Rosh Hashanah 2016

(כד) דַּבֵּ֛ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר בַּחֹ֨דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֜י בְּאֶחָ֣ד לַחֹ֗דֶשׁ יִהְיֶ֤ה לָכֶם֙ שַׁבָּת֔וֹן זִכְר֥וֹן תְּרוּעָ֖ה מִקְרָא־קֹֽדֶשׁ׃

Leviticus 23:24

(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.

Jerusalem Talmud, Bikkurim 3:3, 65d

“There are three special occasions on which an individual is forgiven for all of their sins committed prior to that day: The bridegroom on the day of his wedding, the elder on the day of his ordination, and the king on the day of his coronation.”

בראשית כ״ב:י״א

(יא) וַיִּקְרָ֨א אֵלָ֜יו מַלְאַ֤ךְ יהוה מִן־הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אַבְרָהָ֣ם ׀ אַבְרָהָ֑ם וַיֹּ֖אמֶר הִנֵּֽנִי׃

Genesis 22:11

(11) Then an angel of the LORD called to him from heaven: “Abraham! Abraham!” And he answered, “Here I am.”

בראשית כ״ב:י״ב

(יב) וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אַל־תִּשְׁלַ֤ח יָֽדְךָ֙ אֶל־הַנַּ֔עַר וְאַל־תַּ֥עַשׂ ל֖וֹ מְא֑וּמָּה כִּ֣י ׀ עַתָּ֣ה יָדַ֗עְתִּי כִּֽי־יְרֵ֤א אֱלֹהִים֙ אַ֔תָּה וְלֹ֥א חָשַׂ֛כְתָּ אֶת־בִּנְךָ֥ אֶת־יְחִידְךָ֖ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃

Genesis 22:12

(12) And he said, “Do not raise your hand against the boy, and do not inflict any wound on him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your favored one, from Me.”

בראשית כ״ב:י״ג

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

Genesis 22:13

(13) When Abraham looked up, his eye fell upon a ram, caught in the thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in place of his son.

בראשית כ״ב:י״ד

(יד) וַיִּקְרָ֧א אַבְרָהָ֛ם שֵֽׁם־הַמָּק֥וֹם הַה֖וּא יהוה ׀ יִרְאֶ֑ה אֲשֶׁר֙ יֵאָמֵ֣ר הַיּ֔וֹם בְּהַ֥ר יהוה יֵרָאֶֽה׃

Genesis 22:14

(14) And Abraham named that site Adonai-yireh, and it is known to this day as "The mountain where G-d sees.”

רש"י על בראשית כ״ב:י״ב:א׳

(יב)אל תשלח לִשְׁחוֹט; אָמַר לוֹ אִם כֵּן לְחִנָּם בָּאתִי לְכַאן, אֶעֱשֶׂה בוֹ חֲבָלָה וְאוֹצִיא מִמֶּנוּ מְעַט דָּם, אָמַר לוֹ אל תעש לו מאומה – אַל תַּעַשׂ בּוֹ מוּם:

Rashi on Genesis 22:12:1

(12)Do not lay a hand upon the boy to slay him.
Then he (Abraham) said to God, “If I don't kill him, I have come here for nothing; let me at least inflict a wound on him and draw some blood from him”. God replied, "No." Abraham said: "Let me strangle him." G-d replied: “Do not inflict any wound on him" (Genesis Rabbah 56).

Rabbi Baruch of Kossov (English 19th-century Hasidic leader)
"I think that this was not the main trial, that he initially agreed to slaughter Isaac. Rather, the main trial was that he later agreed not to slaughter him, and he remained inflamed with his love of God. This is the intent of what God said to him . . .” and since you did not slaughter him, at my command, and you remained tormented by the fire of your love, for that—I will greatly multiply your seed.” (Kossover, 2004, p. 28)

Midrash Tanchuma Va-yera 23

At that time Abraham declared before G-d: "Master of the worlds, a man tests his friend if he does not know what is in his heart, But You, who knows the heart, did you have to test me this way?" G-d answered: "Now I swear that you fear Me." Abraham interrupted: You swear? I swear that I will not descend from this alter until I have spoken." G-d said: "Speak." Abraham said; "Did you not tell me 'In Isaac shall be your seed?' G-d said: "I did." Abraham said: "And now you told me Take your son and offer him up on the mountain. But I suppressed my compassion for my son and I did not answer you. So when Isaac's children sin and are suffering, remember Isaac's bounding to their credit as though his ashes were gathered upon the alter and forgive them." Then G-d replied: "You have had your say now I will have mine. Isaac's children will indeed sin before me and I will judge them. But if they wish Me to seek out merit for them, then let them blow the shofar of this one before me and repent." Abraham asked: What is a shofar?" G-d told him: "Turn around and look behind you."

משנה תמיד ב׳:ב׳

(ב) החלו מעלין באפר על גבי התפוח. ותפוח היה באמצע המזבח. פעמים עליו כשלש מאות כור.

Mishnah Tamid 2:2

(2) They [the priests] began heaping the ashes onto the Tapuach [heap of ashes on the top of the altar in the Temple courtyard] The Tapuach, (literally means apple) was in the middle of the top of the altar.

Code of Jewish Law 590:9 (and see Rema OH 586:12)
If you reversed/inverted the Shofer and blew it, you did not fulfill your obligation. This whether you widened the short part and shortened the long part or whether you blew in the wide part and out the narrow part. It is invalid.

Mishnah Brurah 586:61
“The air needs to blow the way it grows, with the narrow side against the person’s mouth”