Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, commences at sunset on Friday, drawing Jews worldwide into a period of prayer, reflection, and celebration. For many observers, the defining auditory experience of the two-day holiday is the blowing of the shofar—a trump-like instrument crafted from an animal horn, ranging from the compact curve of a ram’s horn to the sweeping spiral of an African antelope.
Producing the instrument’s distinctive cry requires practice but is fundamentally accessible, according to Rabbi Alicia Jo Rabins, a Portland, Oregon-based musician. She notes that it simply involves taking a deep breath and shaping the lips as one would when playing a brass instrument.
The question of how this primal device became the holiday’s spiritual signature is explored by experts such as Daniel Picus, an associate professor at Western Washington University who studies religious rituals. Picus explains that the most straightforward answer is that the shofar generates noise intended to capture attention. In the Hebrew Bible, its usage consistently serves this purpose.
Historical biblical accounts feature shofar blasts during pivotal moments, including the revelation of the Torah at Mount Sinai, the commencement of the Jubilee year, and the circumambulation of Jericho’s walls by priests. Picus emphasizes that the instrument is associated with moments of intense emotion and heightened experience, making it a natural fit for Rosh Hashanah. “In the Hebrew Bible, Rosh Hashanah is the day of trumpeting and the day of remembrance,” Picus said. “The association of the shofar with Rosh Hashanah is right there in the Biblical text.”
Centuries later, the Mishnah, the earliest codification of rabbinic law, provided detailed regulations in the tractate Rosh Hashanah. These texts outline the specific procedures for hollowing out and repairing the horn, as well as the complex sequence of blasts required during the service, which stem from debates over linguistic interpretation. The Mishnah also addresses whether the shofar may be blown when the holiday coincides with Shabbat, generally prohibiting it, though some contemporary synagogues have adopted different practices.
Within the Talmud and throughout subsequent centuries, interpretation of the shofar’s deeper meaning has remained a subject of discussion. Rabbi Micha’el Rosenberg, who teaches at the Hadar Institute, a Jewish learning center in New York City, highlights sources that liken the instrument’s sound to a mother’s cry.
Did ancient Israelites actually use African antelope horns, or is that a later medieval addition I’m missing?
The comparison to a mother’s cry really puts the sound into perspective. It’s about waking up, not just celebration.
I had no idea the shofar was banned on Shabbat in most cases. That historical nuance is fascinating.