(24) Speak to the Israelite people thus: In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe complete rest, a sacred occasion commemorated with loud blasts. (25) You shall not work at your occupations; and you shall bring an offering by fire to God.
(6) God ascends midst acclamation; Adonai, to the blasts of the horn. (7) Sing, O sing to God; sing, O sing to our king;
(3) Praise God with blasts of the horn; praise with harp and lyre.
Philo of Alexandria, The Special laws II:
(188) Immediately after comes the festival of the sacred moon; in which it is the custom to play the trumpet in the temple at the same moment that the sacrifices are offered. From which practice this is called the true feast of trumpets, and there are two reasons for it, one peculiar to the nation, and the other common to all mankind. Peculiar to the nation, as being a commemoration of that most marvellous, wonderful, and miraculous event that took place when the holy oracles of the law were given; (189) for then the voice of a trumpet sounded from heaven, which it is natural to suppose reached to the very extremities of the universe, so that so wondrous a sound attracted all who were present, making them consider, as it is probable, that such mighty events were signs betokening some great things to be accomplished. (190) And what more great or more beneficial thing could come to men than laws affecting the whole race? And what was common to all mankind was this: the trumpet is the instrument of war, sounding both when commanding the charge and the retreat. ... There is also another kind of war, ordained of God, when nature is at variance with itself, its different parts attacking one another. (191) And by both these kinds of war the things on earth are injured. They are injured by the enemies, by the cutting down of trees, and by conflagrations; and also by natural injuries, such as droughts, heavy rains, lightning from heaven, snow and cold; the usual harmony of the seasons of the year being transformed into a want of all concord. (192) On this account it is that the law has given this festival the name of a warlike instrument, in order to show the proper gratitude to God as the giver of peace, who has abolished all seditions in cities, and in all parts of the universe, and has produced plenty and prosperity, not allowing a single spark that could tend to the destruction of the crops to be kindled into flame.
English
(ב) בארבעה פרקים העולם נדון: בפסח על התבואה, בעצרת על פרות האילן, בראש השנה כל באי העולם עוברין לפניו כבני מרון, שנאמר (תהלים לג) היוצר יחד לבם המבין אל כל מעשיהם, ובחג נדונין על המים.
(2) At four times the world is judged: On Pesach, for the crops. On Shavuot, for the fruits of the tree. On Rosh Hashnah, all the world passes before Him like sheep, as it says, "He that fashioneth the hearts of them all, that considereth all their doings." (Psalms 33:15) And on Sukkot, they are judged for the water.
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 Abbahu said: Why does one sound a blast with a shofar made from a ram’s horn on Rosh HaShana? The Holy Blessed One, said: Sound a blast before Me with a shofar made from a ram’s horn, so that I will remember for you the binding of Isaac, son of Abraham, in whose stead a ram was sacrificed, and I will ascribe it to you as if you had bound yourselves before Me.
Ten Reasons for Blowing the Shofar according to Saadia Gaon 10th C.
- Rosh Hashanah is the day that commemorates the creation of the world and it is described as the “coronation” of God. As it is customary to sound a trumpet at a king’s coronation so we blow the shofer on Rosh Hashanah. By blowing the shofar we recognise the “purpose” of the creation.
- The shofar blast marks the beginning of a period of amnesty which is known as The Ten Days of Repentance. Repentance is based on the fact that since humanity has been given free-will, and our actions are not pre-determined, we must take responsiblity for our actions. The ability to repent teaches us that our future is not bound by our past and that by changing our behaviour we have the ability to change our past.
- When the Jews accepted the Torah at Mount Sinai, the sound of the shofar is described as “continuously increased and was very great” (Exodus 19:19). The shofar serves to remind us of the revelation at Mt. Sinai and therefore to renew our commitment to God and to accept that Torah morality is absolute and God given – not relative, nor does it depend on human understanding.
- The prophets called out to the Jewish People and aroused them to improve their ways. The shofar reminds us of the admonitions of the prophets and their calls to repentance. We should be aware of the fact that God communicated with us, via the prophets, and displayed through them the desire to perfect us and not to punish us.
