Shofar Workshop: What do we blow, why and how? (Copy)
Rosh Hashanah - a Day of Remembance

(כד) דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה לָכֶם שַׁבָּתוֹן זִכְרוֹן תְּרוּעָה מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ. (כה) כָּל מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ וְהִקְרַבְתֶּם אִשֶּׁה לַה'.

(24) Speak to the Israelites, saying: In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, shall be a solemn rest for you, a memorial proclaimed with the blast of horns, a holy convocation. (25) You shall do no manner of servile work; and you shall bring an offering made by fire unto Hashem.

Remember What?

אמר רבי אבהו למה תוקעין בשופר של איל אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא תקעו לפני בשופר של איל כדי שאזכור לכם עקידת יצחק בן אברהם ומעלה אני עליכם כאילו עקדתם עצמכם לפני

Rabbi Abihu said: Why do we blow on a ram's horn? The Holy One, Blessed be God, said: Sound before Me a ram's horn so that I may remember on your behalf the binding of Isaac, the son of Abraham, and account it to you as if you had been bound yourselves before Me.

Oh Yeah, Remember That.

(יג) וַיִּשָּׂ֨א אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֶת־עֵינָ֗יו וַיַּרְא֙ וְהִנֵּה־אַ֔יִל אַחַ֕ר נֶאֱחַ֥ז בַּסְּבַ֖ךְ בְּקַרְנָ֑יו וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ אַבְרָהָם֙ וַיִּקַּ֣ח אֶת־הָאַ֔יִל וַיַּעֲלֵ֥הוּ לְעֹלָ֖ה תַּ֥חַת בְּנֽוֹ׃

(13) And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt-offering instead of his son.

A Day of Blowing

(א) וּבַחֹ֨דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֜י בְּאֶחָ֣ד לַחֹ֗דֶשׁ מִֽקְרָא־קֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֔ם כָּל־מְלֶ֥אכֶת עֲבֹדָ֖ה לֹ֣א תַעֲשׂ֑וּ י֥וֹם תְּרוּעָ֖ה יִהְיֶ֥ה לָכֶֽם׃

(1) And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have a holy convocation: ye shall do no manner of servile work; it is a day of blowing unto you.

The only place in the Torah that speak about a shofar has something to do with Yovel and Yom Kippur.

Ok... It's time for Shofar, what DO we do?

(ב) קודם שיתקע יברך לשמוע קול שופר ויברך שהחיינו.

Before he blows he must bless "To hear the sound of the shofar" and "Shehecheyanu"

(ט) סדר תקיעות, שלש של שלש שלש. שעור תקיעה כשלש תרועות. שעור תרועה כשלש יבבות.

(9) The order of sounding the shofar is three sets of three blows are sounded; the length of the tekiah [long uninterrupted blow], is like [that of] three teruot [interrupted blows], and that of each tekiah is like [that of] three short blows [wailing cries].

How Many Blows?

(א) כַּמָּה תְּקִיעוֹת חַיָּב אָדָם לִשְׁמֹעַ בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה, תֵּשַׁע. . . .

וְכָל תְּרוּעָה פְּשׁוּטָה לְפָנֶיהָ וּפְשׁוּטָה לְאַחֲרֶיהָ, וּמִפִּי הַשְּׁמוּעָה לָמְדוּ שֶׁכָּל תְּרוּעוֹת שֶׁל חֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי אֶחָד הֵן, בֵּין בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה בֵּין בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים שֶׁל יוֹבֵל, תֵּשַׁע תְּקִיעוֹת תּוֹקְעִין בְּכָל אֶחָד מִשְּׁנֵיהֶם: תר''ת, תר''ת, תר''ת.

(ב) תְּרוּעָה זוֹ הָאֲמוּרָה בַּתּוֹרָה, נִסְתַּפֵּק לָנוּ אִם הִיא הַיְלָלָה שֶׁאָנוּ קוֹרִים תְּרוּעָה, אוֹ אִם הִיא מַה שֶּׁאָנוּ קוֹרִים שְׁבָרִים, אוֹ אִם הֵם שְׁנֵיהֶם יַחַד; לְפִיכָךְ, כְּדֵי לָצֵאת יְדֵי סָפֵק צָרִיךְ לִתְקֹעַ תשר''ת ג' פְּעָמִים, וְתש''ת ג' פְּעָמִים, וְתר''ת ג' פְּעָמִים.

(1) How many Tekiahs is one obligated to hear on Rosh HaShana? Nine. . . .

And every Teruah has a straight (blast) before it and a straight (blast) after it. And from tradition (the Sages) learned that all Teruahs of the seventh month, whether on Rosh HaShana or Yom HaKippurim of Yovel, (are) nine Tekiahs. We blow on each of them Tekiah-Teruah-Tekiah, Tekiah-Teruah-Tekiah, Tekiah-Teruah-Tekiah.

(2) This Teruah that is said in the Torah, it is doubtful to us if it is the wail that we call Teruah or if it is what we call Shevarim or if they are both of them together. Therefore, in order to remove any doubt, one needs to blow Tekiah-Shevarim-Teruah-Tekiah three times, Tekiah-Shevarim-Tekiah three times and Tekiah-Teruah-Tekiah three times.

SHOFAROT

Rabbi Rachel Barenblatt

The shofar reminds us

of the ram in the thicket.

Where are we, too, ensnared?

Can our song set us free?

The sound of the shofar

shatters our complacency.

It wails with our grief

and stutters with our inadequacy.

The shofar calls us to teshuvah.

The shofar cries out

I was whole, I was broken,

I will be whole again.

Make shofars of us, God!

Breathe through us: make of us

resonating chambers

for Your love.

(ב) תְּרוּעָה זוֹ הָאֲמוּרָה בַּתּוֹרָה נִסְתַּפֵּק לָנוּ בָּהּ סָפֵק לְפִי אֹרֶךְ הַשָּׁנִים וְרֹב הַגָּלוּת וְאֵין אָנוּ יוֹדְעִין הֵיאַךְ הִיא. אִם הִיא הַיְלָלָה שֶׁמְּיַלְּלִין הַנָּשִׁים בֵּינֵיהֶן בְּעֵת שֶׁמְּיַבְּבִין. אוֹ הָאֲנָחָה כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁיֵּאָנַח הָאָדָם פַּעַם אַחַר פַּעַם כְּשֶׁיִּדְאַג לִבּוֹ מִדָּבָר גָּדוֹל. אוֹ שְׁנֵיהֶם כְּאֶחָד הָאֲנָחָה וְהַיְלָלָה שֶׁדַּרְכָּהּ לָבוֹא אַחֲרֶיהָ הֵן הַנִּקְרָאִין תְּרוּעָה. שֶׁכָּךְ דֶּרֶךְ הַדּוֹאֵג מִתְאַנֵּחַ תְּחִלָּה וְאַחַר כָּךְ מְיַלֵּל. לְכָךְ אָנוּ עוֹשִׂין הַכּל:

(2) This Teruah that the Torah discusses, due to the many years of exile, we are unsure what it is. It may be the wail that women wail amongst themselves whilst crying. It may be the sigh that one does, one after the other, whilst they are worried about a great stress. It may also be both together, the sigh followed by the cry, as it usually comes afterwards. This may be called teruah, as this is the way of a worrier, to first sigh, and then cry. We therefore do all options.