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| Shofar |
Rosh Hashahah starts tonight at sundown. It is the Jewish New Year, and a time to reflect on our lives and actions in the last year. There is much introspection and self examination. I love it. Anything that gets me turning inward is on my to do list.
One of the things we do in the Jewish month leading up to Rosh Hashanah is blow the Shofar. The shofar is a horn taken from a Kosher animal that is then hollowed out. I love the sound of the shofar. It is an almost haunting sound. Beautiful. Soul stirring. Mournful.
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| Girl Blowing the Shofar |
Like everything else in Judaism there are several reasons we blow the shofar. First is we are commanded to hear it blown. It's a mitzvah, also known as command. It is a way to travel back in time to Sinai and hear what our ancestors heard. It represents the voice of HaShem (G-d) calling to us. It is also similar to a wake up call. A cosmic alarm clock if you will. Wake up! Wake up! The time is here! It's time to wake up to your life!
I actually have an app on my phone that allows me to blow the shofar. I live is southern Texas, and road out hurricane Harvey. There was a quiet morning in the middle of it all, and I sat in my living room an used the app. It was silent all around me other than the intense vibrato floating through the air. I was moved to tears as I felt a calming peace descend upon me. I felt loved, protected, and completely aware of my vulnerability in that moment. I knew that no matter what happened everything would be alright.
If you want to hear what the shofar sounds like just click here. Enjoy!
