The Other Shofar

Looking at other usages of the Shofar teaches us a key lesson about Rosh Hashana

The following is an updated version of an essay, which I originally wrote a number of years ago.

The Many Shofarot

The shofar appears many times in the torah in a variety of circumstances. The most famous reference to the shofar is the mitzvah to hear the blowing of the shofar on Rosh Hashana (Bamidbar 29:1). Another well-known passuk describes the shofar being sounded at Har Sinai on the day the Jewish people received the torah (Shemot 19:19). There is also a mitzvah to use the shofar to declare freedom for the slaves during the Yovel (Vayikra 25:10).

Is there any connection between the different usages of the shofar? Indeed, we mention many of the above pesukim in the Rosh Hashana davening. In addition, quite a few halachik details of the shofar blowing on Rosh Hashana are derived from the other shofars mentioned above (see Rosh Hashana 33b-34a).

There seems to be a deeper connection between these different sections of the Torah. What is it?

The Common Thread

I think that the common thread is liberty. During the jubilee year all of the slaves were set free, “proclaim liberty throughout all the land”. The shofar was sounded to declare that the slaves were free from their bondage.

The giving of the torah was also a moment of liberation. Seven weeks after leaving Egypt, we achieved ultimate freedom at Har Sinai. (This idea is found in a number of places, for example Chazal say אין לך בן חורין אלה מי שעוסק בתורה)

We see that both Yovel and Har Sinai have shofar blowing that declare liberty. But what about Rosh Hashana? Rosh Hashana is a day of judgement, of declaring God's Sovereignty, and the day the world was created. What does this have to do with freedom?

Teshuva and Freedom

The Rambam writes that the sound of the shofar is meant to awaken us to do teshuva. Who has the ability to do teshuva? Only a person who is free.

This is why the Rambam breaks in the middle of hilchot teshuva to lay out the fundamental principles of free-will. If a person’s soul is not free, he therefore cannot change his inner-character. Only once we establish that man can choose between good and evil, between right and wrong, then we can say that man has the ability to change. The fact that teshuva is predicated on freedom leads the Midrash (quoted by R’ Yonah, Shaarei Teshuva 1:1) to compare teshuva to escaping from prison.

Conclusion

When we stand in silence and listen to the blare of the shofar, we must liberate ourselves from the doubts that shake our self-confidence. We need to free ourselves from the pessimistic attitude which voids any attempt at self-improvement . We must declare freedom for ourselves.

In addition, we must use these special moments to pray for freedom. First and foremost, for the hostages who have been brutally held for almost two years. Second, for national independence, to allow Israel to do what it needs to without being impeded by other nations. And finally, to pray for the ultimate redemption in the times of Moshiach, as we say every day:

תקע בשופר גדול לחרותנו

Sound the great shofar of freedom.