Would you like to join our "Shofar Chorus" this year during the High Holy Days?
In ancient times, Jews heard the sound of the shofar when something critically important was about to occur. The timbre of the shofar served as a call to do battle against Israel’s enemies. Its blasts gathered the people around Mount Sinai to hear Moses read the Ten Commandments. It was used to announce important community events.
Today, we continue the practice of listening to the sound of the shofar at morning services every day during Elul, the month of the Jewish calendar that precedes Tishrei and the start of the High Holy Days. (This year, Elul begins Tuesday evening, September 3rd).
You may wonder, ‘why is Rabbi Sobel writing about the shofar, Elul, and Rosh Hashanah now?! The first day of summer is today and it is only JUNE!’
We actually started preparing for the High Holy Days at TBS a few months ago. One of the ways in which we are preparing is to train those of you who are able, to join us for a “Shofar Chorus” on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. This takes time, training, and advance planning. (See details below).
On Rosh Hashanah, we are commanded to “hear the sounds of the shofar.” The shofar blasts are loud, distinctive, and they impart a note of urgency. When we hear them prior to Rosh Hashanah during Elul, the volume of the shofars blasts, and its stark cry serves as a reminder for us for during the upcoming Days of Awe, to "wake up" from our complacency, to change our behavior, to live its day to its fullest, and so much more. During Rosh Hashanah, the shofar itself has become an important symbol of the holiday. Long ago, the Sages named the definitive, familiar bursts of the horn:
• T’ki-ah—one long blast
• Sh’varim—three short blasts
• T’ru-ah—nine quick blasts
Today, these bursts also suggest different approaches to our annual cheshbon hanefesh, an accounting of our activities of the past year, which we review at this time. Thus, the blasts of the shofar echo different rhythms and patterns in our daily lives:
• If we live each day mindlessly with little thought of the future, our lives may seem like one long t’ki-ah, without much meaning.
• Or perhaps, if we are like the sh’varim blasts, we may be able to look a bit ahead but then become frustrated by being called back to deal with yet another short-term, pressing demand.
• Finally, we may be like the staccato sounds of t’ru-ah, trying to cope with the multitude of daily tasks that make our lives seem so frenetic we can scarcely catch our breath.
During the coming months, we will examine the meaning behind the shofar in more depth. In the meantime, we offer the following invitation:
Can you toot your own horn?
CALLING ALL BRASS INSTRUMENT PLAYERS
If you can play a brass instrument, you can
blow a SHOFAR!
(and even if you can’t, we’ll teach you!)
We invite you to learn to blow the shofar
and help enhance our High Holy Day
experience at Temple Beth Sholom with a
"Shofar Chorus"
Please join us for a multi-part
SHOFAR BLOWING WORKSHOP
Led by Temple Beth Sholom’s master shofar blower: Matthew Griffin
(Please note: If you already know how to blow the shofar, Matthew will meet with you to listen to your "shofar calls" and to explain how the "shofar chorus" will be arranged. Please rsvp and attend at least one of the two dates).
Tuesday, July 9th, 6:30 pm
Tuesday, July 16th, 6:30 pm
Other dates TBD by Matthew
(Attendance at all sessions is required for new shofar blowers).
If you have your own shofar, please bring it with you, if not, Rabbi Sobel and TBS have several that you can use.