- The shofar reminds us to pray for the rebuilding of the Temple where trumpets and shofars were sounded. Just as God manifests the divine presence in the world in specific places like the Temple in Jerusalem. God also manifests the presence at special times, such as the Ten Days of Repentance.
- The ram’s horn reminds us of the Binding of Isaac when Abraham demonstrated his absolute faith in God by being prepared to sacrifice his son. God demonstrated absolute love for Abraham by having him sacrifice a ram in his place.
- The sound of the shofar is supposed to inspire fear in the hearts of those who hear it. It allows one to dwell upon fear of punishment, to progress from there to fear of doing evil and then to fear of God. Finally one arrives at the feeling of awe of God.
- The shofar reminds us of the day of judgment in the future. And inspires us to pray for the perfection of world, all of humanity and the Messianic era.
- The sound inspires us to yearn for the ingathering of the Exiles, that will be heralded by the sound of a shofar. There will be absolute unity amongst the Jewish People and our connection to Land of Israel will again be absolute.
- The shofar recalls the resurrection of the dead which will be accompanied by the sound of a shofar. As God is the source of all life and the creator of all existence so God has complete control over death.
(ד) אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁתְּקִיעַת שׁוֹפָר בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה גְּזֵרַת הַכָּתוּב רֶמֶז יֵשׁ בּוֹ כְּלוֹמַר עוּרוּ יְשֵׁנִים מִשְּׁנַתְכֶם וְנִרְדָּמִים הָקִיצוּ מִתַּרְדֵּמַתְכֶם וְחַפְּשׂוּ בְּמַעֲשֵׂיכֶם וְחִזְרוּ בִּתְשׁוּבָה וְזִכְרוּ בּוֹרַאֲכֶם. אֵלּוּ הַשּׁוֹכְחִים אֶת הָאֱמֶת בְּהַבְלֵי הַזְּמַן וְשׁוֹגִים כָּל שְׁנָתָם בְּהֶבֶל וָרִיק אֲשֶׁר לֹא יוֹעִיל וְלֹא יַצִּיל, הַבִּיטוּ לְנַפְשׁוֹתֵיכֶם וְהֵיטִיבוּ דַּרְכֵיכֶם וּמַעַלְלֵיכֶם וְיַעֲזֹב כָּל אֶחָד מִכֶּם דַּרְכּוֹ הָרָעָה וּמַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר לֹא טוֹבָה.
(4) Even though the blowing of the shofar on Rosh HaShanah is a Biblical decree, it hints at something, i.e., “Wake up, sleepers, from your sleep! And slumberers, arise from your slumber! Search your ways and return in teshuvah and remember your Creator! Those who forget the Truth amidst the futility of the moment and are infatuated all their years with vanity and nothingness that will not help and will not save, examine your souls and improve your ways and your motivations! Let each of you abandon his wicked ways, and his thoughts which are no good."
(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.
The Baal Shem Tov, Keter Shem Tov, 194
A King had a son, an only child. The King wanted his son to learn and to experience various cultures, so he sent him to a far-off country, supplied with a generous quantity of silver and gold. Far away from home, the son squandered all the money until he was left completely destitute. In his distress he resolved to return to his father's house and after much difficulty, he managed to arrive at the gate of the courtyard to his father's palace.
He had forgotten the language of his native country, and he was unable to identify himself to the guards. In utter despair he began to cry out in a loud voice, and the King, who recognised the voice of his son, went out to him and brought him into the house, kissing him and hugging him.
The meaning of the parable: The King is God. The prince is the Jewish people, who are called "Children of God" (Deuteronomy 14:1). The King sends a soul down to this world in order to fulfill the Torah and mitzvot. However, the soul becomes very distant and forgets everything to which it was accustomed to above, and in its exile it forgets even its own "language." So it utters a simple cry to God in Heaven. This is the blowing of the shofar, a cry from deep within, expressing regret for the past and determination for the future. This cry elicits God’s mercies, and God demonstrates God's abiding affection for God's children and God forgives them.