Shofar: Some Practical Hints : Shofar and Halacha

Rabbinically, there are certain laws in Sounding the Shofar. Generally found in the Shulchan Aruch 586 or Mishnah Berurah 586, there are many situations that my comments on Jewish law may help you.

Art Finkle

The Halacha of Shofar

1. Before the Shulchan Aruch talks about the Shofar it defines the Shofar.

· How do the Sages define it?

· To what extent is the fact that the Shofar was used in the Temple ceremony, is the Shofar considered holy?

2. What if the Shofar is split?

· How you define a split?

· What does the sound have to do with fixing a Shofar?

· Can you sound a Shofar if there is no other one available?

· Can you fix the split? If so, how.

3. Can you steal a Shofar? 586:2 (9) MB (listening to the sound)

· Yes, you can steal the object, but the importance is the sound that emanates from the Shofar.

4. What do the Sages indicate as the musical notes of the Shofar?

· Why is the true sound of the teruah?

· Why did the Sages include the tekiya and the shevarim as valid Shofar notes?

· How long can the notes be?

· How long can the tekiah g’dolah be?

Note: The RAMA (Rabbi Moses Isserles, Ashkenazi gleaner of Shulchan Aruch, 1597), Polish rabbi is in brackets [ ]

Chapter 585: The blessing on the Shofer:

1. One must blow the shofer standing. [The custom is to blow it by the בימה where they read the Torah].

2. Before you blow the shofer, you should make the blessing of לשׁמועה קול שׁופר and שׁהחיינו. [There is no difference if he is saying the blessing for himself or if he was already יוציא (covered) and is covering others, he still recites these two blessings. He should blow: Tekiah-ShevarimTeruah-Tekiah three times. Tekiah-Shevarim-Tekiah three times and Tekiah-Teruah-Tekiah three times. It is better to blow the shofer on the right side if you are able to blow it this way. Similarly, the shofer should be oriented upwards as it says, “G-d rises up with the shofer blast”]

3. If he began blowing the shofer and was unable to complete it, someone else should complete it. Even three or four people may do it through the blessing the first one made: provided that the latter were present at the time of the blessing. Even if one made a blessing and was unable to blow at all, another blows without reciting a new blessing and it is not considered a blessing said in vein.

4. Someone other than the Chazzan should blow the shofer in order that he shouldn’t get mixed up. However, if he is trustworthy to repeat his prayers (in the event he gets confused) then he may do both. [Only shofer blasts that are blown in the middle of prayer the Chazzan is forbidden to blow. But the shofer blasts that are blown separately like before we begin the Mussuf prayer are permitted. If the Chazzan did not blow the shofer on these separate occasions, then the shofer blower who did so should also blow the shofer in the middle of prayer since it is better for the one who began the mitzvah to finish it^{^[1]}^[1]. It is our custom to announce the names of each shofer blast before the shofer blower blows them. This is a good idea.]

5. One who accepts money for blowing the shofer on Rosh Hashanah, one who accepts money to lead the congregation in prayer, and one who accepts money to read from the Torah on Shabbat and Yom Tov (Holidays), will not see anything good arise from that money.

Translated by Jay Dinovitser www.shulchanarach.com 6/21/06

MB 590 proper order of the sounds

3. Some authorities say that the tekiah sound should be the same length as the shevarim and the teruah sounds. One should extend the tekiah sound more on the first series than in the other two series.

4The three shevarim sounds must be done in one breath.

There are differences of opinion as to whether the shevarim-teruah sound should be with same breath.

To compensate with this difference of opinion the Shofar sounder may take only one breath when the congregation is seated; but two breaths when the congregation is standing.

588 Time for the Blowing of the Shofar

1. Time for blowing is the day and not the night. The mitzvah is best performed from the time of sunrise onwards. If one blew at the crack of dawn, he will have fulfilled. If partly before the crack of dawn and partially after, no fulfill.

1. If one listened to nine blasts, even by nine different Shofar blower fulfills. If one hears with interruption, not valid because there has to be a tekiah before and one after. If two Shofars play at the same time, the person does not fulfill the mitzvah (obligation). If a Shofar and a trumpet play at the same time mitzvah (obligation) is fulfilled because listening for a Shofar sound.

Kitzur SA 128:2

Ganzfried-Golden, Hebrew Publishing Co, 1961

Custom to blow on 2^nd day of Elul to day Mesewchta Rosh Hashanah makes the distinction between voluntary and mandatory shofar sounding during Elul.

The sounds are:

tekiah-shevarim-teruah - once

To prepre for the penitential season (tshuvah)

Seven week after the 17^th of Tammuz (commemorating the first breech of the Temple walls, there are seven weeks of Haftoreh Admonition. After 9^th day of Av Tisha B’Av – destruction of the Temple), there are three weeks of consolation Haftorehs..

Preparations One Whole Month Before Rosh Hashanah

The Rabbi’s introduced takkanot (communitylaws) to amend the pentateuchal laws as well as Jewish Law. See Solomon Zeitlin, The Halaka: Introduction to Tannaitic Jurisprudence,

The Jewish Quarterly Review, New Series, Vol. 39, No. 1 (Jul., 1948), pp. 1-40. Published by: University of Pennsylvania Press

The updated Code of Jewish Law (Mishnah Berurah) is a 20^th century commentary on Orach Chayim, the first section of the Code of Jewish Law (Shulchan Aruch). At §581(3), there is a gloss that most Sephardic communities customarily begin to sound the shofar on the first day of the new month of Elul, at the end of the Morning Prayer service. In other communities, its practice begins on the second day of the new month of Elul to continue until the day before Rosh Hashanah.

See also D. Hach. Derech Ha-Chaim - Glosses to the siddur containing laws pertaining to daily conduct, prayers blessings, thew Sabath and Holidays, etc; by Ya’akov Lorbeerbaum (1760-1832) Berlin, 1840.

(1) From Rosh Chodesh onwards, etc. There are /communities/ where /the blowing of the shofar/ is begun from the first day of Rosh Chodesh. There are other communities where it is begun from the second day of Rosh Chodosh. D. Hach. Writes that one should do: “The shofar should be sounded every morning after the prayer service [except on the Sabbath].

(2) D. Hach. Derech Ha-Chaim - Glosses to the siddur containing laws pertaining to daiy conduct, prayers blessings, Shabbos and Holidays, etc; by Ya’akov Lorbeerbaum (1760-1832) Berlin, 1840

The Code of Jewish Law (Shulchan Aruch, 1565) §128:2 denotes that three shofar notes are sounded: tekiah; shevarim; and teruah.

Such preparation is not only for the preparation of the shofar sounding but also the corpus of the holiday, to begin the process of concentrated, sincere repentance. In addition to the shofar as a reminder, certain prayers of supplication and repentance are added to the service.

There are also localities where they also blow the shofar at the ma’ariv (evening) prayer

The Halaka: Introduction to Tannaitic Jurisprudence

Solomon Zeitlin

The Jewish Quarterly Review, New Series, Vol. 39, No. 1 (Jul., 1948), pp. 1-40

Published by: University of Pennsylvania Press

cubits beyond. The sages introduced takkanot to amend the pentateuchal laws as well as the halaka. From the Talmud we learn that if Rosh Hashana fell on the sabbath the sounding of the shofar was suspended. In the Temple however the blow-ing of the shofar took precedence over the sabbath, a custom which was in vogue during the Second Commonwealth. After the destruction of the Temple, Rabban Johanan b. Zakkai introduced a takkana that in the city of Jabne, where the Bet Din was sitting, the blowing of the shofar should take precedence over the sabbath.80 By this takkana Rabban Johanan b. Zakkai sought to demonstrate that the Bet Din took the place of the Temple. The sages not only amended ritual laws but also laws in relation to the family and civil laws.

Shofar J Ency

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=653&letter=S

SELECTED HALACHOS RELATING TO ROSH HASHANA

By Rabbi Doniel Neustadt

A discussion of Halachic topics related to the Parsha of the

week. For final rulings, consult your Rav.

A BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE TEKIOS

One of the most important mitzvos of Rosh Hashanah(1) is the Biblical

command to blow the shofar. Although the significance of this mitzvah has

been expounded at length - Rav Saadiah Gaon enumerates ten different reasons

for blowing shofar(2) - still many people are unfamiliar with the basic

procedures involved: how many blasts are sounded, how long or short must

they be, etc. While the tokea and the makri (the individual who instructs

the tokea which blast to sound) must be thoroughly versed in these intricate

laws(3) - since it is they who determine if a particular blast was invalid

and must be repeated - still it is important for the entire congregation to

have some degree of familiarity with the general laws governing this

mitzvah.

THE BASIC MITZVAH

The Biblical command is to blow three sets of blasts on Rosh Hashanah. A

set of blasts means one teruah sound preceded and followed by a tekiah

sound. Thus, the sum total of blasts which one is required to hear on Rosh

Hashanah is nine - six tekiah sounds and three teruah sounds.

The tekiah sound was always well defined and agreed upon by all

authorities - a long, straight (without a break or pause) blast. The teruah

sound, however, was not well defined and the Rabbis were unsure of how,

exactly, it was supposed to sound(4). The Talmud(5) describes three

possibilities:

Three short, straight blasts - what we commonly refer to as shevarim;

Nine(6) very short, staccato blasts - what we commonly refer to as teruah;

A combination of both of the above sounds - a shevarim- teruah compound.

To satisfy all of the above opinions, the Rabbis established that the three

sets of tekios be blown in three different ways, alternating the teruah

sound in each set. Thus we blow tekiah shevarim-teruah tekiah (TaSHRaT)

three times; tekiah shevarim tekiah (TaRaT) three times; tekiah teruah

tekiah (TaSHaT) three times. All together that adds up to thirty different

blasts - eighteen tekios, three shevarim-teruahs, three shevarim and three

teruahs. This is the minimum number of blasts that every adult male(7) is

required to hear on Rosh Hashanah. These are called tekios d'myushav, since

the congregation is permitted to sit while they are being blown. In

practice, however, it is universally accepted to stand during these

tekios(8).

