Rosh Hashana - Chinuch

QUESTION: If my neighbor’s young child is blowing shofar on Shabbos Rosh Hashanah, should I tell him to stop? 

ANSWER: This is the subject of a disagreement between various Rishonim.

The Tur (OC 588) writes that one may instruct a child who has not yet reached the age of chinuch (not yet educated in the laws of Shabbos) to blow shofar on Shabbos of Rosh Hashanah. However, once a child reaches the age of chinuch, one may not ask him to blow shofar, but if he chooses to do so, one need not ask him to stop.

However, the Rambam (Hilchos Shofar 2:7) writes that one may only instruct a young child to blow shofar on Shabbos if it is not the Shabbos of Rosh Hashanah. The Magid Mishnah explains that on Shabbos Rosh Hashanah we stop all children from blowing so that one does not mistakenly think that we are required to blow shofar even on Shabbos.

The Magen Avrohom (introduction to OC 343) writes that the halacha follows the ruling of the Rambam. Moreover, the halacha is more stringent with respect to a child blowing shofar on Shabbos, than with other transgressions performed by a child. In general, a father is required to be mechanech (educate) his child to prevent him from doing an aveira (prohibition), but he is not obligated to stop a neighbor’s child. However, with respect to a child blowing shofar on Shabbos of Rosh Hashanah, one must stop a neighbor’s child as well. This is because a shofar is loud and will be heard by others, and they might mistakenly assume that the shofar is blown on Shabbos.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.