Ram in Bush - Updated

Can a ram get stuck in a bush? These images suggest it can still happen:

Shofar Images from Yad Vashem

The following images are from the website of Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial in Israel.

Shofarot on Ancient Throne

In the Bascilla of San Marcos in Venice, Italy, according to the website, is a "throne-reliquary of St. Mark in calcareous alabaster. The chair is of interest to this blog due to the depiction of two shofar blowing angels in the upper corners of one of its side panels.

Press Release - New Book on Shofar is Online

For Immediate Release:

New Book Helps Listeners Understand Shofar

 

Caption: Michael T. Chusid, author of Hearing Shofar: The Still Small Voice of the Ram's Horn, is shown blowing his shofar during a food drive in preparation for the 2009 Jewish New Year. (Click on image to download high resolution file.)

Hearing Shofar: The Still Small Voice of the Ram's Horn is the first full-length book to explore the many dimensions of the shofar. The ram's horn, blown on the Jewish New Year, has been the signal call of the Jewish people for over 3,000 years. It's author is Michael T. Chusid, an experienced ba'al tekiah (shofar master blaster) and has taught shofar at the Hebrew Union College and American Jewish University.

Shofar is Eternal

The following is a beautiful teaching about the difference between shofar and the silver trumpets described in Torah. By inference, it says the shofar should call us to those things that are timeless:

Shofar Palozza

This is the most recent demo video by my friend and fellow shofarist David Zasloff who can make a shofar swing like no one else I know. The opening tune is a popular Hanukkah song.

For other posts showcasing David's shofar serenades, click here. 

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For more information on shofar, download Hearing Shofar: The Still Small Voice of the Ram's Horn by Michael T. Chusid at www.HearingShofar.com, and subscribe to www.HearingShofar.blogspot.com.

Rabbi Goren's extra Shofarot?

Perhaps the photo of shofar that is most widely know is the one taken in 1967, as the Israeli army entered the ancient city of Jerusalem, Rabbi Shlomo Goren, Chief Rabbi of the Military Rabbinate of the Israeli Defense Forces, sounded shofar while clutching a Torah at the base of the Western Wall.

I have seen this photo a thousand times. It has become an iconic image of many things, including the national ambitions of Jews, an end to nearly two thousand years of exile, thanksgiving for the Israeli success in the 6-Day War, a symbol of faith in God, etc.

But today I noticed something new in it. The person standing next to General Goren is holding two additional shofarot.  I find the presence of the extra shofarot curious:

•  Do they indicate that the image resulted from a carefully calculated photo opportunity, complete with extra props?
• Were they the result of military logistical planning that had a back-up plan in case a shofar was damaged or the shofar carrier was shot during the race to the wall?
• Were other horns blown at the wall that day?

I invite readers of this blog with personal knowledge of the circumstances of the photo to contact me or leave comments.

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Updated 2012-Jan-14

Shofar blown by Goren, shown at Bibleland Museum.
Photo by Bachrach44, www.flickr.com/photos/bachrach44/6784522275/

The following insight comes from a review of an exhibit about shofar at Bible Land Museum:

Also on display for the first time, is the famous Shofar blown by Rabbi Shlomo Goren at the Western Wall on June 7th, 1967 after the liberation and unification of Jerusalem. Exposing this shofar to the public returns the visitors to the emotional moments of June 1967 as echoed in Rabbi Goren’s words: "my shofar was burnt, and I knew that we were about to liberate the Old City and to reach the Western Wall on the same day. At around 4.00 am I ran to my father-in-law, The “Nazir” Rabbi of blessed memory. I knocked on his door, and when he opened it, I said, ‘I need a shofar. We are going to liberate the Western Wall’. He was overcome with emotion and started crying. He climbed on the table, as his shofar was hidden in one of the cupboards, and gave it to me. I took the shofar and ran once again towards the Rockefeller Museum, and from there I dashed towards the Lions’ Gate."

http://allaboutjerusalem.com/event/sound-shofar-exhibition-bible-lands-museum

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Updated 2012-Feb-18

An online search on the terms "Goren" and "Temple Mount" will yield images of Rabbi Goren blowing shofar on top of Temple Mount, and holding a shofar inside the Dome on the Rock shrine. 

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Updated 2012-Feb-19

David Rubinger is the photographer of the image taken at the Kotel. In email correspondence, he says, "I notice the remark about the two Shofarot in the hand of the soldier standing next to Goren. I do not know why he had them with him, but I do know that he is Rabbi Menahem Hacohen, later a member of the Knesset for the Labor party."

