Rosh Hashana

Shofar- Wake up!

Every day in our davening we beseech Hashem to forgive us for our iniquities, and pray that we come closer to Hashem, as well as to perfection of ourselves.

“Bring us back to Your Torah, Father... forgive us for we have erred... willfully sinned... behold our afflictions and speedily redeem us... for You are the Good and Forgiving God.”

However, even with these daily segments of teshuva, there are still specific times throughout the year when we especially focus on our relationship to Hashem, emphasizing how He is our King and our Father, that we must obey his commandments with love and fear. We reflect on our deeds – purifying and purging ourselves of any ounce of wrongdoing and clinging and increasing the positive deeds of mind, body, and soul, both in our relationship with Hashem and our relationship with our fellow Jew. These days of increased awe and vigilance lie in the month of Elul, and the time between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

The significant part of these days is the emotional cry of the ram’s horn, the shofar, blown in the Beit Knesset during days of Selichot leading to the climax of the 100 blows on Rosh Hashanah, the day which recalls the sixth day of creation – when man was created. Chazal state that the sound of the shofar exerts an enormous influence on directing the heart of a Jew in returning to Hashem in teshuva. But with all this focus on the shofar, it is easy to get lost in what its true purpose is...

We have a biblical obligation to blow the shofar on Rosh Hashanah, the first day of the month of Tishrei, “The first day of the seventh month shall be a sacred holiday to you... it shall be a day of sounding the ram’s horn.” (Bamidbar 29:1) The RaMBaM states that while we have an obligation to blow the shofar simply because Hashem commanded us to, the blowing of the shofar also reminds us to wake up! As if each teruah was saying, “Arise, arise you sleepers from your sleep, and awaken you slumbering ones from your slumber; search your ways and repent, and remember your Creator!” (Yad, Hilchot Teshuva 3:4)

The Maggid from Dubno, Rabbi Yaakov Kranz, famous for his parables that taught instructive lessons, shares one that illustrates this point beautifully:

There was once a simpleton who happened to stay overnight in a town not his own. Suddenly, late into the night, he was awoken by the sound of beating drums. Looking out his window he saw flames flaring from roofs of buildings! Confused and curious, he went down to the reception area of the motel, and he asked the receptionist about the noise outside. The receptionist replied, “Oh, there is fire a few blocks down, but have no worry, the fire drums have gone off and soon all will turn well. You should return to your room and sleep.” And so, he did.

When he awoke the next morning, he was shocked for the flames were indeed all put out. He said to himself, “Wow! The fire drums really worked! They put out the fire! I must notify my town of this magical device; I will be a hero!” He returned to his town and spoke to them of the wonders of the fire drums, how they were able to extinguish the flames of several houses with the simple beating of the drums. The mayor and town board were convinced and bought several of these “fire drums.” Sure enough, a few days later, a fire erupted in the town. Quickly, the excited townspeople rushed to the fire drums, all grabbing a drumstick to bang it. To their great surprise, the fire ravaged more and more, until a great part of the village burnt down. A shocked villager screamed and cried at them, “You fools! Never has the beating of drums frightened a fire to run away! The drums are meant to alert the firemen so that they run and extinguish the fire!!

The message of the parable is obvious. We must not think that the shofar and our recitation of the selichot and high holiday prayers when done by rote is a magic shortcut that will push off all the consequences of our mistakes. Instead, we must realize that they are like the beating drums - our wake-up call to do teshuva, and plan and implement our actions to better ourselves. Only then will we succeed in extinguishing the roaring flames of evil that are within us, and enlighten ourselves with the nourishing waters of Torah and mitzvot and serve Hashem with our full heart.

When Adam went into hiding from Hashem, it was on Rosh Hashana the passuk says (Bereshit 3:8) "Vayishme'u et Kol Hashem"- They heard the voice of Hashem. That voice was the sound of a Shofar blown by Hashem calling to them to come back, you can’t hide. (Chochmat HaTorah parashat Bereshit pg. 267).

The word Shofar shares the same root as the word Shaper (or lehishtaper), which means to improve oneself. The shofar reminds us to better ourselves and draw closer to Hashem.

Lessons from the Shofar

"One Step at a Time"

The Shofar has a narrow opening at the bottom, which gradually widens until it reaches its peak at the top, the widest point. This progression teaches us a valuable lesson: when coming close to Hashem, one should proceed cautiously, step by step, like the Shofar, rather than rushing ahead. The Gr”a in Even Shelema (4:10) writes that people often skip steps and then experience setbacks, blaming Hashem for their difficulties. However, these individuals are at fault for not following a gradual path. Instead, one should advance up the ladder one step at a time.

Consider the story of a man who was tasked with delivering a package from one side of town to the other. As he began his journey, he soon realized the package was too burdensome for him to carry to the end. Instead of giving up, he saw a stop sign nearby and decided to walk only as far as the sign. Upon reaching the stop sign, he noticed a traffic light about 50 meters ahead and set that as his next goal. By setting and achieving these small, incremental goals, he eventually reached his destination.