[A person who is in dire circumstances (a patient in the hospital, for

example) and is unable to hear (or blow) thirty blasts, should try to hear

(or blow) 10 sounds, one TaSHRaT, one TaRaT and one TaSHaT(9). No blessing,

however, is recited over these blasts.]

In addition to these Biblically required blasts, we blow sixty more. Thirty

more are blown during Musaf, ten each after the malchiyos, zichronos and

shofaros divisions of Shemoneh Esrei. Every adult male is Rabbinically

obligated to blow or hear these blasts in their designated places in the

Musaf service. They are called tekios d'meumad, since one is required to

stand while they are being blown(10).

In addition, it is customary to blow forty more blasts for a sum total of

one hundred blasts. While this custom is based on several early sources(11)

and has been almost universally adopted, there are various practices

regarding when, exactly, they are blown. Generally, these blasts are blown

towards the end of and after the Musaf service, and one must refrain from

speaking(12) until after all one hundred sounds have been blown.

HOW LONG SHOULD EACH BLAST BE?

The length of a tekiah, both before and after the teruah, must be at least

as long as the teruah which it accompanies(13). Thus, since it takes about

2-3 seconds to blow a shevarim or a teruah, the tekiah before and after must

be at least 2-3 seconds long. Since it takes longer than that to blow the

combination shevarim-teruah sound, the tekiah which precedes and follows

these sounds must be longer as well. Most congregations allot about 4-5

seconds for each of these tekios. The makri is responsible to keep time.

[It is important to remember that each tekiah must be heard in its entirety

no matter how long it takes. If, for example, a tekiah is blown for 7

seconds, which is much longer than required, the entire 7 seconds' worth

must be heard by the congregation. Care must be taken not to begin reciting

the yehi ratzon until after the blast is concluded(14).]

A teruah is at least nine short blasts (beeps), although in practice, many

more beeps are sounded when the teruah is blown. No breath may taken between

the short beeps; they must be blown consecutively.

Each shever should be about three teruah-beeps long. B'dieved the shever is

valid even if it is only two beeps long, provided that all three shevarim

are of that length(15). No breath may be taken between each shever; they

must be blown consecutively(16).

SHEVARIM TERUAH - HOW IS IT BLOWN?

There are two basic views of how to blow the shevarim-terurah combination.

Some opinions hold that no breath may be taken between them and even

b'dieved, a breath between them invalidates the blast. Others hold that a

breath may be taken as long as it takes no longer than the split second that

it takes to draw a breath. The custom in most congregations is to do it both

ways; the tekios before Musaf are blown with no breath being taken between

the shevarim-teruah, while the tekios during and after Musaf are blown with

a break for drawing a breath between the shevarim-teruah(17).

MISTAKES WHILE BLOWING

There are basically two types of mistakes that the tokea can make while

blowing shofar. The most common is that the tokea tries but fails to produce

the proper sound. The general rule is that the tokea ignores the failed try,

takes a breath, and tries again(18).

The other type of mistake is that the tokea blows the blast properly, but

loses track and blows the wrong blast, e.g., instead of shevarim he thinks

that a tekiah is in order, or instead of teruah he thinks that a shevarim is

due and he blows the shevarim. In that case, it is not sufficient to merely

ignore the wrong blast; rather the tokea must repeat the tekiah which

precedes the shevarim(19).

When a tekiah needs to be repeated, it is proper that the makri notify the

congregation of that (by banging on the bimah, etc.), so that the listeners

do not lose track of which blasts are being blown.

ADDITIONAL HIDDURIM

As there are different views and/or stringencies pertaining to various

aspects of tekias shofar, one who wishes to be extremely particular in this

mitzvah may blow (or hear) additional blasts after the davening is over in

order to satisfy all opinions. These include the following hiddurim:

There are several ways of blowing the shevarim sound; while some blow short,

straight blasts, others make a slight undulation (tu-u-tu).

Some opinions maintain that l'chatchillah, each shever should be no longer

than the length of two beeps(20).

Some opinions hold that when the shevarim-teruha sound is blown, there may

not be any break at all between them (even if no breath is taken); the

shever must lead directly into the teruah(21).

Some authorities insist that the tekiah sound be straight and clear from

beginning to the end, with no fluctuation of pitch throughout the entire

blast(22).

FOOTNOTES:

1 This year, the shofar is blown only on the second day of Rosh Hashanah as

the first day is Shabbos.

2 The most fundamental reason to perform this mitzvah, however, is simply

that Hashem commanded us to do so.

3 Mateh Efrayim 585:2.

4 While the basic definition of a teruah is a "crying" sound, it was unclear

if that resembled short "wailing" sounds or longer "groaning" sounds.

5 Rosh Hashanah 33b.

6 There are Rishonim who hold that a teruah is three short beeps. B'dieved,

we may rely on that view to fulfill our obligation (Mishnah Berurah 590:12).

7 The obligation of women regarding tekias shofar was discussed in The

Weekly Halachah Discussion, pg. 532-534.

8 Mishnah Berurah 585:2. A weak or elderly person may lean on a shtender or

a table during these sets of tekios (Sha'ar ha-Tziyun 585:2).

9 Based on Mishnah Berurah 586:22 and 620:7. See also Mateh Efrayim 586:7

and Ktzeh ha-Mateh 590:1. See, however, Mateh Efrayim 593:3 who seems to

rule in this case that three TaSHRaTs should be blown.

10 Mishnah Berurah 592:2. B'dieved, one fulfills his obligation if he sat

during these tekios; ibid.

11 See Mishnah Berurah 592:4.

12 Asher Yatzar, though, may be recited; Minchas Yitzchak 3:44; 4:47.

13 This is based on the minimum length of time required for the teruah, not

on the actual time it took to blow a particular teruah.

14 Mishnah Berurah 587:16; haTekios k'Halachah u'Behidur 1 quoting several

sources.

15 Shulchan Aruch Harav 590:7.

16 O.C. 590:4.

17 Mishnah Berurah 590:20 and Sha'ar ha-Tziyun 18. The makri, too, should

take a breath between the announcement of shevarim-teruah, so that the tokea

will follow his lead (Elef ha-Magen 22).

18 Based on Mishnah Berurah 290:34, Aruch ha-Shulchan 290:20 and Da'as Torah

590:8.

19 Another example is when the tokea mistakenly blows [or begins to blow]

two sets of shevarim or teruos in a row. The original tekiah must be

repeated.

20 See O.C. 590:3.

21 Avnei Nezer 443; Chazon Ish O.C. 136:1. This is difficult to perform

properly.

22 Harav Y.L. Diskin, based on the view of the Ramban and Ritva, see Moadim

u'Zmanim 1:5. Chazon Ish, however, was not particular about this; Orchos

Rabbeinu 2:183.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Project Genesis, Inc. The author, Rabbi Neustadt, is the principal of Yavne

Teachers' College in Cleveland, Ohio. He is also the Magid Shiur of a daily

Mishna Berurah class at Congregation Shomre Shabbos.

The Weekly-Halacha Series is distributed L'zchus Doniel Meir ben Hinda.

Weekly sponsorships are available - please mail to jgross@torah.org .

The series is distributed by the Harbotzas Torah Division of Congregation

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HaRav Yisroel Grumer, Marah D'Asra.

This list is part of Project Genesis:

SHULCHAN ARUCH

Part I: Orach Chayim

Chapter 5 - SHEMA

SHEMA (Deut.6:4-9; Deut.11:13-23; Num.15:37-41) must be recited

with great concentration and intent (61:1), particularly the first verse;

see 60:5;63:4,6. (In general, fulfillment of a Commandment requires

intent; see 60:4.) It is customary to recite the first verse out loud and

to cover the eyes while doing so (61:4-5,16;62:5), and to silently say

"Blessed be the Name..." after the first verse (61:13). On the

appropriate intentions at specific parts of SHEMA see

61:2-3,6-8,14-15. The TEFILLIN and TZITZIS should be touched

when the verses in which they are mentioned are recited (61:25).

SHEMA should be recited audibly if possible (see 61:26;62:3-4), and

should be pronounced very carefully (62:1), even when reciting it in a

language other than Hebrew (62:2). On specific details about the

pronunciation see 61:16-21,23-24. [Similar care with pronunciation

should be taken in reciting other prayers and in reading from Biblical

books (61:22).]

The blessings "...Creator of light and darkness..." and "Eternal love..."

(or "Great love...") are recited before SHEMA (59:1;60:1). The first

blessing is recited even by individuals even though it contains the

verses of KEDUSHAH (59:3), and it may be recited even by a blind

man (69:2). On reciting these blessings with the leader or hearing

them from him and answering "Amen" to them see 59:4;61:3. On

omission of these blessings or errors in them see 58:4;59:2,5;60:2-3.

It is customary for an individual to say "G-d, faithful king" before

SHEMA; and in a congregation, the leader repeats "HA-SHEM your

G-d is true" at the end (61:3). After SHEMA, the blessing "True..." is

recited; on its importance see 66:10.

The verses of each passage of SHEMA must be recited in order

(see 64:1). On what to do if part of SHEMA was (or may have been)

omitted see 64:2-4; on cases of doubt see 67:1. On what to do if the

recitation was interrupted see 65:1 and 75:1; on situations in which

interruption is permitted in the SHEMA and its blessings see 66:1-9

and 69:1; on inserting religious poems (PIYUTIM) into the blessings

see 68:1. It is forbidden to recite SHEMA twice in succession (see

61:9-12; similarly, "Amen" should not be said twice after hearing a

blessing). However, if a congregation is reciting SHEMA, an

individual should recite at least the first verse with them even if he has

already recited SHEMA; see 65:2-3.

