Timely Torah by Rabbi Sam Shor,

Director of Community and Leadership Development

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Rosh Hashana: New Year, New Sound, New Perspective

The moments when the Shofar is sounded on Rosh Hashana are perhaps the most emotionally charged and spiritually significant island in time of the entire High Holiday period. The Shofar has many profound messages; its most familiar message is of course to remind us of the Akeidat Yitzchak (binding of Isaac) and the ram that takes the place of Isaac as sacrificial offering. But there are many other messages inherent in the Shofar's sounds as well.

There is an interesting idea introduced by Maimonides, specifically in the third chapter of the Laws of Repentance , the fourth entry:

“ Af al pi shetekiat shofar berosh hashana gezeirat hakatuv, remez yesh bo kelomar uru yeshainim mishainatchem ...”

“Even though the sounding of the Shofar on Rosh Hashana is mandated by a biblical verse, it is possible to suggest that there is an allusion (contained within the act of sounding the Shofar) to say (that these sounds are meant to) rouse the sleeping from their slumber...”

In other words, perhaps one function of the Shofar is to serve as our spiritual alarm clock, to rouse us from our year-long spiritual hibernation, and inspire us to seize the precious moments that Rosh Hashana provides for us to renew, re-invigorate and return to a heightened sense of connection to Hashem.

Rabbi Moshe Tzvi Neriah, one of the close students of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook , edited a beautiful work called Moadei HaReiah - which is a collection of essays, stories, and sound bytes from the life and work of Rav Kook specifically regarding each of the Jewish Holidays. There is a particularly powerful story, which occurred one Rosh Hashana in the late 1920's that really sums up the multi-tiered inspirational messages contained within the shofar's sounds.

It became known to Rav Kook on the eve of Rosh Hashana that there was a particular construction project that was quickly nearing completion, and that those involved in building this particular edifice, planned to continue to work toward completing this project, even on Rosh Hashana. Obviously saddened by this news, Rav Kook decided upon a strategy as to how he must address this situation.

The next morning, Rav Kook sent one of his gabbaim (ritual assistants) to visit the workers, and to bring a Shofar with him. Rav Kook gave the gabbai careful instructions not to speak any harsh words, rather to merely go to the construction site, and to simply sound the Shofar.

Upon hearing the familiar sounds of the Shofar, construction ceased, and most of the laborers quickly changed their clothing and made their way to synagogues.

When the gabbai returned to the synagogue, he asked Rav Kook how come the rabbi did not simply go and address these workers himself; surely a visit from the esteemed Chief Rabbi would have encouraged all of the laborers to join the many who had decided to return to the synagogue with the gabbai.

Rav Kook's answer is perhaps the most powerful point of this entire story. Rav Kook explained that had he arrived at the site, surely he would have caused great embarrassment, even shame to the many workers! Although the public desecration of this holiest of days certainly pained him deeply, the pain he felt when the Torah's honor was tarnished in such a public manner enveloped his entire being; but what pained him most was to know that there were Jews who might go through an entire Rosh Hashana and not hear the beautiful sweet sounds of the Shofar.

Three times each day we recite the Amida - the nineteen blessing benediction which forms the foundation of Jewish prayer. Included among these blessings are the following words:

“ Sound the great Shofar for our freedom, raise the banner to gather in our exiles and gather us together from the four corners of the Earth....”

This blessing is of course a reference to the prophetic vision of the “Great Shofar” which will be sounded, with the onset of the Messianic era. However, Rav Gedalia Schorr , one of the giants of American Jewish life in the twentieth century, explains this blessing in relationship to the Shofar we will sound in just a few days on Rosh Hashana.

In his masterpiece of Torah essays, Or Gedaliahu , Rav Gedalia wrote these moving words:

“It is through the experience of the sounding of the Shofar on Rosh Hashana that every person has an awakening within his heart, that rouses the pure spark innate within each of our hearts, and can bring us to true freedom; the freedom from all that clouds our vision in the here and now, and ultimately it is this clarity which will help us to usher in the era of true freedom, of peace and harmony in the world, represented by the sounding of the Great Shofar of Moshiach...”

The words of Rav Kook and Rav Gedalia Schorr are particularly profound as we are about to commemorate our 6th Rosh Hashana of the 21st Century. If these two giants had such a deep understanding of how the Shofar's emotionally charged sounds had the power to literally transform each and every soul, to literally touch even those most remote and least connected to Judaism, scattered throughout the four corners of the world, how much more vividly does this message resonate for the times we live in today.

But it is Rav Kook's beautiful lesson which must ever guide us, must serve as the basis for building bridges with all our brothers and sisters. The Shofar's sweet sounds remind us of the beauty that is a Jewish way of life, the enrichment, fulfillment and contentment that Torah can bring to each of our lives. The Shofar's sounds reach that pure spark within each of us, and softly remind us that we can indeed leave behind all those issues and confusing circumstances that cloud our vision- our vision of ourselves, our vision of the world, and our vision of each other.

When we hear the Shofar this Rosh Hashana, may it inspire within us a newfound desire for true freedom; freedom to leave behind the many challenging events of this past year, freedom to leave behind whatever lingering grudges and pre-conceived notions we may hold toward family, friends, and neighbors. May the sounds of the Shofar this Rosh Hashana, soon be echoed with the sounds of Great Shofar of Freedom, that we have been longing for for so, so long...

Shana Tova U'metuka - Warmest wishes for a happy sweet New Year,

Rabbi Sam Shor

Director of Community and Leadership Development