Thesis: We
have the ability to coronate Hashem in both our state of completeness as well
as when we are broken.
Question:
Why only use the Shofar and not the trumpets?
Answer: the
shofar symbolizes our natural cycle through life and demonstrates that we can
coronate Hashem in whatever state we are in.
I, and I assume many people in this room, watched parts of
Queen Elizabeth’s burial proceedings. There was a real beautiful, coordinated
march with different parts of the military in their Royal Guard uniforms on
different sides of the hearse. In the middle there was an amazing brass
marching band. It is a real once in a lifetime event to see the way the British
Crown is treated.
However, as I was watching the procession, I could not hold
myself back from noticing that there was one instrument missing – the Sofar.
Yes, that would be a comedic sight to have one there. But then the real
question dawned on me:
Why are WE using a shofar and not trumpets? Think of how
majestic it would be to coronate Hashem on Rosh Hashanah with a full brass
orchestra – in the same way the Brits do it. While there are some in the room
who may actually enjoy the sound of the Shofar, we all can agree that the regal
instrument is the trumpet. Moreover, the passuk says “בַּ֭חֲצֹ֣צְרוֹת וְק֣וֹל שׁוֹפָ֑ר
הָ֝רִ֗יעוּ לִפְנֵ֤י ׀ הַמֶּ֬לֶךְ יְהֹוָֽה׃” – “ with trumpets and the
sound of the Shofar they shout before Hashem their God” – we clearly have the
option to use both trumpets and the shofar – so why only use the shofar?
I think the answer lies in the
sounds of the Shofar themselves and the names Chazal decided to call them. If
you look in the Torah, and almost everywhere in Tanach, the word Shofar is
accompanied by another word that describes the sound. This can be “tokeah”,
“kol”, “haviru”. This is different than the trumpet – chatzotzrot – which
is referred to by itself without the reference to the sound it makes.
The difference between the Shofar
and the trumpet, is that the trumpet is manmade, and the focus is the object
and the music, while the Shofar is a natural object and the focus is the
sounds.
I would like to suggest that the
words Chazal use for the Shofar and the sounds allows it to be a symbol that
everyone has the ability to coronate Hashem today, both those that are in a
spiritually high point and those that are in a spiritual low point.
The word shofar comes from
the root “leshaper” – “to fix” and symbolizes that the entire process of
life is one of fixing ourselves.
We begin with the first sound of
the Shofar, the “tekiah” – which comes from “tikkun” – or fixed. It is
the starting point where we are in a good spiritual place. The sound is one
long consistent note without any breaks.
However, there is always something
that trips us up and starts a down cycle. This is the “shevarim” – from
the word “leshaber” which means “to break”. The sound reflects this with
3 broken sounds.
The cycle continues until we reach
a spiritual low and realize that we need to come back. This is the teruah
– from yeriyah – “a shout” or alarm. The sounds is many tiny staccato
sounds to show that the low has been reached, but the word also represents the self-realization
that we need to fix ourselves.
This emotional up and down
finishes with the tekiah gedolah. It is not the same tekiah – one
full sound – we had at the beginning. This one is much longer to show that the
low points only allow us to grow and become greater people.
Some of you may be thinking –
correctly – that the tekiah gedolah only comes at the end of a large set
of sounds. Yet, this reflects the passuk:
כִּ֤י שֶׁ֨בַע ׀ יִפּ֣וֹל צַדִּ֣יק
וָקָ֑ם וּ֝רְשָׁעִ֗ים יִכָּשְׁל֥וּ בְרָעָֽה׃
The righteous will fall 7 times
and get up, but the wicked will stay in the bad.
We are not meant to fall and grow
from that challenge once, but we will have many of them throughout our life.
The final result is a better self.
I’m probably not alone with
finding the Rosh Hashana very long and difficult to understand. I’m sure most
of you also find yourself spacing out at times or flipping through these “High
Holiday Survival Guides”. Just the fact that these guides exist proves the
point.
I think the main culprit is that
we believe Hashem is only looking for the best Jews to coronate him today and I
am not able to sit in the front bench.
However, the Shofar is telling us
just the opposite. Hashem wants to hear from you no matter where you are. It
doesn’t matter if you are feeling broken like a shevarim, or if you feel
exceedingly down like the terurah, no matter what sound resonates with
you, it’s all part of the divine Shofar cycle.
We are different than the British
Crown. We don’t require everyone to look perfect and only the best of the Royal
Guards can march. On Rosh Hashana we can all stand at the front.
The piyyutim that we find
difficult to understand were written by Jewish poets throughout Jewish history
to convey the emotions they felt on the day.
I would encourage everyone, as we
start Mussaf, to realize that Hashem wants you to be part of the coronation
process in whatever spiritual place you are. If you find the text to be
difficult, try reading the English and seeing the different ways the paytanim
felt on this emotionally complex day. If that is difficult, then just you can
always daven in English to express where you are at with Hashem, or just have
your emotions echo through the sounds of the Shofar.
In whichever place you are in, and
whichever way you chose to daven, together we can all coronate Hashem as King
in the next few hours.