Another story illustrating this principle involves the Steipler Ga’on (Rabbi Ya’akov Yisrael Kannievsky). As a young man conscripted into the Red Army, he had guard duty one Shabbat on a frigid Russian night. There was only one special coat to protect the guard from the cold, which was passed from one soldier to the next. When the Steipler arrived at his post, he found that the coat was hung on a tree.The Steipler was not willing to take the coat, as it is prohibited to remove anything from a tree on Shabbat. While it was permissible to remove the coat in a life-threatening situation, the Steipler chose not to take it. He reasoned that it was permitted to wait until the situation became life- threatening. He decided to endure the cold in five- minute increments, telling himself he could last another five minutes before the situation would be critical. He continued this way throughout the night until morning.

Breaking down goals into smaller increments can lead to success. We learn this from Yaakov Avinu, who told Esau, "You go ahead; I will go at my slow pace" (Bereshit 33:14). Esau, representing the evil inclination, always urges us to rush, to jump ahead, and to skip steps. Yaakov, however, was wise enough to understand the value of proceeding step by step, knowing that this gradual approach would ultimately help him achieve his goals (Mayim Adirim).

Shofar – Eye of a Needle

The Midrash Rabbah (Shir Hashirim 5:3) states that Hashem urges the Jewish people to do teshuvah by saying: “Open up for me an opening like the eye of a needle, and in turn, I will enlarge it to be an opening through which wagons can enter.” This means that a Jew merely needs to initiate the teshuvah process, and Hashem will assist him exponentially.

The Shofar has two openings: a narrow one and a wide one. These openings symbolize the small opening that the Jew makes and the much larger opening that Hashem provides. While many may hesitate to undertake teshuvah, fearing it to be a difficult process, the message of the shofar refutes this.The Shofar teaches one to make a small effort to draw closer to Hashem, and He will open His gates for you and facilitate your return.

The following story illustrates the impact of making an opening for Hashem and overcoming the evil inclination, leading to great outcomes:

There was once a very wealthy man named Natan who desired to marry a woman named Hannah, who was already married. His intense longing to marry Hannah caused him to become severely ill. The doctors informed him that there was no hope for recovery unless he married her. The Sages of Israel decreed that Natan should die from his illness rather than marry Hannah, as such an action would be considered adultery, for which one must sacrifice their life rather than transgress.

At that time, Hannah’s husband was extremely impoverished, and many creditors pressured him to repay his debts, eventually having him imprisoned. Hannah worked tirelessly, weaving wool to buy bread, which she brought to her husband daily.

After some time in prison, Hannah’s husband’s mental state deteriorated, and he wished for death rather than endure such a life. He begged Hannah, “Please, go to Natan, who is very wealthy, and ask him for a loan to free me from prison.” Hannah replied, “Have you not heard that Natan is ill because of his desire to marry me?!” She then left in anger and returned home.

Several days later, moved by pity for her husband, Hannah returned to the prison. He once again tearfully pleaded with her to seek a loan from Natan. Hannah, feeling mercy for her husband and praying to avoid sin, went to Natan’s home and requested a loan to release her husband. Natan instructed his servants to provide her with the requested amount.

Natan then told Hannah, “I have granted your request. You are aware that I am ill because of you.

Now, fulfill my wish!” Hannah responded, “I am in your hands and cannot oppose you. However, you have a tremendous opportunity to earn a share in the World to Come. Do not let this fleeting desire cause you to forfeit all your reward. You are filled with mitzvot like a pomegranate with your charity and good deeds. It would be a shame to lose it all for something so transient! Consider that you were on the brink of fulfilling your own desires but overcame your Evil Inclination, as the Mishnah states, ‘Who is the true hero? One who conquers his desires.’ By doing so, you will fulfill the wishes of your Creator and be fortunate in this world and praiseworthy in the next!”

Upon hearing Hannah’s words, Natan was invigorated with strength, rose from his bed, and overcame his Evil Inclination. He prayed fervently to Hashem, saying, “Please Hashem, help me this time to overcome my desires and guide me in the true and just path so that I may repent fully before You and not be ashamed in this world or humiliated in the next. Help me, Hashem, for the honor of Your name!” He then overcame his inclination and sent Hannah off to redeem her husband. However, Hannah’s husband suspected that she had sinned with Natan and berated her.