The shofar image became so connected Reb Goren, that a shofar is sculpted into his grave marker.

Image from Wikipedia accessed 2012-Feb-19, by אבישי טייכר and used under Creative Commons License, Attribution 2.5 Generic (CC BY 2.5)

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Learn more about shofar at www.HearingShofar.com where you can download Michael T. Chusid's book, Hearing Shofar: The Still Small Voice of the Ram's Horn.

Paul Celan and Shofar

Paul Celan, a Jew and Holocaust survivor, is widely considered one of the major European poets of the post-World War II era. He wrote about or made reference to shofar in at least two of his works.

The Shofar Place (1969, published 1976)

("Posaune" was Martin Luther's translation of the Biblical word "shofar" into German)

Shofar Superpower in Comic

This is from DC Comics' Teen Titans #45 (December 1976). The character with the shofar is named Malcom "Mal" Duncan. After receiving the superpowers endowed by the horn, he also assumes the alias of "Hornblower." More about Mal can be found on Wikipedia.

National Music Museum

The National Music Museum, at the University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, has a collection of more than 14,500 musical instruments from many cultures and historical periods.

Website Rises in Search Engines

www.hearingshofar.com is moving up in the search engine rankings. Just one year after publication, a search on the word "shofar" returns the website in the top 50 listings in both Google and Yahoo.

Thank you to all of you who have created links to either www.hearingshofar.com or www.hearingshofar.blogspot.com.

Torah Mural by Barbara Mendes

Stained glass was used in Medieval cathedrals to illustrate the Bible. I am reminded of their brilliance by the "Epic Murals" of Barbara Mendes, a painter currently residing in Los Angeles, CA.

Her Vayikra Mural. shown above, captures every parsha of Leviticus in within its 6 ft. x 15 ft borders.

This detail shows the High Priest's Yom Kippur ritual of selecting one goat for a burnt offering and the other being released for Azazel.

The mural is currently looking for a worthy home. I imagine it being installed within a house of worship where, in this age of graphic novels, viewers can once more read Torah in the same visual way that worshipers read stained glass.

Copyright 2003 Barbara Mendes, All World Rights Reserved. The Images on this Web site are the sole property of Fine Art by Barbara Mendes and Barbara Mendes Prints. For Inquiries regarding reproduction of these images, contact: Info@BarbaraMendes.org

Shofar in Copenhagen

This is an amazing, large, and beautiful shofar.

From www.denstoredanske.dk/Kunst_og_kultur/Musik/Klassisk_musik/Ikke-europ%C3%A6iske_lande/j%C3%B8disk_musik. © Thorkild Jensen

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Learn more about shofar at www.HearingShofar.com where you can download Michael T. Chusid's book, Hearing Shofar: The Still Small Voice of the Ram's Horn.

Shofar Sounding Techniques: Secrets

I recommend this essay, by my friend and fellow shofar scholar Arthur L. Finkle, for the experienced shofarist that wants to improve his or her technique. (For the new shofarist, it may be more appropriate to focus on your kavanah (intention) and spend the weeks leading up to Rosh Hashanah doing teshuvah (act of repentance); the Talmud says that all sounds from the shofar are acceptable.)

The religious rationale was that Moses ascended Mount Sinai to receive the second tablets, dwelt there for 40 days, and descended on the tenth of Tishre, when the atonement was completed. The musical rationale is that the forty-day period provided the necessary practice to develop the appropriate embouchure.

Shofar in Interfaith Choir

I recently sang in an choir assembled to perform at a presentation made by "The Three Interfaith Amigos," a project composed of a Jewish Rabbi, a Christian Pastor, and a Muslim Sheikh.

One of our numbers incorporated blasts from two shofarot. Here is my fellow blower.

 

The event was sponsored by Makom Ohr Shalom. Photo is by Mark Reden.

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Learn more about shofar at www.HearingShofar.com where you can download Michael T. Chusid's book, Hearing Shofar: The Still Small Voice of the Ram's Horn.

Echos from Tower of Babel

Chapter 1-4 of Hearing Shofar: The Still Small Voice of the Ram's Horn, I say, "Hearing shofar enables us to return to a time before Babel when we all shared a common language."

Genesis Chapter 11 says:

הָבָה, נֵרְדָה, וְנָבְלָה שָׁם, שְׂפָתָם--אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִשְׁמְעוּ, אִי שְׂפַת רֵעֵהוּ.

Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.

The word translated as "understand" is a form of the word, "shema" and means "hear". Literally, we lost the ability to even hear others.

