

to summarize the better option to do is blow them all at once and if he cant finish them someone else should take over immediately however after the fact if one blew them at separate times even if he spoke in between he has fulfilled his obligation of the mitzvah

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  • #1 should be strengthened with some source(s). I understand the general gist of what you're saying, but most M.Y. readers probably don't. #3 is good as you alluded to Shulchan Aruch, but, try to link or mention where.
    – DanF
    Sep 10, 2015 at 14:21
  • sorry for not being clear, the beginning to what i said in #1 could be found here shulchanarach.com/ch/sach590.htm in numbers 1 &2, and the fact that a mitzvah should be done right away i don't think is necessary for a source as it is well known, but the place where it says that all 3 should be blown by the bracha is here shulchanarach.com/ch/SAch585.htm in #2 about half way through. the source for number 3 is here shulchanarach.com/ch/sach588.htm in #2
    – trying
    Sep 10, 2015 at 16:08
  • Hi "trying". Please move your last comment as an edit to your answer, if you are allowed to edit it, at this point. If not, inform me.
    – DanF
    Sep 10, 2015 at 16:18
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In a general sense the first 30 are non negotiable and cannot be divided. However, there are some instances that one would only do 10 blasts as opposed to 30. Here are some I've found:

If there's only one person who knows how to blow and someone has forbidden themselves to receive enjoyment from this person (mudar haanah) then they would only be able to hear the basic 10 blasts (Mishna Berura 586:22)

If Rosh Hashanah fell on Friday and there was no Shofar available until after one was mekabel shabbos early but before shkia, in which case they'd blow only the basic 10 blasts (Mishna Berura 600:7)

If one is in the hospital and the one blowing can't do 30 for each person, he'd be better off doing the basic 10 for more people than 30 for less people, or in any other emergency case where doing 30 proves impossible (R' Elyashiv in Ashrei Ish 3 16:29, and R' Nissim Karelitz in Chut Hashani Rosh Hashanah page 64)

Additionally, if nobody knows how to blow except one person who knows how to blow one or 2 sets, then they would only blow those. However blowing just tekias is not allowed. (Shulchan Aruch 593)

For the Mussaf blasts, actually the Rema himself in 592:1 quotes the minhag differently from what we do today and says to only blow 4 blasts after each bracha instead of 10. The Mishna Berura brings from the Shel"a about the current custom.

If someone had to leave after tekias before mussaf and didn't daven with the tzibbur for mussaf, or if he had to leave during chazaras hashatz, his responsibility to hear the tekios afterwards is discussed by the Chazon Ish 137:4 and Shu"t Hissorerus Hateshuva 3:391, R' Shmuel Kamenetzky shlit"a in Kovetz Hilchos Yomim Noraim 12:6 says that although according to the letter of the law one does not have to go back and listen afterwards to the missing ones, it's best to make it up if possible.

As a final note, although the examples given in the original question are not directly addressed, the general question if there are any instances where the sets as they are written in the machzor can be altered, seems to have a number of instances that indeed it could be done. Especially in emergency situations.

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