SHEMA may be recited in the morning after it is light enough to

recognize an acquaintance (58:1), or if necessary, after dawn

(58:3-4). Ideally, it should be recited shortly before sunrise (see 58:1),

or as soon afterward as possible (58:2). It may be recited until the

end of the first quarter of the day (58:1), or if necessary the first third;

after that it may still be recited, but without the blessings (58:6). It is

customary to recite the first verse at the beginning of the morning

prayers in case the entire SHEMA is not recited until too late (46:9).

It is not necessary to stand while reciting SHEMA (see 63:2), but it

should not be recited while lying flat (63:1), and the first verse should

not be recited while walking (63:3). A sleeping person should be

awakened to recite at least the first verse (63:5), and a person who is

working should stop for at least the first passage (see 63:7-9). On

interrupting other activities to recite SHEMA if there is time to recite it

after finishing see 70:3-5. On activities that excuse a person from

reciting SHEMA, such as funeral preparations, see 71:1-6 and

72:1-5.

A woman is exempt from reciting SHEMA, but should recite at least

the first verse (70:1). A child should be taught SHEMA when he is old

enough (70:2). A person who is drunk should not recite SHEMA

(99:1).

SHEMA should not be recited in the presence of the dead or in a

cemetery (71:7); if adult nudity is in contact with any of the body, or

any nudity is visible or is in line of sight with the heart (see

73:1-4;74:1-6;75:4-6); if a woman's singing is audible, or any part of

her body or hair that is usually covered is visible (75:1-3); or in the

presence of excrement that is uncovered or in contact with the body

or clothing or can be smelled (see

76:1-8;79:1-3,9;80:1;81:2;82:1;87:3). [On the excrement of animals

and children see 79:4-7;81:1 (see also 76:3 on a pig's mouth); on

urine see 76:7-8;77:1-2;78:1;79:6;82:2;87:1-3; on semen see 76:4;

on bad-smelling liquids see 86:1. On places where such things are

commonly present see 85:1-2; in particular, on garbage dumps see

76:7 and 79:8; on toilets see 83:1-5 and 87:1-3; on bathhouses see

84:1; on cases of doubt see 76:7-8.] In such circumstances it is also

forbidden to speak or think about Torah or to mention a Divine name,

but it is permitted to speak Hebrew or to mention a Divine attribute or

to warn someone against a forbidden activity (85:2). If SHEMA was

recited under any of these conditions, it must be repeated (83:5). On

the other hand, a person who is ritually impure is allowed to recite

SHEMA, pray, and study Torah; see 88:1.

http://torah.org/advanced/shulchan-aruch/classes/orachchayim/chapter5.html

Shiur HaRav Y.D. Soloveichik ZT’L on Shofar

At the the Yarchei Kallah, delivered in Boston in 5742 (Aug. 1977), the Rav explained the Ramban on Zichron Teruah and extracted the essence of Shofar and how it reflects the Kedushas Hayom of Rosh Hashonah (Vayikra 25:24).

The Ramban interprets the term Zichron Teruah as “this is the day in which we are remembered by HKBH through Teruah”. Rashi interprets Zichron Teruah as Zichron Pesukei Zichronos U’Psukei Shofros. In other words we must recite Malchios Zichronos and Shofros on Rosh Hashonah. The Ramban suspects that Rashi is of the opinion that Malchios, Zichronos and Shofros are Doraysa obligations. That the obligation on Rosh Hashonah is not only to blow the Shofar and produce the sound, but Zichron Teruah requires us to speak about it as well through the recitation of Malchios, Zichronos and Shofros.

There is no doubt that the instituition of Malchios, Zichronos and Shofros is based on Zichron Teruah. Yet we do not find a similar obligation of Zichron, to recite verses in conjunction with other Mitzvos, such as Lulav, Matzah. This manifests a double Kiyum for Zichron Teruah:

blowing shofar per se as well as doing it in the framework of Malchios, Zichronos and Shofros.

The Ramban asks why did Rashi omit Malchios from his interpretation of Zichron Teruah? Why only mention Zichronos and Shofros? The Ramban answered this question saying that though Zichron Teruah is specific to Zichronos and Shofros, the obligation to recite Malchios is derived from a Binyan Av (Masechet Rosh Hashonah 32a). Rashi only mentions that which is specifically derived from the Zichron Teruah. But of course Rashi agrees that the same obligation exists regarding Malchios as well.

The Ramban’s opinion is that the recitation of Malchios, Zichronos and Shofros in the framework of Tekias Shofar as derived from Zichron Teruah is only an Asmachta and is Rabbinic in nature. The Ramban derives this from the statement in the Talmud (Rosh Hashonah 34b):

“Mephorash Amru Holchin Lemakom Shetokin Vayn Holchin Lemakom Shemevarchim. Peshita! Ha Deoraysa Ha Rabanan! Lo Tzericha, Daf Al Gav Dha Vaday Vha Safek”.

If one has a choice to attend one of two services, one where he may hear Tekias Shofar or where he definitely will be able to hear the Berachos of Malchios, Zichronos and Shofros, he is obligated to attend the former. We see from this that the obligation to hear the Shofar itself takes precedence over the obligation to hear Malchios, Zichronos and Shofros. Had they both been biblical obligations there would have been no reason to prefer one over the other.

The Rav quoted the Haamek Sheelah who defended Rashi saying that Rashi agreed with the Geonim Kadmonim that Malchios, Zichronos and Shofros is a biblical obligation, however only when combined with Tekias Shofar. Malchios, Zichronos and Shofros without Tekias Shofar they are Drabbanan. The Gemara says that is it preferable to go to the place where they may blow shofar, and even recite the Brachos of Malchios, Zichronos and Shofros, rather than to go to a place where they only say the Brachos of Malchios, Zichronos and Shofros without the context of Tekias Shofar, in which case it is only a Drabbanan.

So according to the Ramban the term Zichron Teruah means Zichron through Teruah while according to Rashi it means Zichron of Teruah, i.e. through the recitation of Malchios, Zichronos and Shofros.

The Ramban asks how do we know that the word Teruah means blowing this sound through a Shofar? Perhaps we must use a trumpet (Chatzotzros) to fulfill this obligation? The Ramban says that Chatzotzros are not mentioned explicitly in the Parsha of Rosh Hashonah, ibut are introduced in Sefer Bamidbar, so we can assume that they were not intended. Also Teruah implies Shofar, as seen from the Passuk (Vayikra 25:9) Vhaavarta Shofar Teruah.

The Ramban continues: the Torah did not explain the reason behind this Mitzvah: why the Teruah and why must there be Zichron before HKBH on this day as opposed to any other day in the year? The Torah mentions no historical event that coincides with Rosh Hashonah. The Rav mentioned that there is a well known disagreement between Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua in what month the world was created. Was it Nissan or Tishrei? Because of this dispute many communities did not include such statements in the Amidah of Rosh Hashonahas Zeh Hayom Techilas Maasecha. Yet even in those communities, they still blew Shofar and celebrated Rosh Hashonah, so apparrently creation of the universe was not the event that singles out Rosh Hashonah.

The Ramban states that although he can not pinpoint a unique event that occurred on Rosh Hashonah, he knows that 9 days after Rosh Hashonah,we celebrate Yom Kippur, the day of atonement and forgiveness.. Hence the holiday of Rosh Hashonah is related in some way to Yom Kippur. This is what the Ramban means when he says:

“Aval Mpnay Shehu Bchodsho Shel Yom Kippur Brosh Chodesh Nireh Shebo Yihyeh Din Lefanav Yisbarech Ki Hashem Yadin Amim B’Rosh Hashonah Yashev Lkesei Shofet Tzedek Vacharei Ken Baseres Hayamim Yisa Lfesha Avadav Nirmaz Bacasuv”.

The fact that Rosh Hashonah is connected wth Yom Kippur in the same month, in and of itself indicates that Rosh Hashonah is an exceptional Yom Tov.

The Rav says that perhaps the Ramban was motivated by the Rambam, who (Hilchos Chovel Umazik, 1) formulates the notion that there are certain laws that we have accepted based on the unbroken tradition that has been handed down to us through the ages, beginning with Moshe and having been witnessed by all subsequent generations and Batei Din. There is atradition that originated with Moshe Rabbeinu and continued by all the Chachmei Yisrael throughout the generations that all of them singled Rosh Hashonah as a unique and exceptional day.

The Ramban now explains in detail the meaning of Zichron Teruah. The Rav expounded on this, extracting from the Ramban the essence of the Kedushas Hayom of Rosh Hashanah. .. Indeed this deep insight into Rosh Hashonah expressed by the Ramban can be seen in all aspects of the Machzor that we have for Rosh Hashonah. The Ramban paraphrases the words of the Haggadah when he says:

“Val Derech Haemes Teruah Hi Sheamdah Laavosaynu Vlanu...”

Rosh Hashonah is the day of judgement, Din. This is described (Eruchin 10b):

the Angels asked HKBH why don’t Bnay Yisrael recite Hallel on Rosh Hashonah? HKBH answered is it possible that when the King is sitting on the throne of Din and the books of the living and dead are open before Him , is it possible that Bnay Yisrael should be able to recite Hallel? We see from this that the characteristic of Rosh Hashonah is Din. This is Melech Yoshev Al Kisai din. Malchus of Hashem is expressed through the characteristic of Din that is manifest on Rosh Hashonah.

