Shabbat Parashat Nitzavim | 5768

Should an appropriate candidate be passed over when he able to blow only on the left side of his mouth

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Question: Should we pass over the seemingly most appropriate candidate for blowing shofar when he is able to blow only on the left side of his mouth?

Answer: The Rama (Orach Chayim 585:2) cites the minhag (found in Sefer Haminhagim, Tirna) that it is proper to blow the shofar on the right side of the mouth. (Most Sephardic poskim also seem to have adopted the minhag.) His reason is that the satan is on the right side, and, through the shofar blowing, we counter and confuse him (see also the Minhagim of the Maharil). (The connection between the shofar and the satan is a major theme with various ramifications, and we should not belittle its importance, as shofar is a mitzva whose whole nature revolves around hidden messages.) The Biur Halacha (ad loc.) notes that regarding Gideon’s men’s blowing of shofar at the time of war, we find that they held the shofars on the right side. That being said, the poskim, starting with the Rama, presented the idea of blowing on the right side as a preference, not a requirement. Let’s investigate different factors that may impact on the matter.

Some of the people who are able to blow only on the left side are lefties. The Magen Avraham (585:4) says that a lefty should blow on the left side. He bases himself on the sources that explain the minhag by saying that the left side does not need the shofar’s help because tefillin are put on that side. He, therefore, suggests that a lefty, who puts tefillin on his right arm, should blow on the left. However, the Aruch Hashulchan (Orach Chayim 585:6) counters that we are not interested in the ba’al tokeiah’s personal tefillin but those of the majority of people, at least those of the congregation. Most poskim say that even a lefty should blow on the right side (Sha’ar Hatziyun 585:18). The Levush (585:2) claims that according to Kabbalah, it is better for all to blow on the left side. Although the “pro-left” opinions are not accepted, they further weaken our resolve to insist that the ba’al tokei’ah blow on the right side of his mouth.

When it comes to priorities of picking a ba’al tokei’ah, the Maharam Shick (Orach Chayim 294) says that one should prefer one who is learned and G-d fearing but can blow only on the left side to a relatively ignorant person who blows on the right side. This follows the general guidelines regarding those who lead services on Rosh Hashana (Rama, Orach Chayim 581:1). Yalkut Yosef (Moadim, p. 41) concurs. The same should be true regarding the quality of the blowing. While a congregation will usually fulfill its mitzva by listening to one who struggles through the tekiot with mistakes and delays, this situation has several regrettable elements: it is not honorable for the mitzva; sometimes people, especially those who are not able to be there the whole time, may not hear enough proper blasts to fulfill the mitzva; people are so taken by the drama of whether and when the ba’al tokei’ah will make it through his duties that they neglect to concentrate on the proper things (including repentance and accepting Hashem’s dominion); people may talk, even lashon hara, and act in a not dignified manner.

The Maharam Shick (ibid.) invokes another factor, which we cannot stress enough. All of these decisions should be taken with sensitivity and a strong desire to avoid discord, which is always appropriate and certainly on the High Holy Days. Another general consideration is that one who leads the services should be acceptable in the eyes of the congregation (Rama, OC 581:1).

Many of the factors we have mentioned are not ones that have yes or no answers. Proficiency and righteousness are relative terms, and the likelihood of discord is hard to determine. Therefore, making this type of decision is among the (many) difficult tasks that earn a rabbi or a gabbai his keep.

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