Everyone is obligated to hear the sounding of the shofar: priests, levites, Israelites, converts, and freed slaves. However, women, slaves, and minors are free of the obligation.
A person who is half slave and half free, a tumtum, and an androgynous are obligated [to hear shofar].
אהַכּל חַיָּבִין לִשְׁמֹעַ קוֹל שׁוֹפָר כֹּהֲנִים לְוִיִּים וְיִשְׂרְאֵלִים וְגֵרִים וַעֲבָדִים מְשֻׁחְרָרִים. אֲבָל נָשִׁים וַעֲבָדִים וּקְטַנִּים פְּטוּרִין. מִי שֶׁחֶצְיוֹ עֶבֶד וְחֶצְיוֹ בֶּן חוֹרִין וְטֻמְטוּם וְאַנְדְּרוֹגִינוּס חַיָּבִין:
Whoever is not [himself] obligated regarding this matter cannot facilitate the performance of the mitzvah for one who is obligated. Thus, if a woman or a minor blows the shofar, one who hears does not fulfill his obligation.
An androgynous can facilitate the performance of the mitzvah for one of his kind, but not for one who is not of his kind. A tumtum cannot facilitate the performance of the mitzvah [for anyone], whether of his kind or not of his kind, for if [the layer of skin covering] the tumtum's [genitalia] is cut open, it is possible that it will be discovered that the tumtum is a male, but it is possible that it will be discovered that the tumtum is a female.
בכָּל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ חַיָּב בַּדָּבָר אֵינוֹ מוֹצִיא אֶת הַחַיָּב יְדֵי חוֹבָתוֹ. לְפִיכָךְ אִשָּׁה אוֹ קָטָן שֶׁתָּקְעוּ בַּשּׁוֹפָר הַשּׁוֹמֵעַ מֵהֶן לֹא יָצָא. אַנְדְּרוֹגִינוּס מוֹצִיא אֶת מִינוֹ וְאֵינוֹ מוֹצִיא אֶת שֶׁאֵינוֹ מִינוֹ. טֻמְטוּם אֵינוֹ מוֹצִיא לֹא אֶת מִינוֹ וְלֹא שֶׁאֵינוֹ מִינוֹ. שֶׁהַטֻּמְטוּם שֶׁנִּקְרַע אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיִּמָּצֵא זָכָר וְאֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיִּמָּצֵא נְקֵבָה:
A person who is half slave and half free cannot even facilitate the performance of the mitzvah for himself, because the aspect of himself which is a slave cannot facilitate the performance of the mitzvah for the aspect of himself which is free.
How should he fulfill his obligation? He should hear a free man blow the shofar.
גוְכֵן מִי שֶׁחֶצְיוֹ עֶבֶד וְחֶצְיוֹ בֶּן חוֹרִין אֵינוֹ מוֹצִיא אֲפִלּוּ עַצְמוֹ שֶׁאֵין צַד עַבְדוּת שֶׁבּוֹ מוֹצִיא צַד חֵרוּת שֶׁבּוֹ. אֶלָּא כֵּיצַד יֵצֵא יְדֵי חוֹבָתוֹ. שֶׁיִּשְׁמַע מִבֶּן חוֹרִין שֶׁיִּתְקַע לוֹ:
A person who occupies himself with blowing the shofar in order to learn does not fulfill his obligation. Similarly, one who hears the shofar from a person who blows it casually does not fulfill his obligation.
If the person hearing had the intention of fulfilling his obligation, but the person blowing did not have the intention of facilitating the latter's performance of the mitzvah, or the person blowing had the intention of facilitating his colleague's performance of the mitzvah, but the person hearing did not have the intention of fulfilling his obligation, [the person hearing] did not fulfill his obligation. Rather, both the person hearing and the one allowing him to hear must have the [proper] intention.
דהַמִּתְעַסֵּק בִּתְקִיעַת שׁוֹפָר לְהִתְלַמֵּד לֹא יָצָא יְדֵי חוֹבָתוֹ. וְכֵן הַשּׁוֹמֵעַ מִן הַמִּתְעַסֵּק לֹא יָצָא. נִתְכַּוֵּן שׁוֹמֵעַ לָצֵאת יְדֵי חוֹבָתוֹ וְלֹא נִתְכַּוֵּן הַתּוֹקֵעַ לְהוֹצִיאוֹ אוֹ שֶׁנִּתְכַּוֵּן הַתּוֹקֵעַ לְהוֹצִיאוֹ וְלֹא נִתְכַּוֵּן הַשּׁוֹמֵעַ לָצֵאת לֹא יָצָא יְדֵי חוֹבָתוֹ. עַד שֶׁיִּתְכַּוֵּן שׁוֹמֵעַ וּמַשְׁמִיעַ:
If a person blew the shofar with the intention of enabling all those hearing his blowing to perform the mitzvah, and a listener heard while having the intention to fulfill his obligation - even though the person blowing did not have a specific intention that this individual would hear his blowing, nor did he know about him - the listener has fulfilled his obligation, because the blower had in mind all those who heard him.