Malchus is Din. It is a medium through which HKBH reveals Himself to mankind, and especially to Bnay Yisrael. Malchus relates the presence of HKBH and His omnipotence to the rest of creation, the entire universe. The same laws, be they physical or metaphysical, apply to all creation, be they in the furthest nebulae or within the closest proximity to man. This form of Din is what is referred to as Ratzon Hakadmon, which HKBH implanted in every flower and spring so that they may extol the glory of Hashem. This Ratzon Hakadmon completely controls the dynamics of the universe, including the human being. This is the ultimate manifestation of Din.

As Chazal say (Sifri Haazinu):

“Haraisa Chama Shokaas Bamizrach?”

Has one ever seen the sun set in east? This inviolability of nature is Din. It is impossible to speak of different laws that govern the speed with which different light beams travel. If one accepts the opinion that on Rosh Hashonah the wold was created, then Rosh Hashonah is truly the ultimate Yom Din, as the universe which is based on Din, on the inviolate laws of nature. The concept of Selicha Umechila would have no place in such a universe built on Din. The perfect description is Malchuso Btoch Olamo, that kingship of HKBH, Din, is at the center of the universe and creation.

How do we know that Malchus is Din? We have the concept of Teruas Milchama, the sounding of the Shofar in times of war. Teruah in hebrew means not only a certain unique sound. It also connotes to break, as the prophet Isaiah says Roah Hisroah Haaretz (24:19), after the earth quaked, something broke to pieces. Teruah is associated with breakage and damage, for example we find the people of Sdom threatened to do damage to Lot for not turning over his guests to them.

Rosh Hashonah, as mentioned above, is a day of absolute Din. It is the day when all creation pass before Hashem in judgement, with no exceptions. It is a day exclusively of Din, there is no room for Selicha Umechila during this day. As we recite in the Nesane Tokef, even the angels are frightened of the power of Din on Rosh Hashonah. The Teruah of Milchama indicates that Hashem should be seen this day as Hashem Ish Milchama. Rosh Hashonah is a day of destruction, for if Hashem were to exact true Din with all creation on Rosh Hashonah as the day demands, no one would be found righteous before Him on this day that implies doom and complete destruction. This is why the Zohar as well as later Chassidic works describe Rosh Hashonah, particularly the first part of the day prior to the sounding of the Shofar, as Takifa Dina, the time when unswerving Din rules. The second day of Rosh Hashonah is described as Chulsha Dina, the period when the attribute of Din is lessened. (The Rav mentioned that on the first night of Rosh Hashonah through the following morning, it was impossible to talk to Reb Yosef Dov, the Bais Halevi, as he was in a depressed mood and incapable of communicating because of the fear of the attribute of Din that characterized Rosh Hashonah till the sounding of the Shofar. The Aymas Hadin of Rosh Hashonah reached even to the Misnagdim!)

On the other hand, Malchus HKBH on Rosh Hashonah is not reflected only by nature but also by Knesses Yisrael. Knesses Yisrael reflects the sphere of Malchus. The Ramban notes this in his famous comment in Parshas Chayey Sara on the verse of:

“VHashem Bayrach Es Avraham Bakol”

That Knesses Yisrael reflects the divine glory of HKBH, the Malchus of HKBH. HKBH can reveal Himself through nature. He also can reveal His Malchus through His chosen people, Knesses Yisrael, as Malchuso Bkhal Adaso. This is what HKBH promised Avraham Avinu, that Avraham would command his succeeding generetaions to keep the ways of Hashem. By keeping the Mitzvos Hashem, Knesses Yisrael refelects the Sephira Shel Malchus Bkhal Adaso.

HKBH reveals Himself to the world through 2 different media:

1) through Malchuso Btoch Olamo, the universe itself and its exacting laws, through the unswerving aspect of Din. Such a universe does not tolerate deviation, there is no Selicha Umechila;

2) through the aspect of Malchuso Bkhal Adaso (see Birnbaum Machzor for Shacharis of Yom Kippur, pg. 595), through the special relationship between HKBH and Bnay Yisrael that is apparrent to the other nations of the world when Bnay Yisrael do the Ratzon Hashem. Selicha Umechila, makes sense in this medium, because of the special unique relationship that Bnay Yisrael enjoy with HKBH.

In order that Rosh Hashonah should be a day when transgressions are overlooked, the attribute of Hashem Ish Milchama, of Teruas Milchama, that symbolizes complete Din and Malchus Haolam Shel HKBH at the beginning of Rosh Hashonah, must be transformed by Bnay Yisrael into Malchuso Bkhal Adaso. On Rosh Hashonah, each Jew should say that from now on he will ammend his ways and improve his actions to such an extent that he will command the respect of others and the Malchus Shamayim will be reflected by his actions and behavior.

In fact the

Rambam includs this as the core of Teshuva, when he describes the Shofar

as representing Teshuva.

The concept of Malchuso Bkhal Adaso allows Bnay Yisrael to transform the Teruah from a destructive sound of war into a sound that shows the friendship and love between HKBH and Knesses Yisrael, the root Reah, means friend as Elokim Haroeh Osi Mayodi (Breishis 48:15, see Ramban). This indeed is the Teruah of Uteruas Melech Bo (Bamidbar 23:21) mentioned in Malchios, which connotes a closeness of HKBH to Bnay Yisrael. That we are privileged to have HKBH as a friend. This is not Din, but rather Rachamim, mercy.

Rosh Hashonah starts as a Yom Din. On Rosh Hashonah night when we say Yom Teruah in Kiddush we are describing the characteristic of the ultimate judgement day, a day of doom and destruction. However in Kiddush on the second night of Rosh Hashonah, Yom Teruah takes on a different meaning, that of Teruas Melech Bo, the close friendship between the King and His subjects..

We find in the Piyut of Lkel Orech Din, the description of the utter fear that true din inspires in creation. At this point Teruah connotes destruction. The job of the Shofar is to change the semantics of Teruah from destruction to friendship of Haelokim Haroeh Osi Mayodi. The verses of Malchios, Zichronos and Shofros also describe this relationship. For example, in Malchios we recite the verse of Uteruas Melech Bo. The Shofar when used as an insturment of proclamation can announce both destruction as well as redemption as it will be used to announce the coming of Moshiach and the ultimate redemption of Bnay Yisrael. The Shofar must change the Teruah from Lhayra, to destroy, to Lhisroa, to befriend.

When the Ramban says that it is the Teruah that has sustained our forefathers throughout the generations, he means that Teruah reflects the ability of Bnay Yisrael to take the Teruah of Malchuso Btoch Olamo that can not reconcile with Salachti, and turns it into the Malchuso Bkhal Adaso that is consistent with Salachti. As the Ramban points out the Passuk we recite after Tekias Shofar, Ashrei Haam Yoday Teruah (Tehillim 89), with the emphasis on the Yoday Teruah: those that love Your name with the Sephira of Malchus as Malchuso Bkhal Adaso, the Jewish People. The Ramban interprets the word Yoday as meaning loving, similar to Vayeda Adam Es Chava Ishto. The term Yoday Shemecha Vlomday Torasecha: this connotes those that love Your name rather than those that know Your name.

The Midrash asks on the verse Ashrei Ahaam Yoday Teruah, do not the other nations of the world know how to sound the Teruah? Why are Bnay Yisrael considered unique in this respect?

The Midrash is focusing on the unique ability of Bnay Yisrael to identify with the special Sefira of Malchus and to reflect the glory of Hashem and His love for all creation.

The obligation of the

Jew is to keep the Torah and Mitzvos and by doing so identify with the Teruah of Yom Teruah Yihye Lachem, you shall transform the day from cosmic Malchus that brooks no forgiveness into a day of Malchuso Bkhal Adasi, a day of friendship and love between Hashem and His people.

Forgiveness on this day is fully consistent between those that love each other.

The Ramban continues saying that Zichron Teruah Mikra Kodesh means that the Zichron should take place through Teruah. The Ramban does not interpret Zichron as remembering.

Instead he

explains it in terms of being fond of:

“Habayn Yakir Li Efraim... Ki Miday Dabri Bo Zachor Ezkerenu...”.

HKBH is saying that whenever He speaks of Efrayim He immedately becomes fond of him, I love him. In this context, Zichron Teruah means this is a day in which Knesses Yisrael should manifest love for Hashem by proclaiming His Malchus throughout the world.

The face of each

Jew should radiate and reflect the majesty of Hashem and His love for His people.

The Ramban states that this is why Rosh Hashonah is a Yom Tov. Even though Rosh Hashonah does not commemorate a specific event in Jewish History, it is a metaphysical event that allows Knesses Yisrael to identify with Hashem through the revelation of Teruah. HKBH wants that His revelation to the world as King should occur through the Jew instead of coming through the general universe. In other words Shofar changes the revelation of Hashem from Malchuso Btoch Olamo into Malchuso Bkhal Adaso.

The philosophy of the Ramban is pointedly reflected by Rabbi Eliezer Hakalir in the Piyut Shacharis of Rosh Hashonah:

“Naaleh Badin Alos B’truah... Gaye Am Doreha Lro’a’oh, B’shofar Afatenu Ubeberech Kriah B’maginas Rayim B’gano Esroaah”. (He ascends the throne of judgement amid the sounds of the Teruah, causing the earth and its inhabitants to tremble. Through the shofar blasts and the bending of the knee I seek to reconcile him, together with friends in His garden I will enjoy His friendship.)

The tune used by the Shaliach Tzibbur on the first half of this verse is one of complete fear as he mentions the nature of Malchuso Bolamo, where absolute Din rules. (Note that the different semantics of Teruah/Shofar are used within the Piyut.) However the Chazan concludes the stanza with a tune of joy and confidence reflecting the ability of the Shofar to transform the destruction of Lro’a’ah into Maginas Rayim, the protection of a close group of friends.

