Q&A from the Bais HaVaad Halacha Hotline

Sounding (during) the Shofar

September 14, 2023

Q I used the bathroom during tekias shofar. Should I make the bracha of asher yatzar immediately or wait until the tekios are completed?

A Generally, one should say asher yatzar right after incurring the obligation (see Biur Halacha 51:4). But during tekias shofar, when speaking is prohibited (Mishnah Brurah 592:8), perhaps one should wait. The Rishonim and Acharonim debate the reason that one may not talk during tekios; the Mishnah Brurah follows the view that it is because the bracha on the shofar needs to apply to all the blasts, so there may be no interruption from the bracha until the tekios are finished at the end of Mussaf. Others aver that the reason is so as not to interrupt in middle of a mitzvah, as all the shofar blowing is a single mitzvah.

The Mishnah Brurah only says not to speak until after the tekios deme’umad (standing blasts, i.e., those during Mussaf). But the Chayei Adam adds not to speak until after 90 blasts, and the Kaf Hachayim says until after all 100 blasts. (The Chayei Adam might agree with the Kaf Hachayim; perhaps in his community they blew only 90 blasts.) It appears to be the common custom to announce before tekias shofar begins that talking is forbidden until all 100 are done. But the prohibition on talking during the additional blasts can’t be more stringent than the requirement to blow them, which is itself only a minhag, so it must be understood that not all talking from beginning to end is of equal severity.

Poskim debate whether one may add personal prayers during Mussaf, given that it is during tekias shofar (see Mishnah Brurah 592:12). Perhaps asher yatzar would be subject to that debate. The Mishnah Brurah doesn’t specifically address asher yatzar, but many poskim (see Halichos Shlomo 2:16 and Kovetz Halachos perek 16 note 19) permit saying asher yatzar after the tekios demeyushav (sitting blasts, i.e., those before Mussaf).