Blowing the Shofar

On the origins and meanings of the mitzva of hearing the shofar on Rosh Hashanah.

Resource Ages: 9-11, 12-14

Source

The Torah commands us to blow the shofar on Rosh Hashanah:

“And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a holy assembly: you shall do no work; it is a day of blowing the horn for you.”

(Numbers 29:1)

Our Sages later introduced the blessing for hearing the shofar:

“Blessed are You, Lord our God, Sovereign of the universe, Who has sanctified us with God’s commandments and commanded us to hear the sound of the shofar.”

וּבַחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ, מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה לָכֶם, כָּל מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ.

יוֹם תְּרוּעָה יִהְיֶה לָכֶם.

(במדבר כט, א)

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה’ אֱלהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעולָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְותָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לִשְׁמועַ קול שׁופָר.

Blowing the Shofar at the Western Wall / Photo by Ohayon Avi, GPO.

Foundations for Planning

Essential Questions

  • What makes time holy?
  • How are symbols used in celebrations and holidays?

Content Questions Related to the Essential Questions

  • Why do we blow a shofar?
  • What are the different reasons a shofar is used in the Jewish tradition and in other cultures?
  • How can hearing the sounds of a shofar influence a person?

Background for Teacher

The biblical verse specifies the date of Rosh Hashanah – the first day of the seventh month. In the Torah, the first month of the year was regarded as Nisan, the month when Bnei Yisrael left Egypt. Accordingly, in biblical times the festival was...

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The biblical verse specifies the date of Rosh Hashanah – the first day of the seventh month. In the Torah, the first month of the year was regarded as Nisan, the month when Bnei Yisrael left Egypt. Accordingly, in biblical times the festival was not actually a “new year,” and was called a “day of blowing” (the shofar). No explanation is offered for the practice of blowing the shofar, but analogous cases show that was a festive way of announcing the festival. In the Psalms, we read: “Blow the horn at the new moon, at the full moon for our feast-day” (Psalm 81:4).

In the days of the Sages, in the first centuries CE, the Hebrew calendar underwent various changes, and Tishrei came to be regarded as the start of the year: “The first of Tishri is the new year for years […]” (Mishnah Rosh Hashanah 1:1). The festival acquired new meaning as a New Year, and the blowing of the shofar came to be associated with the new themes of the festival – soul-searching and repentance: elements that had not previously been mentioned.

The Sages defined three distinct ways of blowing the shofar, known as tekiah, shevarim, and teruah, and stated that 100 shofar blasts must be heard on each day of the festival (when the first day of Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbat, the shofar is not blown). They also added a special blessing to be recited before hearing the shofar. They clarified that the shofar must be made from the horn of a ram, as a reminder of the Binding of Isaac, when Abraham sacrificed a ram in place of his son.

Optional Hooks
In-Depth Discussion
Suggested Activities
Further Study
How to Do It?

Show the students excerpts from three films:

  • An excerpt from Post Horn Gallop
  • An excerpt featuring the blowing of the war horn from the film Lord of the Rings (at 2:00) (or a compilation of scenes showing the blowing of the horn from the film)
  • A clip showing a formal fanfare at a royal reception 

Ask: what do you think is the purpose of blowing horns or trumpets? Why did people choose this instrument for this purpose (rather than a percussion or string instrument, for example). 

In many cultures, blowing a horn developed as a warning alert, battle cry, ceremonial statement, etc., due to the horn’s sharp, loud sound. This is also seen in Jewish culture. When Bnei Yisrael wandered through the desert, the shofar or silver strumpets were used to announce the beginning of special days, starting a new trek or coming to halt, and the beginning of a battle. The shofar also plays a special role at Rosh Hashanah.

Now play the students an example of shofar blowing. Ask them to concentrate on the sound and suggest what its special meaning could be.

Click here to view our consolidated list of suggested interactive pedagogies for classroom discussion.

  1. Blowing the shofar was very important during the period when Bnei Yisrael wandered through the desert. What communal role did shofar blowing play during this period?
  2. How did you feel when you listened to the shofar? What thoughts and emotions did it inspire?
  3. In today’s world, when we blow the shofar in the synagogue during services, what role do you think it plays?
  1. Together with the students, look at the different occasions in the Bible when the shofar was blown, and discuss its role.
    You could divide the students into groups and ask each group to concentrate on a different instance:
    Giving of the Torah (Exodus 19:16)
    The Jubilee Year (Leviticus 25:8-10)
    Bringing down the Walls of Jericho (Joshua 6:2-5)

  2. After the groups share their findings, ask: What is the connection between the ancient functions of the shofar and its function now at Rosh Hashanah? Think about situations when might be appropriate to blow the shofar in your community (for example, some Jewish communities blow the shofar to announce the beginning of Shabbat).
  • Study the section The Shofar – An Alarm Clock, which discusses the way the sounds of the shofar awaken us and encourage soul-searching.
  • Learn about Tashlich, another symbolic act performed at Rosh Hashanah. 
  • Detailed explanation in English about how to blow the shofar.
  • Video film in English about how to blow the shofar.
  • Video film in Hebrew about how to blow the shofar.
  • Video film in English showing how the shofar is made.