A Baal Tokea Who Thought One of the Listeners Was a Gentile
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Question
A Baal Tokea on Rosh Hashanah, who during the shofar blowing saw a cleaner in the synagogue and thought he was a gentile, thought to himself before the shofar blasts that we are not like the nations of the world who deceive our Creator with the blast, and he did not intend to include him. In the end, it turned out that the cleaner was a traditional Jew and intended to fulfill the mitzvah of the shofar blasts. Did the cleaner fulfill his obligation, and did the congregation fulfill theirs?
Answer
Shalom Rav,
In such a case where he explicitly intended not to include that person, the listener did not fulfill his obligation.
The rest of the congregation fulfilled their obligation, and what is said that a chazan who intends not to include someone, the entire congregation did not fulfill their obligation, is only when he does so out of hatred for that person. Not like here, where he thought he was a gentile.
Source
Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim, Siman 589, Se'if 8
Mishnah Berurah, Siman 53, Se'if Katan 57.