The beginning of

Rosh Hashonah is characterized by the pending destruction feared by those

that are alone and

dwell in the unprotected valley. The initial Teruah that is mentioned

connotes impending

destruction. The Shofar provides the key that allows me to persuade Hashem

to forgive me and

protect me, just as friends protect and comfort each other. (Paranthetically,

the Rav noted that the

Nussach of Yamim Noraim interprets the prayers. Simply singing the words

cannot convey their

true meaning.)

The Ramban continues saying that the character of Yom Hadin, when accompanied with the Shofar, changes from the destruction of war, Teruas Milchama, to mercy. This is accomplished by surrounding the Teruah, (destruction), and surrounding it with two companions, the Tekiah before it and the Tekiah after it. The Tekiah sound connotes mercy, as the Torah says that when the people are to assemble the Tekiah should be sounded, not the Teruah. The Teruah sound connotes war and a sense of fear. On Rosh Hashonah, we take the Teruah prisoner by surrounding it with the attributes of mercy, the Tekiah before and after it. According to the Zohar this same idea applies to Akaydas Yitzchak. Yitzchak is characterized through the attribute of Gevurah, i.e. Midas HaDin (Vayishava Yaakov Bphachad Yitzchak Aviv). Avraham is the attribute of Chesed, while Yaakov is the attribute of Tiferes. These 2 attributes bind the Midas HaDin (represented by Yitzchak) with attributes of mercy (similar to the binding of Avraham with Yitzchak at the Akayda). That is why the Passuk says Ashrei Haam Yoday Teruah. We are the only people that are capable of taking the Malchuso Bolamo, with all the fear and destruction it represents and surround it on all sides with the attributes of Chesed and Tiferes and turn it into Malchuso Bkhal Adaso, of friendship and love between Hashem and His people.

Rosh

Hashonah which begins with a sense of fear and trembling is transformed by the Shofar into a day of friendship and mercy. Yom Kippur on the other hand begins as a day characterized by complete mercy from Hashem. It is said that Gedolei Yisroel were depressed and withdrawn on Rosh Hashonah, the day characterized by Midas Din, while they were in a joyous mood on Yom Kippur, the day characterized by Midas Rachamim.

Some Gedolei Yisrael were of the opinion that the recitation of Piyutim in Shacharis on Rosh Hashonah should be kept to a minimum in order to get to Tekias Shofar as quickly as possible and affect the associated changeover in the character of Rosh Hashonah, i.e. from Din to Rachamim.

This is the entire philosophy of Rosh Hashonah according to the Ramban, as explained by the Rav. Rosh Hashonah and Din represent Malchus Hashem. Knesses Yisrael has the ability to identify with the majesty of Hashem and reflect His greatness and glory through their Torah and Mitzvos. They can take the Teruah and transform it from the context of Lehara, to destroy, to one of love and friendship and the Selicha that is part of such a friendship.

Shiur HaRav Soloveichik ZT"L on Inyan Shofar

(Shiur date: Sometime in the mid to late 1950s...)

On Rosh Hashonah, the sounds of the Shofar, the Tekiah and Teruah, are the main

aspect of our prayer. Why did the Torah demand that the prayer of the Jew on Rosh

Hashonah flow through the Tekias Shofar on Rosh Hashonah, as opposed to prayers

all year?

The Likutai Torah (from the first Lubavitcher Rebbe) describes the topic of Shofar in

terms of a Kol Pashut, simple sound. He says that each Jew possesses an inner soul

and personality that is good and true. The Jew cannot defile this inner soul through

sin. When a Jew sins, it is his external personae that is blamed. The inner soul does

not participate in this act. If the inner soul would be defiled through sin, Teshuva

would not be possible. The entire entre to Teshuva, where man says that the act was

committed by someone else who was masquerading as him, is built on the notion of

the purity of man's inner soul.

The middle Lubavitcher Rebbes, Reb Ber, explained the verse that Hashem will

return your exile and gather you in from among the nations among whom you were

exiled (Parshas Nitzavim). He asked why was this verse written in the singular rather

than the plural (since Moshe was speaking to all of Bnay Yisrael)? He explained that

this verse is not referring to the ultimate political redemption of the nation. Rather, it

refers to the exile of the individual, exile from his family, friends and loved ones that

can be as painful, or more so, than the exile of the nation throughout Jewish History.

The worst exile of all, is the internal exile of the individual. He ostracizes and exiles

himself from his own inner personality and strengths in order to fit in with the desires

of society. He acts and talks in ways that are meant to ingratiate himself with others,

so they will be more accepting of him. The Torah tells us that man will find himself

scattered across the far reaches of the world by his multi-faceted attempts to

subordinate his true inner soul in deference to what society demands. Man sometimes

awakes in the middle of the night gripped with fear as he contemplates the schism

between his internal and external personae, yet man responds by further suppressing

his inner soul.

For example, someone may prepare a lecture and the salient points of the lecture can

be captured in a few sentences. Yet he will embellish the lecture with all sorts of

extraneous details, and through his intellectual achievements, weave the disparate

pieces into a long and involved, yet ultimately connected lecture. His internal sense

of truth tells him that he could accomplish his task succinctly, yet his external

personae demands that he embellish in order to impress others.

People live through very trying times, especially Rabbis and leaders, where they feel

terribly isolated and depressed by their responsibility and situation. The only answer

to such feelings is the expression of M'mamakim Kerasicha Hashem, I call to

Hashem from the depths of my suffering. This cry to Hashem derives from the inner,

untainted soul. The external personae is not capable of this. Teshuva requires that the

inner personae be victorious over the external one, and admit that his entire external

posturing is false. Man wears many layers and styles of clothes. One set for his

family, another for his employment, another for his interaction with the community.

Teshuva demands that man rip away all these garments and expose the true inner Jew

who has been suppressed but remains as strong as ever in the desire to pursue the

ways of Hashem. This is the meaning of the verse When you are in a difficult

situation, you will return to Hashem and listen to Him. You will remove the external

layers and reveal the true inner Jew.

The external Jew is evident in prayer as well. Man has been given the ability to

express himself and he learns from the society and culture around him how to speak

and how to act and even how to pray. However, ultimately man must recognize that

he lacks the vocabulary to express his needs to Hashem. This is especially true on

Rosh Hashonah, when man is in the depths of despair with the books of life and death

open before Hashem, he must recognize that he has been led astray by his external

personality, no matter how developed and cultured it may be. We rely on the same

expression of fear and pain that an animal utters, the Genuchi Ganach and Yeluly

Yallal, the sobbing and crying noises that we mimic on Rosh Hashonah.

M'mamakim can not be expressed through the beautiful prose that we recite on Rosh

Hashonah (the Piyutim). In fact, the prayers on Rosh Hashonah have been recognized

universally as the most beautiful in their content and phraseology. M'Mamakim can

only be expressed through the simple sound of the Shofar, representing the simple,

unaltered inner Jew. No matter how beautiful our words may be, they still represent

the external personality. On Rosh Hashonah we must strip that away, only the internal

simple Jew can pray, and only through the simple sound of the Shofar.

Judaism is most progressive in its recognition that man can achieve intellectually and

use that knowledge in the worship of Hashem. It does not demand that man live a

sheltered existence. But Judaism also demands that man recognize that there is a

conflict between his external and internal personae. It is the internal Jew that is the

key to his existence. That is why Rosh Hashonah is called Yom Hazikaron: man must

remember that on this day he must strip away all external pretenses and layers of inner

subordination to reach the true internal Jew. Only when he has reached his internal

personality, can he call out to Hashem, and pray that Hashem should remember him

on this day and inscribe him in the book of life.

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SELECTED HALACHOS RELATING TO ROSH HASHANA

By Rabbi Doniel Neustadt

A discussion of Halachic topics related to the Parsha of the

week. For final rulings, consult your Rav.

EATING BEFORE TEKIAS SHOFAR

There are conflicting customs in regard to eating before Tekias shofar. Some

communities not only permit but encourage the congregants to eat by serving

a kiddush, while others forbid eating altogether and object to it

strongly(1). These customs are based on divergent views among the poskim.

Basically, the poskim fall into three groups:(2) Some are very strict and

prohibit eating altogether(3). Others are lenient and allow anyone to eat

before Tekias shofar4. A third group allows eating only for the weak,

elderly or ill(5). They do stipulate, however, that the infirm individual

should eat in private so that the prohibition will not be taken lightly by

others.

Since both customs have valid sources in the poskim, each community should

follow its own custom as directed by their Rav(6). However, all poskim agree

that it is forbidden to be kov'ea seudah (partake of a meal) before Tekias

shofar. [It is similarly forbidden to be kov'ea seudah before shaking a

lulav or reading the megillah(7)]. It is also the general consensus that

eating more than a k'beitzah of bread(8) or cake(9) is considered kevius

seudah. A k'beitzah is usually defined as approximately 2 oz., although

according to the measurements of the Chazon Ish, a k'beitzah is 3.5 oz(10).

It is important, therefore, to remember not to eat more than a k'beitzah of

cake when eating before Tekias shofar(11).

Eating fruit, cheese, kugel, rice cereals, etc., whether raw or cooked, is

not considered kevius seudah even when a large amount is consumed(12).

[Consequently, when estimating the amount of cake that may be eaten before

Tekias shofar, only the amount of flour in the cake is included. Fruit,

cheese, or any other ingredient baked along with the dough is not counted

towards the amount for kevius seudah(13).]

Almost all the poskim agree that drinking tea, coffee, juice or soft drinks

is permitted before Tekias shofar, but they disagree as to whether one

should recite Kiddush first. Since Kiddush must be followed by a seudah,

many poskim advise that the beverage should be drunk without Kiddush(14),

and this is an accepted custom in some communities. Since not all poskim

agree, however(15), the preferred option is to hear Kiddush from a weak,

elderly or ill person who is permitted to eat(16), as stated above. Another

option would be to drink an additional revi'is (about 3.3 fl. oz.) of grape

juice, in addition to the amount being drunk for kiddus(17).