Later, Rabbi Akiva was walking with his students and noticed a man riding a horse, whose head was adorned with a celestial light that shone like the sparkle of the heavens. Rabbi Akiva asked one of his students, “Who is the man riding the horse?” The student replied, “That is Natan, who wished to take a married woman for himself!” Rabbi Akiva asked, “Do you see anything on his head?” The students replied, “No.” Rabbi Akiva then summoned Natan and inquired, “My son, what have you done to merit this?” Natan recounted the entire incident, including Hannah’s words and his full repentance before Hashem. Rabbi Akiva was pleased and said, “Fortunate are you in this world and praiseworthy in the next.” Rabbi Akiva then sent a message to Hannah’s husband, affirming her righteousness, and they lived together in peace. (Menorat HaMa’or, Perek HaTeshuvah)

Shofar- Facing the Heavens

The Shofar has a narrow opening at the bottom and a wide opening at the top. This design symbolizes our focus in life. The narrow bottom represents our physical, mundane world, suggesting that we should devote less attention to worldly matters. In contrast, the wide top alludes to the Heavens, encouraging us to concentrate more on spirituality, especially Torah and Mitzvot.

There's a beautiful story which brings out this point:

Chaim returned home from shul after Shacharit, eager for a hearty breakfast. His wife, knowing his favorite dish, asked him to stop by the market to pick up some tomatoes and onions for shakshuka. He agreed and set off for the shuk.

As he wandered through the bustling market, Chaim’s attention was caught by a long line at a particular vendor. Curious, he approached and asked the people in line what was going on. One man explained with excitement that the vendor was selling walnuts at an incredible price. Intrigued, Chaim inquired further and discovered that the walnuts were being sold for just 5 rubles per kilo, a fraction of the usual 40 rubles per kilo.

Seizing the opportunity, Chaim quickly joined the line. After an hour of waiting, it was finally his turn. He asked for 5 kilos of walnuts but then thought, “I could share these with my friends and relatives as gifts.” So, he decided to buy 10 kilos. As he reached for his wallet, he found only a 100-ruble banknote. Without hesitation, he asked for 20 kilos and decided to donate 10 kilos to the community Yeshiva for the students.

When Chaim arrived home, his wife was surprised to see him struggling with heavy bags. “What’s all this?” she asked. “It’s walnuts,” Chaim replied with a smile. “Walnuts? Why so many? What about the tomatoes and onions?” she inquired. Chaim eagerly explained the fantastic deal he had gotten, and she was pleased with his bargain.

Excited to enjoy the nuts, Chaim sat down with a nutcracker. However, his joy quickly turned to frustration. The first walnut was empty—no nut inside. The second was the same. He cracked open ten nuts from different bags, and each was just a hollow shell. Infuriated, Chaim grabbed all the bags and rushed back to the market.

When he arrived, he found the vendor still at his stall. Chaim approached him, seething with anger. “You scammed me! Give me back my money!” he demanded. The vendor looked puzzled. “What’s the problem?” he asked. Chaim explained that he had paid for walnuts but received only empty shells.

The vendor replied calmly, “How much do you usually pay for a kilo of walnuts?” Chaim answered, “40 rubles.” The vendor continued, “Let’s do the math. A walnut consists of two parts: the nut and the shell. If the full walnut costs 40 rubles, then the shell alone is worth 20 rubles. I sold you the shells for just 5 rubles per kilo, giving you a 75% discount. You should actually be thanking me.” Chaim, still fuming, retorted, “Are you joking? The shell is worthless without the nut. It’s merely a casing. The real value is in the nut itself.”

The lesson here is profound. Hashem places our soul within our bodies. The body’s purpose is to serve as a vessel for the soul, but on its own, it has little intrinsic value. Many people invest heavily in physical pleasures, but without a connection to spirituality, what is their worth? We should use our bodies as tools for the soul, using them to support our spiritual growth. For instance, we sleep to gain energy to serve Hashem, eat to strengthen ourselves to fulfill His commandments, and so forth.

Another story to illustrate this idea:

Once upon a time, a king entrusted his servant with a delicate task. He instructed him to deliver a carefully wrapped box to the mayor of a distant town. The king emphasized the importance of handling the box with the utmost care, as it was of utmost value and must not be damaged during the journey.

The servant set out with the box; his mind filled with the weight of his responsibility. As he traveled many miles, he noticed that the box seemed to be bending and warping. Concerned, he decided to investigate. Opening the box, he was startled to find a large, heavy stone inside.

“Aha!” exclaimed the servant, recognizing the cause of the box’s damage. “This stone is too heavy and is ruining the precious box!” Without a moment’s hesitation, he heaved the stone out of the box and tossed it over a nearby bridge into the deep, dark ocean below. Relieved that he had resolved the issue, he continued his journey with renewed confidence.

Eventually, he arrived at the town and presented himself to the mayor. The mayor welcomed him warmly, eager to see the contents of the king’s box. When he opened it, he was taken aback to find it completely empty.

Perplexed, the Mayor asked, “Where is the stone that was supposed to be inside?”

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” the servant replied casually. “I noticed that the stone was causing potential damage to the box, which the king specifically asked me to deliver intact. So, I threw the stone into the ocean. I’m glad I caught it in time!”

The mayor’s expression turned to one of frustration. “You fool!” he exclaimed. “The box was merely a protective layer for the valuable stone inside. Without the stone, the box is worthless. You’ve destroyed the very thing that was of true value!”