by Rabbi David Walk

The clarion call of the shofar is heard these days throughout Jewish neighborhoods. The Sfardim are blasting away before dawn during their slichot, Ashkenazim end shacharit with a volley, and numerous baalei tkiah are annoying their friends and family with their seasonal preparations. Rav Saadyeh Gaon informs us that shofar notes are especially penetrating sounds (he claims that they are the only sounds that a baby cannot ignore, but of course he didnt know about car alarms). So, with this noise reverberating in our heads the annual question arises: What are we being called upon to do? What should our response to this summons be?

To begin this inquiry I turn to a familiar source. The Rambam in Hilchot Tshuva III:4 says: Even though the sounding of shofar is a Divine decree, there lies within a spiritual hint. As if it is announcing: Awake sleepers from our sleep and unconscious ones end your slumber! The Rambam is clearly stating that the shofar is a wake up call. But we are twice beckoned. What are the two kinds of sleep? What two ideas is the Rambam alluding to? (The Midrash [Vyikra Raba, Emor} says the call is a pun on the word shofar. Were told to improve {lshaper} our actions.)

The Gemara in Rosh Hashanah 26b records an argument that I believe is revealing. The Mishneh states that the shofar to be used on Rosh Hashanah should be of a yael (probably an ibex) and should be straight. The Gemara states: Rav Levi says that the mitzva of Rosh Hashanah is fulfilled with a bent-over shofar. The Gemara then brings a braita in the name of Rav Yehuda who says that on Rosh Hashanah we use a bent rams horn and on Yom Kippur (for the Jubilee) we use a straight horn. After stating that the halacha is like Rav Yehuda, the Gemara explains that the more bent over we are, the more effective is our Rosh Hashanah, while the straighter we are on Yom Kippur the better. Rashi explains that being bent over is the correct posture for the prayers of Yom HaDin. (Rashi: In his prayer it is preferable that ones face should be downcast.)

The problem is not really a halachic one. Tosafot state on the spot that both types are acceptable. So, we have to look for a spiritual meaning, a hint in this argument. The Netivot Shalom (Rav Shalom Noach Barzovsky, the Slonimer Rebbe) points out that shofar-blowing contains a few dualities. Perhaps the most famous is the fact that there are both happy (tkiah) and sad (truah) notes. We use the instrument to mourn and to exult. But for our purposes the Rebbe points out a more important dichotomy. The shofar blast pierces all barriers and arrives intact before the Rebono Shel Olam. No power can divert or dilute its thrust. On the other hand this note that cannot be ignored penetrates into our minds and hearts. It finds the sanctity residing in the depths of every Jew. The Shofar opens the gates of heaven and my heart. I believe the straight shofar represents the piercing of Hashems Halls, the bent the penetrating of my innermost sanctuary.

These two ideas may explain the famous rabbinic statement that we blow shofar before Musaf to confuse the (apparently not so clever) Satan. The power of the shofar to reach Hashem is the given of the mitzva, but its power to change me is the cause to which the Satan has no response. The Shofar as a part of prayer is the norm, but when we add a blowing to prepare ourselves for our rendezvous with Hashem, something very powerful is created.

Before I conclude Id like to share a thought from Rav Zadok HaCohen MLublin. Rav Zadok alludes to the famous idea that the ram sacrificed by Avraham Avinu at the Akeida had two unequal horns. The smaller horn was blown at Har Sinai, and the larger will be used to usher in the moshiach and the final redemption. What is the significance of the larger horn? Rav Zadok says the larger horn symbolizes the power to permeate (hitpashtut). Redemption is the message of the shofar permeating completely. The complete redemption comes when the universe is filled with the sound, and personal redemption when I am immersed in it.

Now we can go back to the Rambam. There is superficial sleep (shena) and profound sleep (tardema). Superficial sleep is what confronts the observer. Either a person is awake and active or asleep and immobile. Thats what we see; we dont know if ones rain is active or if he's in a coma. All we know is that right now he's not interacting with the world. Profound sleep is that sleep that is experienced by the sleeper, during which the world doesn't intrude.

The superficial sleep is represented by the straight shofar, the sleeper awakening to a confrontation with the world. The bent shofar is the metaphor for profound sleep. The deep sleeper becomes aware of himself. Both activities must happen for a successful Yom Hadin. We must improve our interface with the world, but more importantly the tshuva process must include a new awareness of who we are. This is why our sages prefer a bent shofar. We can only have a meaningful meeting with the greater world if we have confronted and developed our true selves.

Let us pray for and work towards a Yom Hadin and a new year in which the shofar brings us in touch with both the farthest spiritual reaches and deepest inner recesses