WOMEN

The restriction on eating before Tekias shofar is more lenient in regard to

women, because they are generally exempt from "time-bound" mitzvos like

listening to the shofar which is restricted to a certain time of the year

and day(18). There are, however, poskim who hold that although women are

technically exempt from listening to shofar, they have, nevertheless,

accepted this mitzvah upon themselves as an obligation(19). Based on this

view, it has become customary all over the world for women to go to shul to

listen to the shofar, or else to hear the shofar blown in their homes by a

qualified ba'al tokei'a.

Not all poskim, however, agree that women have accepted upon themselves an

obligation from which they are clearly exempt(20). Some poskim rule,

therefore, that women are not obligated to listen to Tekias shofar(21). As

stated earlier, though, the custom has followed the first view and most

women observe this mitzvah stringently. Still, a woman who must eat before

Tekias shofar may do so(22), even if the amount of food she requires is

considered a kevius seudah.

SHABBOS

When the first day of Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbos and Tekias shofar is

canceled, all poskim agree that it is permitted to recite Kiddush and eat

before Mussaf, provided that the amount eaten is less than a kevius

seudah(23). One who is weak and needs to eat more than that amount may eat

as much as he needs(24).

One who did not drink before davening and realizes that Mussaf will end

after chatzos is required to drink or eat something before Mussaf, since on

Shabbos it is prohibited to fast past chatzos(25).

DURING THE BREAK

During the break before Tekias shofar, care should be taken that at least a

minyan remains in shul, since Shulchan Aruch(26) rules decisively that it is

prohibited for the congregation to leave the shul before the Sifrei Torah

are returned to the Aron. If this cannot be arranged, several poskim suggest

that the Sifrei Torah be returned to the Aron before the break(27). In other

shuls, the Sifrei Torah are covered with a tallis and somebody is appointed

to watch over them(28).

In most shuls, the break before Tekias shofar, whether Kiddush is served or

not, is a short one. Consequently, even if one removes his tallis, no

blessing is recited when it is put back on. [This is so even if one used the

bathroom while his tallis was off.] If, however, there is a long break [a

break of over two hours is considered a long break(29)] then a blessing is

recited over the tallis when it is put back on(30).

FOOTNOTES:

1 See remarks by Harav Y.Y. Henkin, ha-Pardes, Tishrei 5730.

2 Interestingly enough, Shulchan Aruch does not discuss this prohibition

concerning Tekias shofar, although he does mention it concerning netilas

lulav (O.C. 652:2) and the reading of Megillas Esther (O.C. 692:4). The

source of this halachah, however, which is a Tosefta in the first chapter of

Shabbos, lists Tekias shofar among those other mitzvos.

3 Beis Yitzchak Y.D. 2:18; M'harsham 1:1 quoting Besamim Rosh. See also

Sedei Chemed (Daled Minim 3:22).

4 Mikroei Kodesh 29; Tzitz Eliezer 6:7; 7:32; 8:21; Moadim u'Zemanim 1:4;

Az Nidberu 1:10 This has become the accepted custom in many Yeshivos.

5 Chasam Sofer Y.D. 7; Mateh Efrayim 588:2; Sha'arei Teshuvah 584:3; Minchas

Yitzchak 5:11; Shevet ha-Levi 4:54. This seems to be the view of the Mishnah

Berurah (see 652:7 and Sha'ar ha-Tziyun concerning lulav) as well. Harav

S.Z. Auerbach (quoted in Nishmas Avraham 585:1) maintains that the Mishnah

Berurah's opinion is more stringent concerning shofar because the eating on

Rosh Hashanah necessitates Kiddush.

6 If at all possible, those who eat before Tekias shofar should do so on the

shul premises where they will be summoned in time for the tekios.

7 The Rabbis forbade partaking of a meal before performing a mitzvah since

one could easily become distracted and forget to perform the mitzvah in

question. It follows, therefore, that if one appoints a shomer - another

individual who is not eating who will remind him to perform the mitzvah - he

may eat before performing the mitzvah (Mishnah Berurah 235:18 concerning

Kerias Shema).

8 Mishnah Berurah 692:14. [See, however, Chayei Adam 119:7 and Aruch

ha-Shulchan 431:26 who allow only a k'zayis of bread.]

9 Pri Megadim O.C. 431:4. See Sha'ar ha-Tziyun 286:7 and Mishnah Berurah

639:15.

10 One who generally follows the Chazon Ish's ruling regarding shiurim can

surely rely on him concerning this halachah as well. It is questionable,

however, if it is proper to rely on the Chazon Ish's measurement in regard

to this halachah only.

11 Pure mezonos cereals [whose raw batter rises like bread dough], e.g.,

Cheerios, Grape Nuts, Wheat Chex, are also considered like cake.

12 O.C. 286:3 and 639:2.

13 Based on Igros Moshe O.C. 1:71 and Divrei Yoel 13.

14 See Elef ha-Magen 585:2 and Ktzei ha-Mateh, ibid.

15 See Divrei Yoel 1:29.

16 See Sedei Chemed (Rosh Hashanah 2:31) and Mikroei Kodesh 28. It is

important that Kiddush be repeated before the meal, since some maintain that

such a Kiddush is not valid.

17 Mishnah Berurah 273:27.

18 O.C. 589:6.

19 Maharil (Hilchos Shofar). See also Magen Avraham (O.C. 489:1, concerning

sefiras ha-omer) who says that women have accepted [certain] time-restricted

mitzvos as obligations. He does not, however, single out shofar more than

any other time-restricted mitzvah. Chayei Adam (141:7) and R' Akiva Eiger

(Teshuvos 1, addendum) also state that women have accepted shofar as an

obligation.

20 See Minchas Chinuch 306, who questions the Magen Avraham quoted above. In

his opinion, women can only accept a mitzvah whose obligation is

questionable, such as davening Ma'ariv. A mitzvah from which they are

clearly exempt, like listening to shofar blowing, cannot be "accepted." See

also Nezirus Shimshon (quoted in Sdei Chemed, Ma'areches Mem, 136) and

Teshuvos Sha'arei De'ah 2:237.

21 Harav Y. C. Sonnenfeld in Salmas Chayim 1:88. Note also that neither the

Mateh Efrayim, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, Mishnah Berurah or Aruch ha-Shulchan

quote the opinion that women have accepted Tekias shofar as an obligation.

22 Chayei Adam 141:7; Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 129:19.

23 O.C. 286:3.

24 Mishnah Berurah 286:9.

25 Mishnah Berurah 584:5; Elef ha-Magen 597:2.

26 O.C. 149:1.

27 Ktzei ha-Mateh 590; Orchos Rabbeinu 2:181, relating the custom by the

Chazon Ish and the Steipler Gaon; Nitei Gavriel, pg. 84; Kitzur Hilchos

Moadim, pg. 45.

28 Luach D'var Yom b'Yomo.

29Ketzos ha-Shulchan 8:7; Kitzur Hilchos Moadim, pg. 45.

30 Entire paragraph based on Shulchan Aruch Harav O.C 8:23 and Mishnah

Berurah 8:37.

In the Bible and rabbinic literature

Shofar (by Alphonse Lévy)

The shofar is mentioned frequently in the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud and rabbinic literature. The blast of a shofar emanating from the thick cloud on Mount Sinai made the Israelites tremble in awe (Exodus 19, 20).
The shofar was used in to announce holidays (Ps. lxxxi. 4), and the Jubilee year (Lev. 25. 9). The first day of the seventh month (Tishri) is termed "a memorial of blowing" (Lev. 23. 24), or "a day of blowing" (Num. xxix. 1), the shofar. It was also employed in processions (II Sam. 6. 15; I Chron. 15. 28), as a musical accompaniment (Ps. 98. 6; comp. ib. xlvii. 5) and to signify the start of a war (Josh. 6. 4; Judges 3. 27; 7. 16, 20; I Sam. 8. 3). Note that the 'trumpets' described in Numbers 10 are a different instrument, described by the Hebrew word 'trumpet' not the word for shofar.
The Torah describes the first day of the seventh month (1st of Tishri = Rosh ha-Shanah) as a zikron teruah (memorial of blowing; Lev. xxiii) and as a yom teru'ah (day of blowing; Num. 29). This was interpreted by the Jewish sages as referring to the sounding the shofar.
In the Temple in Jerusalem, the shofar was sometimes used together with the trumpet. On New-Year's Day the principal ceremony was conducted with the shofar, which instrument was placed in the center with a trumpet on either side; it was the horn of a wild goat and straight in shape, being ornamented with gold at the mouthpiece. On fast-days the principal ceremony was conducted with the trumpets in the center and with a shofar on either side. On those occasions the shofarot were rams' horns curved in shape and ornamented with silver at the mouthpieces. On Yom Kippur of the jubilee year the ceremony was performed with the shofar as on New-Year's Day. Rosh Hoshana is the Jewish New Year. A ceremonial horn, called a “shofar” is blown, reminding Jews that God is king. A feast with symbolic food is eaten on Rosh Hashana, and the next ten days are spent in repentance. Rosh Hashana ends on Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur is a day of judgment, during which prayers are made asking for forgiveness.
The shofar was blown in the times of Joshua to help him capture Jericho. As they surrounded the walls, the shofar was blown and the Jews were able to capture the city. The shofar was commonly taken out to war so the troops would know when a battle would begin. The person who would blow the shofar would call out to the troops from atop a hill. All of the troops were able to hear the call of the shofar from their position because of its distinct sound.

