It happens every year on Rosh Hashanah, I call it the wheeze, I also think its super embarrassing when you have this climactic stage in davening and suddenly the guy blowing shofar just can’t do it. Everyone is standing around saying “nu” under their breath- thinking that they can do a better job. I always wonder what the blower is feeling- is he thinking “damn I should have practiced more” or “jeez that orange juice I had with the kichel this morning is coming back up” – to me its like shofar constipation, nothing seems to work to get the blockage out and then suddenly relief, minus all the medicine.
I have never blown a shofar, I have smelled the inside of them though and its not too pleasant. But I have had the pleasure to enjoy many different types of blowers. The most efficient shofar blowing I ever witnessed was in Anchorage Alaska 2 years ago- the two dudes were totally fluid with no interruption- there wasn’t even any wheezing.
It happens to be that I always crack a smile and sometimes if its a little more of a serious place I start cracking up when the wheezing shofar starts- I just can’t help it. In fact during the most serious of times like musaf or something- I always start laughing like a nut. I think it has something to do with not being able to talk or more then an hour- that drives me nuts.
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The shofar blowers ned to practice and be comfotable with the shofar they are using. Still, I see the guy in my shul brings 2 or 3 different ones, sometimes he has a bad shofar day with one, he’ll switch to another.
I have a few at home myself, I blow them for the kids. Last year I picked a 4 foot yemenite shofar, the kids really have a blast, it has a really wide range of sounds. For Rosh Hashana, I use a smaller rams horn, as it’s more mehudar then Kudu.
Chazal, who exactly I don’t know–I’m a bloggeress, not a rabbi– say that one’s “pnimiyut,” sort of internal spiritual barometer, can be heard in one’s shofar blowing.
One year one of our regular blowers came out with the most horrendous sounds. I don’t know what was going on with him, but I don’t think he has blown since, at least in public.
Part of it is the Shofar, the cheaper it is the harder to blow… based on the size of the horn, and thus the size of the mouthpiece.
That being said, most frum people have the custom to blow at least once every morning during Elul, and if you are Sephardi, several times, so I would have to say, it is a good barometer of who has been doing what they should.
To blow a shofar(or not) in the morning after davening, doesn’t seem like such a big deal. But then after a month that would be a good bit of practice… So my guess is they need more practice, or rather they need to pay more attention that the important things that often don’t seem that important.
“I think it has something to do with not being able to talk …”
That would do it.
You are aware, Hesh, that it is against the law of the good L-rd to consume victuals prior to the blowing of the ritual horn, yes?
Are you yotzei shofar if the guy blowing doesnt give it the power it needs and it comes out like a wheeze?
TRS what on earth is a victual
food, man; like, vittles.
To the best of my knowledge, “vittles” is a corrupted form of the word “victuals” (food) just as “critter” is a corrupted form of the word “creature.”
Thank you
Although I prefer the term food!
In fact, the correct and proper way to pronounce the word “victuals” is “vittles”. However, there is no word that is spelled “vittles”.
We have a kiddush before shofar blowing, so the kids won’t call out:
“Stop the music, I’m hungry!”
Webster would disagree with you, sort of:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vittles
L’shana tova, and thanks for that reply, a while back, TRS.
s(b.): I can hardly be held responsible for the 14th century! And you’re quite welcome.
“But I have had the pleasure to enjoy many different types of blowers.”
Oy, I have a sick mind!