(יג) וַיִּשָּׂ֨א אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֶת־עֵינָ֗יו וַיַּרְא֙ וְהִנֵּה־אַ֔יִל אַחַ֕ר נֶאֱחַ֥ז בַּסְּבַ֖ךְ בְּקַרְנָ֑יו וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ אַבְרָהָם֙ וַיִּקַּ֣ח אֶת־הָאַ֔יִל וַיַּעֲלֵ֥הוּ לְעֹלָ֖ה תַּ֥חַת בְּנֽוֹ׃
(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.
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
Similarly, Rabbi Abbahu said: Why does one sound a blast with a shofar made from a ram’s horn on Rosh HaShana? The Holy One, Blessed be He, 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.
Share a miracle big or small that happened to you this past year. What is something that could symbolize that miracle?
(כד) דַּבֵּ֛ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר בַּחֹ֨דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֜י בְּאֶחָ֣ד לַחֹ֗דֶשׁ יִהְיֶ֤ה לָכֶם֙ שַׁבָּת֔וֹן זִכְר֥וֹן תְּרוּעָ֖ה מִקְרָא־קֹֽדֶשׁ׃(כה) כָּל־מְלֶ֥אכֶת עֲבֹדָ֖ה לֹ֣א תַעֲשׂ֑וּ וְהִקְרַבְתֶּ֥ם אִשֶּׁ֖ה לַיהוה׃ (ס)
(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 Adonai.
What element do you need most to awaken you in these moments of the new year: shofar or fire? What links the two? How might they compliment one another?
(טז) וַיְהִי֩ בַיּ֨וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֜י בִּֽהְיֹ֣ת הַבֹּ֗קֶר וַיְהִי֩ קֹלֹ֨ת וּבְרָקִ֜ים וְעָנָ֤ן כָּבֵד֙ עַל־הָהָ֔ר וְקֹ֥ל שֹׁפָ֖ר חָזָ֣ק מְאֹ֑ד וַיֶּחֱרַ֥ד כָּל־הָעָ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר בַּֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃
(16) On the third day, as morning dawned, there was thunder, and lightning, and a dense cloud upon the mountain, and a very loud blast of the horn; and all the people who were in the camp trembled.
(ח)וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֞וּ אֶת־ק֨וֹל יהוה אֱלֹהִ֛ים מִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ בַּגָּ֖ן לְר֣וּחַ הַיּ֑וֹם וַיִּתְחַבֵּ֨א הָֽאָדָ֜ם וְאִשְׁתּ֗וֹ מִפְּנֵי֙ יהוה אֱלֹהִ֔ים בְּת֖וֹךְ עֵ֥ץ הַגָּֽן׃
(8)They heard the sound of Adonai moving about in the garden at the breezy time of day; and the man and his wife hid from the Adonai among the trees of the garden.
(ט) וַיִּקְרָ֛א יהוה אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־הָֽאָדָ֑ם וַיֹּ֥אמֶר ל֖וֹ אַיֶּֽכָּה׃
(9)Adonai called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”
(ז) הַתּוֹקֵעַ לְתוֹךְ הַבּוֹר אוֹ לְתוֹךְ הַדּוּת אוֹ לְתוֹךְ הַפִּטָּס, אִם קוֹל שׁוֹפָר שָׁמַע, יָצָא. וְאִם קוֹל הֲבָרָה שָׁמַע, לֹא יָצָא. וְכֵן מִי שֶׁהָיָה עוֹבֵר אֲחוֹרֵי בֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת, אוֹ שֶׁהָיָה בֵיתוֹ סָמוּךְ לְבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת, וְשָׁמַע קוֹל שׁוֹפָר אוֹ קוֹל מְגִלָּה, אִם כִּוֵּן לִבּוֹ, יָצָא, וְאִם לָאו, לֹא יָצָא. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁזֶּה שָׁמַע וְזֶה שָׁמַע, זֶה כִּוֵּן לִבּוֹ וְזֶה לֹא כִוֵּן לִבּוֹ:
(7) One who blows into a cistern, or into a cellar or into a barrel; if they heardthesound of the shofar, they have fulfilled [their obligation]; if they heard the sound of an echo, they have not fulfilled [their obligation]. And so [too], a person who was passing behind a synagogue, or whose house was adjacent to a synagogue, and heard the sound of a shofar or the sound of [someone reading the] scroll [of Esther, on Purim]; if they [had intention for the commandment], they have fulfilled [their obligation], but if not, they have not fulfilled [their obligation]. Even though this one heard and that one heard, this one had intention, and that one did not have intention.
What is something you would like to listen for more intentionally in the year ahead?
Bonus: How will you put yourself into situations where you can listen for that more carefully?
The Baal Shem Tov, Keter Shem Tov, 194 (Based on an adaptation by Rabbi Joshua Koperwas)
A king had an only daughter, the apple of his eye. The king wanted his daughter to master different fields of knowledge and to experience various cultures, so he sent her to a far-off country, supplied with a generous quantity of silver and gold. Far away from home, the daughter squandered all the money until she was left completely destitute. In her distress she resolved to return to her father's house and after much difficulty, she managed to arrive at the gate of the courtyard to her father's palace.
In the passage of time, she had actually forgotten the language of her native country, and she was unable to identify herself to the guards. In utter despair she began to cry out in a loud voice, and the king, who recognized the voice of his daughter, went out to her and brought her into the house, kissing her and hugging her.
The meaning of the parable: The king is God. The princess is the Jewish people, who are called "Children of God" (Deuteronomy 14:1). God sends a soul down to this world in order to fulfill its potential of bringing good into this world through the strictures of our faith. However, the soul becomes very distant and forgets everything to which it was accustomed to above, and in the long exile it forgets even its own "language." So it utters a simple cry to God. 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 responds to us bringing us back to fulfill our potential.
Rabbi Samuel Chiel
There are lots of explanations of the Shofar. Let me share with you one of the simplest. I heard it from a lifeguard in California, from a young man who works as both a lifeguard and as a counsellor at a camp that I visited there. He was explaining to his class what the shofar was and he said: "Just as when you wander too far out into the deep water I blow my whistle as a warning that you are getting into danger, so we blow the shofar once a year to remind us that we shouldn't wander away too far into deep water.”
Ze'ev Wolf of Zhitomir
On Rosh Hashanah the world is re-created, and so all of God's names are once again drawn into a single unity. On the Day of Judgment it is decided which name of God will descend on each individual that year. Listening to the sound of the shofar, we can each discover which name will descend upon us.
Schneur Zalman of Liadi
Every year there descends and radiates a new and renewed light which has never yet been shone. For the light of every year withdraws to its source in the Infinite One who is beyond time... but though the sounding of the shofar and by means of the prayers we utter, a new and superior light is elicited... a new and more sublime light that has never yet shone since the beginning of the world. Its manifestation, however, depends on the actions of those below, and on their merits and penitence during the Ten Days of T'shuvah.
(א) ק֥וּמִי א֖וֹרִי כִּ֣י בָ֣א אוֹרֵ֑ךְ וּכְב֥וֹד יהוה עָלַ֥יִךְ זָרָֽח׃
(1) Stand up and shine! Through your light the Presence of God is felt in this world.
Name one way you will shine your light more clearly in the year ahead.
(יא) א֭וֹר זָרֻ֣עַ לַצַּדִּ֑יק וּֽלְיִשְׁרֵי־לֵ֥ב שִׂמְחָֽה׃
(11) Light is sown for the righteous, radiance for the upright.