It is a positive mitzvah of the Torah to blow shofar on Rosh Hashanah using a shofar, as it says (Numbers 29:1), "it shall be a day of teru'ah for you." And each teruah should have a tekiah before it and a tekiah after it And the reason for this is explained in Section 609. And behold we blow twice: once after Torah reading, and the second during Mussaf along with the blessings. And this is not a violation of "bal tosif" for that prohibition is only when one adds to the essential mitzvah for example if someone blows with two shofarot at the same time - similar to how someone would violate that prohibition by adding a fifth species to the lulav. But someone who takes a lulav and puts it down, even one hundred times, does not in this way violate the prohibition of "bal tosif." Similarly with a shofar: if one blows and then blows again - this is not bal tosif (see Tosafot, Rosh Hashannah 16b "Ve'Toki'im).

However, why did the sages need to do this? Behold, there is certainly no question about having shofar blasts during Musaf for the essence of the mitzvah is to blow shofar along with the Musaf blessings. So the real question is why was it necessary to blow shofar earlier. And the Talmud says about this (ibid.): "in order to confuse Satan." And Rashi explains (s.v. k'dai l'arbev), that this is what that implies: Since Satan sees how beloved the mitzvot are by Israel, that they do mitzvot, go back and do them a second time, he is silenced from making accusations. And Tosafot, in the name of the Arukh, explain, based on the Yerushalmi, that Satan is frightened lest this be the Shofar of the future as it says, "and it shall be on that day when they blast the great shofar." and so is too preoccupied to lodge accusations against Israel. See there. And this matter requires further explanation...

It seems to me that this is the explanation: In truth, why were the special Rosh Hashanah blessings of Malkhiot, Zikhronot, and Shofarot established as part of Mussaf? Why were they not included as part of Shacharit? And, in truth, the Talmud (Rosh Hashanah 32b) asks this question: "What about the principle that we should display alacrity in mitzvah performance? We should say these blessings in Shacharit!" And the Talmud answers, "this was taught in a time of persecution." And the Palestinian Talmud there (4:8) explains in greater detail, that in truth this happened, for the non-Jewish nations decreed against us and barred us from blowing shofar, because the nations surmised that we were blowing shofar for some nefarious purpose, and then the associated blessings were pushed from Shacharit to Mussaf. And even once the decrees were canceled, they did not want to return to the earlier practice. And it is explained there that when the nations saw that we recite Shema and then recite Shacharit and then read Torah and only then blow shofar they realize that the shofar blowing is just part of our ritual observance of the day and they are not concerned. (See Tosafot in contrast to Rashi there). And for this reason we blow shofar before Mussaf since we used to blow Shoafar during Shacharit along with the Malkhiot, Zikhronot, and Shofarot blessings that were also part of Shacharit at that time and they used to only blow then until it was pushed to Mussaf by persecution. And so, in order not to overly distance themselves form the original way of doing things, and to make the shofar blowing closer to Shacharit to honor the principle of acting with alacrity for mitzvah performance - for even though there was a decree against them, nonetheless they act with courge to do the mitzvah with even more earnestness and boldness. For earlier, before the decree, they only blew shofar once, and after the decree they blew shofar twice. And Satan is also confused in case the merit of these shofar blasts bring about the great shofar and he is not able to make accusations. And his accusations will be for naught since the Holy Blessed One sees just how much mitzvot are beloved by the=Jews.

And the custom is to blow shofar from the bimah, the place where the Torah is read, since we established shofar blowing for right after Torah reading on Rosh Hashanah morning. And the one who blows needs to recite the blessings and to blow shofar while standing and should not lean on anything. But, if he does blow while seated, he nonetheless fulfills the obligation for standing is not an indispensable detail of the mitzvah. And the congregation can sit even lechatchilah (from the outset). And the custom is to recite Psalm 47, which includes the phrase "all your peoples, clap your hands," seven times before shofar blowing. And sometimes the ignorant people, when they don't finish reciting it seven times continue to recite it during the shofar blasts. And they need to be informed that it is forbidden to do this as they are obligated to listen to the shofar blasts and should not say anything at all during the shofar blowing. For Psalm 47 is not an actual mitzvah. And some omit it altogether for this reason.

