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Rabbi Lazar Rivkin of Chabad/Young Israel of
Tampa
sounds the shofar calls in the week before Rosh Hashanah,
5767. Rabbi Rivkin and his son, Rabbi Uriel Rivkin, led a series
of Shofar Factory prgrams at synagogues in the Tampa area to
teach local Jewish youth about the shofar and its uses and
meanings.
The Rabbi demonstrates the calls here, although he also adds a
few extras at the end. The calls are "tekiah" one long opening
blast. Then, "Shevarim," three medium blasts almost imitating
the sound of plaintive moaning. Then, "T'ruah" a string of nine
or more short blasts sounding like an alarm, or even deep
sobbing. The set of calls then traditionally ends with the "Tekiah
Gedolah," the longest blast of all.
The horn itself must be from a kosher animal, although not taken
from a living one. Cows are ruled out due to the sin of the
Golden Calf (why remind Hashem of our sins right when we are
seeking his forgiveness). The Talmud (Tractate Rosh Hashanah)
specifies that an antelope or ram horn is acceptable. However,
traditionally most European and Sephardi Jews prefer the Ram's
horn, while Yemenite Jews prefer the kudu antelope's long curly
horn.
The shofar is of great spiritual importance to Jews. We are
commanded to hear its sound and hearing it is a great and
meaningful mitzvah. On the New Year and Day of Repentance (Rosh
Hashanah and Yom Kippur) the Shofar is of special value, for as
The Rambam (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, also called Maimonides,
1138-1204) wrote, the shofar's call will "awaken you sleepers
from your (spiritual) slumber. Search your ways and return to
Hashem in Teshuva (repentance)." |
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