Shofar: Obligation Of The Individual And The Tzibbur

This piece is based upon part of a kuntras of Rav Baruch Mordechai Ezrachi.
The Rambam Shofar (3:1) says כַּמָּה תְּקִיעוֹת חַיָּב אָדָם לִשְׁמֹעַ בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה. תֵּשַׁע תְּקִיעוֹת.  Later on in the same Ch. (3:7,) he says הַצִּבּוּר חַיָּבִין לִשְׁמֹעַ הַתְּקִיעוֹת עַל סֵדֶר הַבְּרָכוֹת.  It is clear from the language of the Rambam that there is an obligation on the congregation to hear the shofar.  What does this mean, there is an obligation on every individual?  We see that there is an additional obligation for the tzibbur to hear the shofar besides the obligation on every individual.  What is the nature of this obligation?  We must first examine where we see this difference.

The Mishna (33b) says כשם ששליח צבור חייב כך כל יחיד ויחיד חייב.  This Mishna tells us the obligation on the individual. In the previous line, the Mishna says מי שבירך ואחר כך נתמנה לו שופר תוקע ומריע ותוקע שלש פעמים, if one already said the berachos of Shemonei Esrei and only afterward obtained a shofar, then you blow the shofar three sets of shofar blows.  The Gemorah (34b) points out that we see לכתחילה one must blow in the berachos.  The Gemorah says that that only applies when praying with a tzibbur. From here we see the additional obligation upon the tzibbur to blow shofar in the berachos.  However, Rashi on the Mishna explains the reason for the three sets of blowings is בשביל מלכיות זכרונות ושופרות.  What is the difference between the obligation of the tzibbur to blow in the berachos and the individual who blows בשביל the berachos?  Why does the individual blow בשביל the berachos but the tzibbur blows in the actual berachos?

The answer is that the contingency of the shofar and the berachos is a two way street, they each compliment each other.  Part of the obligation of the shofar is the berachos, they are part of the obligation of the shofar.  The proof to this is the Mishna on 26b שוה היובל לר"ה לתקיעה ולברכות, why would there be an obligation of the berachos in יובל?  The answer is that it is part of the obligation of shofar.  That is why even the individual must blow בשביל the berachos, for the berachos are part of the obligation of shofar.  Additionally, the shofar enhances the berachos for the shofar is also a form of prayer, see here.  That is why the tzibbur has an additional obligation to blow in the middle of the berachos in order to enhance the prayers.

Now, we can understand further the nature of this additional obligation for the tzibbur to hear the shofar and the difference between the obligation of the individual and the tzibbur.  Just as regarding the prayer service there is a special merit to praying in a quorum, so too the obligation of shofar as prayer is said as part of prayer in a quorom.  The main תקנה is to blow in the chazaras hashatz part of the prayers of the tzibbur.  Hence, an individual suffices connecting the shofar with the berachos by blowing three sets but the tzibbur as part of the communal prayers is obligated to blow in the berachos themselves.