The one who blows shofar makes the blessing "Blessed....who sanctified us with His Commandments and commanded us to hear the sound of the shofar" for the mitzvah is in the hearing. And if one blows and does not hear, then he has not fulfilled his obligation whatsoever. And then he recites a "SheHechiyanu" blessing and the congregation responds "amen" to the two blessings. And one should be careful not to say "Baruch Hu U'Varuch Shemo" for that would be an interruption in the blessing. And even if the shofar blower has already fulfilled his obligation, he should make these blessings on behalf of those who hear him. But it would be better if the listeners make teh blessings and not the blower since he has already fulfilled his obligation - especially the "she'hechiyanu" blessing. But this is not the common practice. And nonetheless if one blows shofar for an individual, for example someone who is sick, it is best if the listener makes the blessings (cf Magen Avraham 3). And in particular if the blower is blowing on behalf of a woman or several women, who are personally exempt from the mitzvah of shofar, since it is a "positive time-bound mitzvah" but they have obligated themselves, it is certainly appropriate that they make the blessings for themselves rather than have the shofar blower make the blessings unless he too has not yet fulfilled his obligation.

And then he should blow: Tekiah, Shevarim-Teruah, Tekiah three times. Then Tekiah, Shevarim, Tekiah three times. And then Tekiah, Teru'ah, Tekiah three times. And the reason will be explained in Section 590. See there for more. And the congregation should not interrupt by saying the "Yehi Ratzon" prayer in between the Tekiah, Shevarim-Teruah, Tekiah set and the Tekiah, Shevarim, Tekiah set and between the Tekiah, Shevarim, Tekiah set and the Tekiah, Teruah, Tekiah set. And this is not how it is printed in machzorim. And it is good to blow shofar to the right side and not to the left since the right signifies mercy and the left signifies judgement. And some say that a left-handed shofar blower should blow to the left which is his "right" just like he wears tefilin on the opposite arm as right-handed people. And this is a questionable thing since he does this mitzvah on behalf of many people he should follow the "right hand" of the majority. However the Levush writes that according to Kabbalah it is better to blow towards the left and one can see there. And he should hold the shofar to his mouth angled a bit upward for the sake of the veres "God rises with a teruah." And all these matters are not indispensable and no matter how the shofar is blown one fulfills the obligation. And anyone in doubt about whether or not he heard the shofar blasts should blow again without a blessing since blessings are never indispensable to mitzvah performance. And on the second day of Rosh Hashanah he does not have to blow again since it is a doubt concerning a rabbinic mitzvah and this is not a very common thing to doubt.

If the blower begins to blow but is not able to complete, someone else should complete on the support of the first berakhah, even if several shofar-blowers need to be swapped in. And this is true specifically when the replacement shofar blowers were present when the blessing was recited. And if not, they need to recite a blessing. Not only this, but even if the one making the blessing s not able to blow at all, his blessing is still not a wasted or null blessing and someone else can blow based on the blessing of the first blower.

And regarding the shofar blasts that accompany the blessings of Mussaf, the prayer-leader should not blow them but someone else should so that the prayer-leader will not become confused in his prayers. However, if he s certain that he will not be confused, and will be able to return to leading prayers, he is entitled to blow. And it is correct that the one who blows before Mussaf should be the one who blows during Mussaf, since when someone starts a mitzvah we tell them to complete it, unless it becomes too difficult for hm to blow in which case it not indispensable that he continue and blow during Mussaf. And the custom is to call to the shofar blower word for word so that he not err, and this is correct. And we select as the one who calls for the shofar blower someone who is great n Torah knowledge for according to Kabbalah this is a major matter. And one who receives money to blow shofar on Rosh Hashanah, or to lead prayers, or to recite the translation of the Torah reading in communities where that is still done - will not see any blessing from that money, but there is no prohibition in this. And the essential intent of the one who blows the shofar and those who listen is to fulfill a positive mitzvah that the Holy Blessed One commanded to blow a shofar on Rosh Hashanah. And if he knows additional matters on this based on the Zohar, happy is his portion, but the essential intention is as I have written and no particular intention is akin to doing the mitzvah lishmah. [And see the Magen Avraham for a magical charm for when one cannot blow shofar: turn it upside down and call into it "VaYehi Noam" and see there, but do not do this for the tekiot that are before Mussaf for that would constitute an inappropriate interruption. And see Sha'arei Teshuvah.]