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Rebbetin Riddle Says...

Don't Blow it!
  David King of Israel Lives On!Gimme Shelter!  

The highlight of Rosh Hashana is blowing the Shofar (ram's horn). What connection is there between the Shofar and the Jewish New Year?

  1. On Rosh Hashana, we crown G-d as our King, and King of the universe. We blow the Shofar to proclaim G-d as our King.

  2. When G-d asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac, they were ready. However, G-d showed them a ram, which Abraham offered instead. The Shofar, made of a ram's horn, reminds us of Abraham and Isaac's courage and deeds.

  3. The Shofar is associated with the Giving of the Torah, which was accompanied by "thunder, lightning and the sound of the Shofar." (Exodus 20: 15).

We blow the Shofar to cry to G-d in a way that's even higher than words!

According to Jewish tradition, there are different types of Shofar sounds:

Tekia - a straight sound - like a person calling to someone to get his attention.

Teruah - a wailing tone - like someone who is very sad.

Sh'vorim - short, broken sounds - like someone who is crying bitterly.

Tekia-Gedolah - a long, straight sound that arouses G-d's mercy.

There is one more sound. It's made by the Shofar Gadol, the "great" Shofar. It announces that Moshiach is here.

May we hear the Shofar Gadol this year!


  David King of Israel Lives On!Gimme Shelter!  

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