13. If a congregation does not have a Siddur and does not know the Nussach of Musaf are they to still blow the Shofar?

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13. If a congregation does not have a Siddur and does not know the Nussach of Musaf are they to still blow the Shofar?[1]

The blessings in Musaf do not invalidate the Mitzvah of blowing Shofar. Thus even if no one [in the congregation] knows the Nussach of the nine blessings of Musaf [such as if there are no Siddurim available] nevertheless they are to blow the three sets of blows [required to fulfill the Biblical command].[2] [Practically, however the custom is to always blow a total of 100 blows even when Davening in private.[3]]

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[1] 593:4; Rama 593:2; Tur 593

[2] What blows is this referring to; the blows of Musaf or the Biblical blows? Although from Admur there is room to read the wording that one is to blow the Musaf blows even if he does not know the blessings of Musaf, nevertheless after looking in the Poskim it is clear that this is not the intent. Rather the intent is that although the Sages instituted to blow the Biblical blows during Musaf, nonetheless it does not invalidate the blows if they cannot Daven Musaf. [See Aruch Hashulchan 593:1] This is also clearly implied in the wording in Admur that states one is to blow only three sets, and three sets only cover the Biblical amount. This is because the Rabbinical Tekios can only be fulfilled during the repetition of Musaf and not during any other time, as rules Rama 592:2 regarding a Yachid that one does not need to blow for him a second time after Musaf.  Now regarding what is the novelty of the ruling here, as why would one ever think that Musaf invalidates the Biblical command of Shofar,  perhaps one might have thought the Sages said that one cannot fulfill the Biblical Mitzvah of Shofar at any other time other than Musaf and hence if he can’t Daven Musaf there is no point of blowing Shofar. Thus, here we are taught that he is still to blow Shofar as the Sages merely created a Rabbinical form of Biblical Tekios and did not limit the fulfillment of the Biblical Mitzvah to a specific time. [See Introduction and footnotes there!]

[3] Piskeiy Teshuvos 592:3

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