Accordingly, if a person was traveling on a journey or was sitting in his home and heard the teki'ot from the person leading the congregation, he has fulfilled his obligation if he had that intention, since the leader of the congregation had the intention of enabling the many to fulfill their obligation.
המִי שֶׁתָּקַע וְנִתְכַּוֵּן לְהוֹצִיא כָּל הַשּׁוֹמֵעַ תְּקִיעָתוֹ וְשָׁמַע הַשּׁוֹמֵעַ וְנִתְכַּוֵּן לָצֵאת יְדֵי חוֹבָתוֹ אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין הַתּוֹקֵעַ מִתְכַּוֵּן לְזֶה פְּלוֹנִי שֶׁשָּׁמַע תְּקִיעָתוֹ וְאֵינוֹ יוֹדְעוֹ יָצָא. שֶׁהֲרֵי נִתְכַּוֵּן לְכָל מִי שֶׁיִּשְׁמָעֶנּוּ. לְפִיכָךְ מִי שֶׁהָיָה מְהַלֵּךְ בַּדֶּרֶךְ אוֹ יוֹשֵׁב בְּתוֹךְ בֵּיתוֹ וְשָׁמַע הַתְּקִיעוֹת מִשְּׁלִיחַ צִבּוּר יָצָא אִם נִתְכַּוֵּן לָצֵאת. שֶׁהֲרֵי שְׁלִיחַ צִבּוּר מִתְכַּוֵּן לְהוֹצִיא אֶת הָרַבִּים יְדֵי חוֹבָתָן:
Mishneh Torah (Moznaim)
Featuring a modern English translation and a commentary that presents a digest of the centuries of Torah scholarship which have been devoted to the study of the Mishneh Torah by Maimonides.
If the festival of Rosh Hashanah falls on the Sabbath, the shofar is not sounded in every place. [This law was enacted] even though blowing [the shofar] was forbidden only as sh'vut.
It would be appropriate for [the shofar] to be sounded, for a positive commandment of the Torah should supersede sh'vut instituted by the Sages. If so, why is the shofar not sounded?
Because of a decree [of the Sages] lest a person take it in his hands and carry it to a colleague so that the latter can blow for him, and [in the process,] carry it four cubits in the public domain or transfer it from one domain to another, and thus violate a prohibition punishable by being stoned to death. [This is necessary because] all are obligated in the mitzvah of blowing the shofar, but not all are skilled in it.
ויוֹם טוֹב שֶׁל רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה שֶׁחָל לִהְיוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת אֵין תּוֹקְעִין בַּשּׁוֹפָר בְּכָל מָקוֹם. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהַתְּקִיעָה מִשּׁוּם שְׁבוּת וּמִן הַדִּין הָיָה שֶׁתּוֹקְעִין יָבוֹא עֲשֵׂה שֶׁל תּוֹרָה וְיִדְחֶה שְׁבוּת שֶׁל דִּבְרֵיהֶם. וְלָמָּה אֵין תּוֹקְעִין גְּזֵרָה שֶׁמָּא יִטְּלֶנּוּ בְּיָדוֹ וְיוֹלִיכֶנּוּ לְמִי שֶׁיִּתְקַע לוֹ וְיַעֲבִירֶנּוּ אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים. אוֹ יוֹצִיאוֹ מֵרְשׁוּת לִרְשׁוּת וְיָבוֹא לִידֵי אִסּוּר סְקִילָה. שֶׁהַכּל חַיָּבִים בִּתְקִיעָה וְאֵין הַכּל בְּקִיאִין לִתְקֹעַ:
Children who have not reached an age at which they can be educated: We need not prevent them from blowing [the shofar] on a Sabbath which is not the festival of Rosh Hashanah, so that they will learn [to blow].
An adult is permitted to be involved in the instruction [of children in the blowing of shofar] on the festival. [This applies] concerning both children who have reached an age at which they can be educated and those who have not reached that age, for blowing [the shofar] is prohibited only as sh'vut.
זהַתִּינוֹקוֹת שֶׁלֹּא הִגִּיעוּ לְחִנּוּךְ אֵין מְעַכְּבִין אוֹתָן מִלִּתְקֹעַ בְּשַׁבָּת שֶׁאֵינָהּ יוֹם טוֹב שֶׁל רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּלְמְדוּ. וּמֻתָּר לְגָדוֹל שֶׁיִּתְעַסֵּק עִמָּהֶן כְּדֵי לְלַמְּדָן בְּיוֹם טוֹב. בֵּין קָטָן שֶׁהִגִּיעַ לְחִנּוּךְ בֵּין קָטָן שֶׁלֹּא הִגִּיעַ לְחִנּוּךְ. שֶׁהַתְּקִיעָה אֵינָהּ אֲסוּרָה אֶלָּא מִשּׁוּם שְׁבוּת:
When [the Sages] decreed not to sound [the shofar] on the Sabbath, they applied that decree only to places which lacked a court. However, while the Temple was standing and the Supreme Court was seated in Jerusalem, everyone would sound the shofar in Jerusalem throughout the entire period the court held its sessions there.
