Are Women Required to Hear the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah?

As Rosh Hashanah approaches, questions often arise about women and the mitzvah of hearing the shofar: Are women obligated to hear it? Should they recite a blessing? And what happens if a woman who hears it every year is unable to do so? Here are two daily halachot from BeHalacha UvAggadah, based on the rulings of Maran Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, zt”l.

Do Women Recite a Blessing Over Hearing the Shofar?

Sephardic women should not recite a blessing over hearing the shofar. According to Maran the Shulchan Aruch, a blessing is not recited over a mitzvah from which a person is exempt.

Ashkenazic women, however, may recite a blessing over the shofar, in accordance with their custom. Even according to this custom, if the person blowing the shofar has already fulfilled his own obligation, he may not recite the blessing again on behalf of the women.

Annulment of vows: If a woman has made a practice of hearing the shofar on Rosh Hashanah for more than three consecutive years and now wishes to stop because of weakness or another reason, she must perform hatarat nedarim, the annulment of vows, and express regret that she did not initially specify that she was adopting the practice without a vow.

If her husband intended to include her in the hatarat nedarim performed on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, she does not need a separate annulment.

However, if she is unable to hear the shofar only this year because of illness or a similar circumstance, she does not need hatarat nedarim.

Are Women Required to Hear the Shofar?

There is an important halachic principle that women are exempt from positive mitzvot that are time-bound. In other words, when a positive mitzvah can be performed only at a specific time, women are generally exempt from it.

The mitzvah of hearing the shofar is specifically connected to Rosh Hashanah. Therefore, women are not obligated to hear the shofar.

Nevertheless, many women have adopted the practice of coming to hear the shofar, and this is considered good and appropriate when done with reverence for Hashem.

When coming to synagogue, care should be taken to dress modestly, avoid talking during the prayers, and maintain the proper atmosphere of the day. 

Today’s Quote

“There are many levels of repentance, and according to these levels, a person draws closer to Hashem. The soul is never completely pure, with sins as though they never existed, until a person purifies his heart. It is like a soiled garment: if he washes it a little, the dirt will come out, but its mark and stain will remain. But the more it is washed, the whiter it becomes completely.”

(Orchot Tzaddikim, Gate of Repentance)

What This Quote Means

Orchot Tzaddikim teaches that teshuvah has many levels. Each stage of repentance brings a person closer to Hashem, but complete inner change does not necessarily happen all at once. Teshuvah can be a gradual process of cleansing, growth, and spiritual renewal.

The book illustrates this with the image of a stained garment. Washing it once may remove some of the dirt, while traces of the stain remain. But the more thoroughly it is washed, the cleaner and brighter it becomes.

The same is true of teshuvah. A person may begin by regretting a particular action and resolving not to repeat it, but the process can continue much further. With sincere reflection and continued effort, the deeper effects of wrongdoing can gradually be cleansed as well.

This is also an encouraging way to approach repentance before the High Holidays. We do not need to expect ourselves to transform overnight. Every sincere effort to change, every step toward correcting our ways, and every attempt to purify the heart brings us closer to Hashem.