[edit] Post-Biblical times

A Yemenite Jew blowing a shofar

In post-Biblical times, the shofar was enhanced in its religious use because of the ban on playing musical instruments as a sign of mourning for the destruction of the temple. (It is noted that a full orchestra played in the temple, including, perhaps, a primitive organ.) The shofar continues to announce the New Year and the new moon, to introduce Shabbat, to carry out the commandment to sound it on Rosh Hashanah, and to mark the end of the day of fasting on Yom Kippur once the services have completed in the evening. The secular uses have been discarded (although the shofar was sounded to commemorate the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967) (Judith Kaplan Eisendrath, Heritage of Music, New York: UAHC, 1972, pp. 44-45).
The shofar is primarily associated with Rosh ha-Shanah. Indeed, Rosh Hashanah is called "Yom T’ruah" (the day of the shofar blast). In the Mishnah (book of early rabbinic laws derived from the Torah), a discussion centers on the centrality of the shofar in the time before the destruction of the second temple (70 AD). Indeed, the shofar was the center of the ceremony, with two silver trumpets playing a lesser role. On other solemn holidays, fasts, and new moon celebrations, two silver trumpets were featured, with one shofar playing a lesser role. The shofar is also associated with the jubilee year in which, every fifty years, Jewish law provided for the release of all slaves, land, and debts. The sound of the shofar on Rosh ha-Shanah announced the jubilee year, and the sound of the shofar on Yom Kippur proclaimed the actual release of financial encumbrances.
The halakha (Jewish law) rules that the shofar may not be sounded on Shabbat due to the potential that the ba’al tekiyah (shofar sounder) may inadvertently carry it which is in a class of forbidden Shabbat work (RH 29b) the historical explanation is that in ancient Israel, the shofar was sounded on Shabbat in the temple located in Jerusalem. After the temple’s destruction, the sounding of the shofar on Shabbat was restricted to the place where the great Sanhedrin (Jewish legislature and court from 400 BCE to 100 C.E.) was located. However, when the Sanhedrin ceased to exist, the sounding of the shofar on Shabbat was discontinued (Kieval, The High Holy Days, p. 114).
The shofar says, "Wake up from your (moral) sleep. You are asleep. Get up from your slumber. You are in a deep sleep. Search for your behavior. Become the best person you can. Remember God, the One Who created you." Mishneh Torah, Laws of Repentance 3:4.^[1]
See Arthur l. Finkle, Shofar Sounders Reference Manual, LA: Torah Aura, 1993

Straight and Twisted Shofarot (Rosh Hashanah 26b)

Are rituals -- and the objects we use to practice them -- symbolic of the prevailing spiritual mood? Or do we choose ritual objects to cultivate in ourselves an attitude or mood appropriate to the occasion? The mishnah on Rosh Hashanah 26b concerning shofar discusses the source, shape, and embellishment of the horns used on Rosh Hashanah, fast days (declared in the case of drought or disaster) and to announce the Yovel (Jubilee) year at the end of Yom Kippur. )

The shofar of Rosh Hashanah is of a wild goat that is a straight [horn] and its mouth is plated with gold, and two trumpets [are blown] at its sides. The shofar [blasts] long and the trumpets [blow] short, because the commandment of the day concerns a shofar. On fast days: [we blow] with [horns of] males, bent, and their mouths are plated with silver, and two trumpets [are blown] in between them. The shofar [blows] short and the trumpets [blow] long, because the commandment of the day is with trumpets. The Yovel (Jubilee) year: is identical to Rosh Hashanah [with respect to] the blowing and the blessings. R. Yehudah says: On Rosh Hashanah we blast with [horns of] males and on the Yovel (Jubilee) years with [horns of] wild goats.

If that’s a lot to take in on first glance, I’ve prepared the text in an outline form with the hope that it makes the structure easier to follow:

A. The shofar of Rosh Hashanah:
a. is of a wild goat that is a straight [horn]
b. and its mouth is plated with gold,
c. and two trumpets [are blown] at its sides.
d. The shofar [blasts] long and the trumpets [blow] short, because the commandment of the day concerns a shofar.

B. On fast days:
a. [we blow] with [horns of] males,
b. bent,
c. and their mouths are plated with silver,
d. and two trumpets [are blown] in between them.
e. The shofar [blows] short and the trumpets [blow] long, because the commandment of the day is with trumpets.

C. The Yovel year: is identical to Rosh Hashanah [with respect to] the blowing and the blessings.

D. R. Yehudah says:
a. On Rosh Hashanah we blast with [horns of] males
b. and on the Yovel years with [horns of] wild goats.

What strikes me first and foremost is the concern with the shape of the horn. For Rosh Hashanah and to announce the Yovel (Jubilee year) we are to use a straight horn, but for fast days, a bent or twisted horn is prescribed.

(Time out for Jewish “trivia”: The Jubilee year occurs every 50th year at the end of seven cycles of shemittah (sabbatical years) and its announcement is made at the close of Yom Kippur by blowing a shofar. Leviticus 25: 8-16 explains the requirement to blow the shofar on the tenth day of the seventh month and to observe the Yovel as a sabbatical year. This is why shofar is blown in synagogues at the conclusion of Yom Kippur. No doubt you’re now thinking: but we blow the shofar every year following Yom Kippur. Yes, this is true, and that is because we have lost track of when the Jubilee year falls. Therefore we blow the shofar each year in case that year is the Yovel.)

(Second time out for background on fast days: Talmud, in masechet Ta’anit, prescribes special fasts and prayers in the case of severe drought and actual or imminent disaster. Blowing a shofar is covered in chapter 2.)

In the case of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur we are engaged in the process of teshuvah (repentance), confident that if our repentance is sincere and thorough, God will forgive and our atonement will cleanse. Many people mistakenly think Yom Kippur is a somber day akin to a day of mourning, Not so. While it is certainly a serious occasion, Yom Kippur is a joyous day because we are assured that sincere teshuvah (repentance) brings forgiveness. Hence we – like the shofar -- stand straight: confident and joyful that our relationships with God and people in our lives can be repaired, reconciled, and renewed. Similarly, the Jubilee is a joyous occasion and the straight shofar announces rest for the land and release from debts.

On fast days, however, there was a sense of fear in the air in ancient times because the theology held that drought and disaster resulted from the people’s sins. Fasts – with their accompanying prayers and shofar blasts – were intended to remediate the situation and inspire repentance. People were encouraged by the bent shofar to bend themselves in repentance, but there is no sure confidence that their efforts will be successful.

These days, one is as likely to see a twisted shofar used on Rosh Hashanah as a straight one. The distinction made in the Mishnah is no longer observed in most communities.

Are rituals -- and the objects we use to practice them -- symbolic of the prevailing spiritual mood? Or do we choose ritual objects to cultivate in ourselves an attitude or mood appropriate to the occasion? Perhaps it both operating simultaneously.

© 2009 Rabbi Amy Scheinerman

Posted by Rabbi Amy Scheinerman at 4:28 AM

Labels: repentance, Shofar; Rosh Hashanah; Symbolic meanings, straight, twisted

Shofar-Blowing Procedure

Please note that in this document, "Shofar" refers to the Ram's Horn.

General Issues

At what time of day the requirement begins/ends: Rosh HaShanah 28a, 34a; Megillah 20b
When and how to make the Blessing on the Mitzvah: Pesachim 7b
Which blessings to make: Rosh HaShanah 26b, 27a, 29a, 30a
Coordinating the Shofar with the "Musaf" Service: Rosh HaShanah 32a, 34b
How to Blow the Shofar if one already prayed the "Musaf" service: Rosh HaShanah 33b
Above, if one had a Shofar while praying the "Musaf" service: Rosh HaShanah 34b
Whether lack of the blessings prevents fulfilling the Mitzvah of Shofar, and vice versa: Rosh HaShanah 34b
The Blowing of the Shofar confusing Satan: Rosh HaShanah 16a-b
Use of the Shofar and trumpets: Rosh HaShanah 26b, 27a
Distinction between the Shofar-Blowing, and use of Trumpets, in the Temple and in other areas: Rosh HaShanah 27a
Blowing the Shofar on Shabbos, in the Temple, before established Courts, and elsewhere, pre/post the Destruction of the Temple: Rosh HaShanah 29b, 29b-30a
The above, for temporary courts: Rosh HaShanah 29b
Choosing between hearing the "Musaf" service [where he can't pray it on his own] or the Blowing of the Shofar: Rosh HaShanah 34b

The Blower's Aide

Ordinarily, this job belongs to the reader of the "Musaf" Service: Rosh HaShanah 32b

The Order of Blasts

Blowing in the sitting AND standing sections of the Service: Rosh HaShanah 16a-b

The Shofar Blasts

The number and length of the blasts: Rosh HaShanah 33b
The length of a "Tekiah" blast: Rosh HaShanah 27b
What a "Teruah" blast is: Rosh HaShanah 33b, 34a
Having a straight ["Tekiah"] blast before and after the "Teruah": Rosh HaShanah 33b-34a
Source for having 3 sets of 3 blasts: Rosh HaShanah 34a
Source for having Tekiah-Shevarim-Teruah-Tekiah: Rosh HaShanah 34a
Any sound which is emitted by an acceptable Shofar is acceptable, even if it doesn't sound like a traditional Shofar blast: Rosh HaShanah 27b
The blasts are identical to those of Yom Kippur of a Jubilee Year: Rosh HaShanah 33b-34a
The shofar's blast must extend past those of the trumpets: Rosh HaShanah 27a
One who hears only the beginning/end of a blast: Rosh HaShanah 27a, 28a
If one blast was lengthened like two, how it is counted: Rosh HaShanah 27a, 28a, 33b
Blowing in an echoing chamber: Rosh HaShanah 27a, 27b-28a
Distinguishing two separate, simultaneous blasts: Rosh HaShanah 27a, 34b
Above, where they came from one person or two separate people: Rosh HaShanah 27a
If part of the blast was heard before the day began, and therefore before the Mitzvah of Shofar began: Rosh HaShanah 28a
If the blasts were spread out over a long period of time: Rosh HaShanah 34b; Succah 54a

Judaic.com

Judaism --> Enter - Shofars

A shofar is a ram's horn that is used as a musical instrument for religious purposes. It is used on Judaism's high holy days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

The shofar is mentioned frequently in the Hebrew Bible, from Exodus to Zechariah, and throughout the Talmud and later rabbinic literature. It was the voice of a shofar, "exceeding loud," issuing from the thick cloud on Mount Sinai that made all the Israelites tremble in awe (Exodus xix, xx).

