Showing posts with label repentance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label repentance. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Sound of the Shofar

What do you think of when you listen to the shofar?

While used in ancient times to rally the troops for war (Joshua 6:4) or in a musical accompaniment (Psalms 98:6), Rosh Hashana is referred to has Yom Terura, a day of blowing the shofar, which begs to ask the question, what's the meaning of this sound?

The Rambam highlights a greater purpose to the sounds of the shofar:  "Awake, sleepers from your sleep, and slumberers arise from your slumber!" Once could summarize this approach as the alarm clock for spirituality.

Exodus 19: 16 mentions the blast of the shofar causing the Israelites encamped under Mt. Sinai to tremble in awe.  The shofar also acts like a trumpet to announce the arrival of the King of Kings, bringing the Judge into judgment on Yom Hadin.

I remember hearing from one teacher that the call of the ram's horn is like a primal cry - a plea for repentance or desire or pain.

What do you think of when you listen to the shofar?