Elul Shofar Over the Phone

 

In the current situation where so many peulos of shlichus happen over zoom and over the phone. For example I give a Tanya Shiur over the phone every morning. Is there an inyan to blow shofar -now in Chodesh Elul- to be mezake Yidden that definitely won’t hear it otherwise? Since there’s no yetziyas yedey chov over here. It’s only a minhag to be meorer people, perhaps it’s a proper thing to do as part of my call? And kemuvan I can make a disclaimer before and after that it’s not the real thing..

 

Answer:

In the Sicha of Balak 5744, the Rebbe mentions that even the blowing of the Shofar of Elul should not be listened through electronic devices etc.

The reason for that – explains the Rebbe – is that the sounding of Shofar in Elul is [amongst other reasons] done in order to encourage the Yidden to do Teshuva etc.

Now, it appears that in a case where one wouldn’t hear the Shofar otherwise, it would not be an issue to do it over the phone or video call etc.

In such a case, it is indeed proper to make a disclaimer and explain that 1. this is not the appropriate method for shofar and whenever possible a person should try to hear it in person, and 2. that on Rosh Hashanah, of course, one must only hear the Shofar in person etc.

.ת״מ התוועדויות תשד״מ ח״ג ע׳ 2124, ובשיחות קודש ע׳ מג בשינוי קצת