The shofar is prescribed for the announcement of the New Moon and solemn feasts (Num. x. 10; Ps. lxxxi. 4), as also for proclaiming the year of release (Lev. xxv. 9). The first day of the seventh month (Tishri) is termed "a memorial of blowing" (Lev. xxiii. 24), or "a day of blowing" (Num. xxix. 1), the shofar; the modern use of the instrument survives especially in this connection. In earlier days it was employed also in other religious ceremonials, as processions (II Sam. v. 15; I Chron. xv. 28), or in the orchestra as an accompaniment to the song of praise (Ps. xcviii. 6; comp. ib. xlvii. 5). More frequently it was used as the signal-horn of war, like the silver trumpets mentioned in Num. x. 9 (see Josh. vi. 4; Judges iii. 27; vii. 16, 20; I Sam. xiii. 3).

The Torah describes the first day of the seventh month (1st of Tishri = Rosh ha-Shanah) as a zikron teruah (memorial of blowing; Lev. xxiii) and as a yom teru'ah (day of blowing; Num. xxix). This was interpreted by the Jewish sages as referring to the sounding the shofar.

The shofar in the Temple in Jerusalem was generally associated with the trumpet; and both instruments were used together on various occasions. On New-Year's Day the principal ceremony was conducted with the shofar, which instrument was placed in the center with a trumpet on either side; it was the horn of a wild goat and straight in shape, being ornamented with gold at the mouthpiece. On fast-days the principal ceremony was conducted with the trumpets in the center and with a shofar on either side.

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On those occasions the shofarot were rams' horns curved in shape and ornamented with silver at the mouthpieces. On Yom Kippur of the jubilee year the ceremony was performed with the shofar as on New-Year's Day.

Post-Biblical times

In post-Biblical times, the shofar was enhanced in its religious use because of the ban on playing musical instruments as a sign of mourning for the destruction of the temple. (It is noted that a full orchestra played in the temple, including, perhaps, a primitive organ.) The shofar continues to announce the New Year and the new moon, to introduce the Sabbath, and to carry out the commandments on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The secular uses have been discarded (although the shofar was sounded to commemorate the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967) (Judith Kaplan Eisendrath, Heritage of Music, New York: UAHC, 1972, pp. 44-45).

The shofar is primarily associated with Rosh ha-Shanah. Indeed, Rosh Hashanah is called "Yom T’ruah" (the day of the shofar blast). In the Mishnah (book of early rabbinic laws derived from the torah), a discussion centers on the centrality of the shofar in the time before the destruction of the second temple (70 C.E.). Indeed, the shofar was the center of the ceremony, with two silver trumpets playing a lesser role. On other solemn holidays, fasts, and new moon celebrations, two silver trumpets were featured, with one shofar playing a lesser role. The shofar is also associated with the jubilee year in which, every fifty years, Jewish law provided for the release of all slaves, land, and debts. The sound of the shofar on Rosh ha-Shanah announced the jubilee year, and the sound of the shofar on Yom Kippur proclaimed the actual release of financial encumbrances.

The halakha (Jewish law) rules that the shofar may not be sounded on the Sabbath due to the potential that the ba’al t’kiyah (shofar sounder) may inadvertently carry it which is in a class of forbidden Sabbath work (RH 29b) the historical explanation is that in ancient Israel, the shofar was sounded on the Shabbat in the temple ‘located in Jerusalem. After the temple’s destruction, the sounding of the shofar on the Sabbath was restricted to the place where the great Sanhedrin (Jewish legislature and court from 400 BCE to 100 C.E.) was located. However, when the Sanhedrin ceased to exist, the sounding of the shofar on the Sabbath was discontinued (Kieval, The High Holy Days, p. 114).

The shofar says, “Wake up from your (moral) sleep. You are asleep. Get up from your slumber. You are in a deep sleep. Search for your behavior. Become the best person you can. Remember God, the One Who created you. Mishneh Torah, Laws of Repentance 3:4.

Construction

The shofar may be the horn of any kosher animal, except that of a cow or calf, which would be a reminder of the golden calf incident.

Physical horns

Many large grazing animals, the ones that have cloven hoofs and chew their cud, are armed with either horns or antlers. These weapons are used for defense against predators or dominance duels between males for possession of a few favored females. Both horns and antlers are borne on the head and have similar uses. However, they are structurally different.

A Shofar may be created from the horn of any kosher animal (ritually slaughtered; cloven hoof; and chews a cud. Mishnah RH 1:1). In biological classification, these animals belong to the Bovidae family.

Bovidae horns are made of keratin (the same material which is a human toenail or fingernail). An antler, on the other hand, is not a horn but a calcium protrusion. Such antlers are not used for Shofars because they cannot be hollowed. A rent or hole in the shofar affecting the sound renders it unfit for ceremonial use. A shofar may not be painted in colors, but it may be carved with artistic designs (Shulkhan Arukh, Orach Chayim, 586, 17). According to traditional Jewish law women and minors are exempt from the command to hear the shofar-blowing (as is the case with any positive, time-bound commandment), but they are allowed to, and encouraged to, attend the ceremony.

The horn is flattened and given a turned up bell by applying heat to soften it. A hole is made from the tip of the horn to the natural hollow inside. It is played much like a European brass instrument, with the player applying his lips to this hole, and causing the air column inside to vibrate. Shofars used in Ashkenazic Jewish worship tend to have no carved mouthpiece, the player instead applying his lips directly to the irregular hole drilled in the tip of the horn. Sephardic Jewish shofars, on the other hand, usually do have a carved mouthpiece resembling that of a European trumpet or French horn, but smaller.

Because this hollow is of irregular bore, the harmonics obtained when playing the instrument can vary: rather than a pure perfect fifth, intervals as narrow as a fourth, or as wide as a sixth may be produced.

The sounds

The tekiah and teruah sounds mentioned in the Bible were respectively bass and treble. The tekiah was a plain deep sound ending abruptly; the teruah, a trill between two tekiahs. These three sounds, constituting a bar of music, were rendered three times: first in honor of God's Kingship; next to recall the near sacrifice of Isaac, in order to cause the congregation to be remembered before God; and a third time to comply with the precept regarding the shofar.

Ten appropriate verses from the Bible were recited at each repetition, which ended with a benediction. Over time doubts arose as to the correct sound of the teruah. The Talmud is uncertain whether it means a moaning/groaning or a staccato beat sound. The former was supposed to be composed of three connected short sounds; the latter, of nine very short notes divided into three disconnected or broken sequences of 3 notes each. The duration of the teruah is equal to that of the shevarim; and the tekiah is half the length of either. This doubt as to the nature of the real teruah, whether it was simply a moan, a staccato or both, necessitated two near-repetitions to make sure of securing the correct sound. The following formula, consisting of ten sounds, resulting:

tekiah, shevarim-teruah, tekiah; tekiah, shevarim, tekiah; tekiah, teruah, tekiah. This formula was repeated twice more, making thirty sounds for the series. The last tekiah was prolonged and was called "tekiah gedolah" = the "long tekiah." This series of thirty sounds was repeated twice more, making ninety sounds in all. The trebling of the series was based on the mention of teruah three times in connection with the seventh month (Lev. xxiii, xxv; Num. xxix), and also on the above-mentioned division into malchiyot, zichronot, and shofarot. In addition a single formula of ten sounds is rendered at the close of the service, making a total of 100 sounds. This correspond to the 100 cries of the mother of the Sisera, the Cannanite general who did not make it home after being assassinated by the biblical Yael (Judges 5:28).

Unique sound waves

Click on a computer representation of a “tkiya.” Note the second tkiya note is similar but not identical to the first. The second starts out the same, then the long note of the first note is more sustained (and perhaps more melodic). The second note below has a vibrating long note at nearly the same amplitude. The third part of the note trails off and is similar but not identical in the two examples.

The performer

The expert who blows (or "blasts" or "sounds") the shofar is termed the Ba'al Tokea (lit. "Master of the Blast"). Qualifications include someone who is learned in Torah and God-fearing. Every Jew is eligible for this sacred office, providing he is acceptable to the congregation. If a potential choice will cause dissension, he should withdraw his candidacy, even if the improper person is chosen. See Shulkhan Arukh 3:72; The Ba'al Tokea shall abstain form anything that may cause ritual contamination for three days prior to Rosh ha-Shanah. See Shulkhan Arukh 3:73.

Use in modern times

In modern times, the shofar is used only at Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. It is blown in synagogues to mark the end of the fast at Yom Kippur, and blown at four particular places at Rosh Hashanah. Because of its inherent ties to the Days of Repentance and the inspiration that comes along with hearing its piercing clasts, the shofar is also blown after morning services for the entire month of Elul (excluding Shabbos), which is the last month of the year. It is not blown on the last day of month, however, to mark the difference between the voluntary blasts of the month and the mandatory blasts of the holiday. The exact modes of sounding can vary from location to location.

The shofar is now almost never used outside these times, though has been seen in western classical music on a limited number of occasions. The best known example is to be found in Edward Elgar's oratorio The Apostles, although an instrument such as the flugelhorn usually plays the part instead of an actual shofar.

Israeli Oriental metal band Salem used Shofar in their metal adaptation for "Al Taster" psalm.

WEEKLY-HALACHA FOR 5759

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