B"H
Tuesday, Elul 19, 5780 / September 8, 2020
Every holiday has it’s special mitzvot, which represent the significance of the holiday. The special and unique mitzvah performed on Rosh Hashana is the blowing of the Shofar.
Q. How does the Shofar express the idea and message of Rosh Hashana?
A. The Torah does not state the reason for blowing the Shofar on Rosh Hashana. Yet, the rabbis throughout the generations have related various explanations for this mitzvah and its connection to Rosh Hashana. Here are some of them:
* The Shofar on Rosh Hashana, the Day of Judgment, serves as a wake up call to return to G-d.
* In the Rosh Hashana prayers we proclaim G-d as King of the Universe. At the coronation of a king, it was customary to blow trumpets. Through the Shofar we proclaim G-d’s Kingship over the universe.
* The sound of the Shofar reminds us of the Giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai, which was accompanied by thunder, lightning and the sound of the Shofar (Exodus 20:15).
Q. What is the connection between the Giving of the Torah on the holiday of Shavuot and the blowing of the Shofar Rosh Hashana?
A. Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Barditchev gives the following parable: A king became lost in a forest. He wandered deeper and deeper in the woods, until he lost all hope of ever seeing his beautiful palace again. One day, he met a man who helped him out of the forest and back to his palace.
The king rewarded the man greatly and made him one of his closest friends. One day, the man sinned against the king. Knowing that he was about to be severely punished, the man asked of the king to grant him one wish--that he be allowed to wear the same clothes that he wore when he saved the king. The king agreed. As soon as the king looked at him, he remembered how the man saved his life. Immediately, the king felt affection and compassion for the man and forgave the sinner and restored him to his previous position.
When G-d wanted to give the Torah He approached many nations, but no other nation was willing to accept the restrictions and responsibility of the Torah and mitzvot. Only the people of Israel accepted the Torah and crowned G-d as their king. Sounding the Shofar on Rosh Hashana recalls the Giving of the Torah when the Jewish people were there for G-d. So too, we pray that He will remember our accepting of the Torah and will overlook our misdeeds of the past year and be merciful to us, accepting us as we are and grant us a happy and healthy New Year.
* The Shofar is also a sound of hope for it reminds us of the ultimate redemption, with the coming of Moshiach whose arrival will be announced with the sound of the Shofar.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY & SHANA TOVA