The Competing Narratives of the Shofar

MISHNA: The order of the blasts is three sets of three blasts each, which are: Tekia, terua, and tekia. The length of a tekia is equal to the length of three teruot, and the length of a terua is equal to the length of three whimpers.

This verse states: “The blast [terua] of the shofar,” indicating that one must sound a terua. The Gemara asks: And from where is it derived that the terua sound is preceded by a straight blast, i.e., a tekia? The verse states: “Then you shall make proclamation with the blast of the shofar [shofar terua]” (Leviticus 25:9), indicating that the terua must be preceded by the basic sound of a shofar, i.e., by the straight blast of a tekia. And from where is it derived that the terua sound is followed by a straight blast? The same verse states again: “You shall make proclamation with the shofar,” which indicates that there must be another tekia after the terua.

(2) The LORD said to Joshua, “See, I will deliver Jericho and her king [and her] warriors into your hands.(3) Let all your troops march around the city and complete one circuit of the city. Do this six days, (4) with seven priests carrying seven ram’s horns preceding the Ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. (5) And when a long blast is sounded on the horn—as soon as you hear that sound of the horn—all the people shall give a mighty shout. Thereupon the city wall will collapse, and the people shall advance, every man straight ahead.”... (9) The vanguard marched in front of the priests who were blowing the horns, and the rear guard marched behind the Ark, with the horns sounding all the time. (10) But Joshua’s orders to the rest of the people were, “Do not shout, do not let your voices be heard, and do not let a sound issue from your lips until the moment that I command you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout.”... (15) On the seventh day, they rose at daybreak and marched around the city, in the same manner, seven times; that was the only day that they marched around the city seven times. (16) On the seventh round, as the priests blew the horns, Joshua commanded the people, “Shout! For the LORD has given you the city. (20) So the people shouted when the horns were sounded. When the people heard the sound of the horns, the people raised a mighty shout and the wall collapsed. The people rushed into the city, every man straight in front of him, and they captured the city.

As it is written: “It is a day of sounding [terua] the shofar to you” (Numbers 29:1), and we translate this verse in Aramaic as: It is a day of yevava to you. And to define a yevava, the Gemara quotes a verse that is written about the mother of Sisera: “Through the window she looked forth and wailed [vateyabev], the mother of Sisera” (Judges 5:28).

(24) Most blessed of women be Jael, Wife of Heber the Kenite, Most blessed of women in tents. (25) He asked for water, she offered milk; In a princely bowl she brought him curds. (26) Her [left] hand reached for the tent pin, Her right for the workmen’s hammer. She struck Sisera, crushed his head, Smashed and pierced his temple. (27) At her feet he sank, lay outstretched, At her feet he sank, lay still; Where he sank, there he lay—destroyed. (28) Through the window peered Sisera’s mother, Behind the lattice she whined: “Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why so late the clatter of his wheels?” (29) The wisest of her ladies give answer; She, too, replies to herself: (30) “They must be dividing the spoil they have found: A damsel or two for each man, Spoil of dyed cloths for Sisera, Spoil of embroidered cloths, A couple of embroidered cloths Round every neck as spoil.”

(5) The order of the blessings [to be said during the silent prayer of musaf - the additional prayer service -... Rabbi Akiva said the proper order is as follows:] ‎ one says avot and gevurot and kedushat Hashem, and [then] includes malkhiot with kedushat hayom, and [then] blows [the shofar; then] zikhronot and [then] he blows; [then] the ‏shofarot‎ and [then] he blows [a third time]; and [then] he says, avodah and hodaah and birkat Kohanim."

Rabbi Elazar says: Since the day the Temple was destroyed the gates of prayer were locked, and prayer is not accepted as it once was, as it is stated in lament of the Temple’s destruction: “Though I plead and call out, He shuts out my prayer” (Lamentations 3:8). Yet, despite the fact that the gates of prayer were locked with the destruction of the Temple, the gates of tears were not locked, and one who cries before God may rest assured that his prayers will be answered, as it is stated: “Hear my prayer, Lord, and give ear to my pleading, keep not silence at my tears” (Psalms 39:13).

(1) Yirmiyahu 31:2-20For thus spoke God: A voice is heard on high, crying and lamenting bitterly; it is Rachel weeping over her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are gone. For thus spoke God: Refrain (your voice) from crying and your eyes from shedding tears; for there is a reward for your deeds, said God; and they shall return from the land of the enemy. And there is hope for your future, said God; and the sons shall return to their borders.

(1) I Shmuel 1-2:10

(2) And there was a certain man from Ramathaim-Zophim, the hills of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Yerocham, the son of Eliyhu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuf, a distinguished man. And he had two wives; one named Hannah and the other, Peninah. And Peninah had children but Hannah had no children. And [Hannah's] rival taunted her bitterly to provoke her, because God had closed up her womb. And as he did so from year to year; whenever she came up to the House of God, she provoked Hannah who wept and would not eat.

And Hannah arose after they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, and Eli, the Priest, sat on the chair near the door-post of the Temple of God. And she was bitterly grieved and prayed to God and wept. And she vowed a vow and said: “God of Hosts if You will see the anguish of Your handmaid and remember me and will not forget Your handmaid and will give Your handmaid a son—then I will give him to God all the days of his life and no razor shall touch his head.” And she prayed so long before God that Eli observed her mouth. But Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved but her voice was not heard. And Eli thought her to be a drunkard. And Eli said to her: “How long will you remain drunk? Free yourself from your need of wine!” And Hannah answered and said: “No, my master, I am a woman of grieved spirit; I have not drunk any wine or other intoxicating drinks. But I have poured out my soul in the presence of God. Do not take your handmaid for a wicked woman; it is only because of my sorrow and grief that I have spoken until now.”And Eli answered and said: “Go in peace! And may the God of Yisrael grant you that which you asked of Him.” And she said: “May your servant find grace in your eyes.” And the woman went on her way and she ate and she was no longer grieved.

(4) And they arose early in the morning and prostrated themselves before God and returned to their home in Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah, his wife, and God remembered. And in the course of days, Hannah conceived and bore a son and she called him Shmuel, because from God I asked for him. A

GEMARA: Rabbi Yehuda says: On Rosh HaShana they would blow with the curved horns of rams, and on the Days of Atonement of the Jubilee Years with the horns of ibexes. Rabbi Yehuda, holds that on Rosh HaShana the more a person bends his mind and humbles himself by bending in prayer, the better. Therefore, a curved shofar is sounded as an allusion to our bent minds and bodies. But on Yom Kippur, the more a person straightens his mind and prays with simplicity, the better. Therefore, a straight shofar is sounded.