[This did not apply] to the people of Jerusalem alone. Rather, every city that was within the outer limits of Jerusalem and [whose inhabitants] could:
see Jerusalem - i.e., excluding those within a wadi;
hear the shofar blown in Jerusalem - i.e., excluding those on the mountaintops; and
travel to Jerusalem - i.e., excluding those separated by a wadi from the city
the people of these cities would blow the shofar on the Sabbath as in Jerusalem. However, in the other cities of Israel, they would not sound [the shofar on the Sabbath].
חכְּשֶׁגָּזְרוּ שֶׁלֹּא לִתְקֹעַ בְּשַׁבָּת לֹא גָּזְרוּ אֶלָּא בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ בֵּית דִּין. אֲבָל בִּזְמַן שֶׁהָיָה הַמִּקְדָּשׁ קַיָּם וְהָיָה בֵּית דִּין הַגָּדוֹל בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם הָיוּ הַכּל תּוֹקְעִין בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם בְּשַׁבָּת כָּל זְמַן שֶׁבֵּית דִּין יוֹשְׁבִין. וְלֹא אַנְשֵׁי יְרוּשָׁלַיִם בִּלְבַד אֶלָּא כָּל עִיר שֶׁהָיְתָה בְּתוֹךְ תְּחוּם יְרוּשָׁלַיִם וְהָיְתָה רוֹאָה יְרוּשָׁלַיִם לֹא שֶׁתִּהְיֶה בְּתוֹךְ הַנַּחַל. וְהָיְתָה שׁוֹמַעַת קוֹל תְּקִיעַת יְרוּשָׁלַיִם לֹא שֶׁתִּהְיֶה בְּרֹאשׁ הָהָר. וְהָיְתָה יְכוֹלָה לָבוֹא בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם לֹא שֶׁיִּהְיֶה נָהָר מַפְסִיק בֵּינֵיהֶם. אַנְשֵׁי אוֹתָהּ הָעִיר הָיוּ תּוֹקְעִים בְּשַׁבָּת כִּירוּשָׁלַיִם. אֲבָל בִּשְׁאָר עָרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא הָיוּ תּוֹקְעִין:
At present, while the Temple is destroyed, wherever a court whose judges received semichah in Eretz Yisrael permanently holds sessions, the shofar is sounded on the Sabbath. Furthermore, the shofar is sounded on the Sabbath only in a court that has sanctified the new moon. However, the shofar will not be sounded in other courts, even though their judges have received semichah. Also, the shofar is sounded only in the presence of a high court.
It may be sounded during the entire time they are in session. Even after they have begun preparing to rise - as long as they have not risen - the shofar may be sounded before them. However, outside the court, the shofar may not be sounded.
Why is the shofar allowed to be sounded in the court? Because the court is scrupulous [in the observance of the mitzvot] and, in its presence, those who blow the shofar will not carry the shofar in the public domain, for the court will warn the people and inform them.
טוּבַזְּמַן הַזֶּה שֶׁחָרַב הַמִּקְדָּשׁ כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ בֵּית דִּין קָבוּעַ וְהוּא שֶׁיִּהְיֶה סָמוּךְ בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל תּוֹקְעִין בּוֹ בְּשַׁבָּת. וְאֵין תּוֹקְעִין בְּשַׁבָּת אֶלָּא בְּבֵית דִּין שֶׁקִּדְּשׁוּ אֶת הַחֹדֶשׁ אֲבָל שְׁאָר בָּתֵּי דִּינִין אֵין תּוֹקְעִין בָּהֶן אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֵן סְמוּכִין. וְאֵין תּוֹקְעִין אֶלָּא בִּפְנֵי בֵּית דִּין גָּדוֹל בִּלְבַד כָּל זְמַן שֶׁהֵן יוֹשְׁבִין וַאֲפִלּוּ נִנְעֲרוּ לַעֲמֹד וְלֹא עָמְדוּ תּוֹקְעִין בִּפְנֵיהֶם. אֲבָל חוּץ לְבֵית דִּין אֵין תּוֹקְעִין. וְלָמָּה תּוֹקְעִין בִּפְנֵי בֵּית דִּין מִפְּנֵי שֶׁבֵּית דִּין זְרִיזִין הֵן וְלֹא יָבוֹאוּ הַתּוֹקְעִין לְהַעֲבִיר הַשּׁוֹפָר בִּפְנֵיהֶם בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים שֶׁבֵּית דִּין מַזְהִירִין אֶת הָעָם וּמוֹדִיעִין אוֹתָן:
In the present age, when we celebrate Rosh Hashanah in the exile for two days, the shofar is sounded on the second day just as it is sounded on the first.
If the first day falls on the Sabbath, those who were not in the presence of a court fit to blow the shofar on the Sabbath may blow the shofar on the second day alone.
יבַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה שֶׁאָנוּ עוֹשִׂין שְׁנֵי יָמִים בַּגָּלוּת כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁתּוֹקְעִין בְּרִאשׁוֹן תּוֹקְעִין בְּשֵׁנִי. וְאִם חָל יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן לִהְיוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת וְלֹא הָיָה בַּמָּקוֹם בֵּית דִּין הָרְאוּיִין לִתְקֹעַ תּוֹקְעִין בְּשֵׁנִי בִּלְבַד: