The Shofar

“The art of blowing the shofar is a knowledge-based skill.”

(Siddur Rav Hertz Sheliach Tzibbur)

With the publication of this sefer, the halachos, hanhagos, eitzos, and mesorah related to tekias shofar are now available to the English-speaking readership. Fully annotated, The Shofar is the product of consultations with many baalei tekiah, poskei Gedolei Yisrael, responsa, and sifrei halachah. An enormous contribution to Torah literature, this volume includes:

• Minhagim from communities and kehillos around the world
• An analysis of each kol, its acceptable length, and possible complications
• Customs that are practiced prior to, during, and after tekias shofar
• Important but little-known issues regarding the shofar itself
• What to look out for when buying a shofar

“A literal encyclopedic compendium of laws, customs, and practices of shofar blowing...The work is spiced with anecdotes, stories, and rulings of contemporary halachic poskim.”

Rav Zev Leff, Moshav Matityahu

“Anyone who reads this will obtain a ‘Panim Chadashot’ regarding the mitzvah.”

Dayan Eleizer Dunner, Bnei Brak

“The author unfurls the tapestry of customs belonging to kehillos world over.”

Novominsker Rebbe, Lakewood

Rabbi Bentzion Ettlinger is a product of the Yeshiva Rabbi Samson Raphael institutions and learned in its Bais Hamedrash Jeshurun during the ten-year tenure of Rav Yaakov Perlow, the Novominsker Rebbe, zt”l, who was its rosh hayeshiva. During that time, he became a close talmid.

He enjoyed a filial relationship with Rav Shimon Schwab, zt”l, and had the unique zechus to be meshamesh him for twenty-three years, and later Rav Zechariah Gelley, zt”l, as well as Rav Shach’s son-in-law, ybl”t, Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman of B’nei Brak, during Rav Bergman’s annual stays in Washington Heights.

He is a member of the editorial board of L’dor Va’dor, a bi-annual Torah journal, a mentor in Mesivta R.S.R.H., and has been a baal tokeia in K’hal Adath Jeshurun for more than thirty-five years.

His penchant for tekias shofar has enabled him to traverse far and wide to bring to light the myriad of rich minhagei Yisrael from multitudes of beautiful communities within Klal Yisrael. His eye-opening feature articles that have appeared in the magazine section of Hamodia have generated wide interest.

He uses his very extensive collection of horns, shofaros, shofar stories, and shofar manufacturing slides for presentations on all levels, from pre-schools, elementary schools, and mesivtos to seniors, Daf Yomi shiurim, and kollelim. He lives in Washington Heights with his wife, Debbie. Their many children and grandchildren live in Lakewood, NJ; Chestnut Ridge, NY; Monsey, NY; and Yerushalayim Ir Hakodesh.