Yet we are commanded to hear shofar.

Perhaps if we can really hear shofar, we will once again be able to hear others. The voice of shema comes from the place that is beyond language. If we can totally hear the the wordless call of shofar, we will once again be able to hear the wordless calls of our neighbors, their cries from the heart that do not depend on tongue or lips to communicate.

When that happens, we will have a taste of the redemption that the call of the shofar foretells.

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For additional insights into the dispersion of languages, see http://hearingshofar.blogspot.com/2010/06/side-blown-shofar-picture.html.

Warm Up before Playing

The following was sent to me by my friend and shofar scholar Art Finkle:

WE MUST WARM-UP! This should not be left to chance or treated lightly by a serious musician on any instrument. If I do not warm-up properly, my performance certainly suffers. Most brass players have several routines. For Shofar sounding, I suggest warming up on the fundamental note. Then, focus on your attack. Then play the Tekiah, Shevorim, Shevorim-Teruah, and Tekiah. Your warm up should be at home because the shul does not offer privacy. In shul, you should hold the Shofar between your arms so that the horn will become the same temperature as your body. Then you should practice buzzing (for brass players, playing the mouthpiece alone). In the case of shofar playing, you can buzz by shaping your thumb and forefinger in the shape of a mouthpiece and blow into it, to stimulate your embouchure. (The Art of French Horn Playing by Philip Farkas, The Complete Method by Milan Yancich, and in Embouchure Building by Joseph Singer. There are many good resources out there.)

When Should I Warm-Up? How Much Should I Practice?
Professional brass players warm-up every time they get the instrument out of the case to play. The first warm-up in the morning is the most important, as it sets your embouchure up for the rest of the day. The second and third warm-ups are usually shorter, but need to be there to maintain and build the embouchure.

A related issue is how much to practice, and when. I feel, if time allows, the serious brass student or professional usually practices three times a day for no more than one hour apiece. A shofar sounder, not being a professional in the brass instrumentalist sense of the word, should practice each day at the same time standing up. Sitting down will change your embouchure.

Initially, practice the fundamental note until you feel your muscles. Do not play too much beyond this level. Your muscles are telling you that they have had enough. By repeated playing, however, your musculature will develop into high quality sound and endurance. Ten minutes is the usual limit.

Once, you have mastered the one fundamental note, you should concentrate on the attack. Such attack is determined by the position of the tongue’s touching the lips. In some cases, the tip of the front of the tongue can be the part of the tongue used to tongue the attack. In other cases, you can use the side of your tongue. Some use their side tongue and move it back. The issue is that whatever is most effective for the shofar sounder while maintaining a correct embouchure is the correct way.

No doubt about it, the practice and warm up regime suggested above should yield great results. But DON'T FRET IF YOU CAN'T OR DON'T PRACTICE THIS MUCH. Blowing shofar is not a musical performance, and Talmud says all sounds from the shofar are acceptable.  And don't use your shofar practice as an excuse for not having enough time to do acts of teshuvah -- like reaching out to those you harmed or spending time reflecting on how to improve yourself.

I begin my warm-up on the first day of Elul -- the month before Rosh Hashanah -- blowing thirty tekiot each day. By Rosh Hashanah, I am ready to go. I hold my shofar close to my body as the shofar service approaches, and blow into it quietly to warm and humidify it.

One year, however, I did feel the need to practice blowing in shul before the shofar service. I went to the rest room where I thought I would be private. No deal -- my blasts were heard clearly in the sanctuary.

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Learn more about shofar at www.HearingShofar.com where you can download Michael T. Chusid's book, Hearing Shofar: The Still Small Voice of the Ram's Horn.

Shofar Ner Tamid

This beautiful ner tamid (eternal light) was designed and crafted by Gabriel Bass of Custom Carving, a firm producing solid wood furniture, synagogue art, and Judaica. It is made from olive wood and illuminated glass.

According to Gabriel, it hangs in the B'nai Yisrael sanctuary, a small group in Peru that returned to Judaism five centuries after the Inquisition.

I can imagine how they heard the blasts of shofar calling to them from across the generations, a "kol tamid" or eternal sound.

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Learn more about shofar at www.HearingShofar.com where you can download Michael T. Chusid's book, Hearing Shofar: The Still Small Voice of the Ram's Horn.

A Shofar of Shards

NuViewTalmud, a discussion of the Babylonian Talmud by two liberal rabbis, Rabbi Louis Rieser and Rabbi Amy Scheinerman has a wealth of reflections on shofar. The following drash is but a taste:

A SHOFAR OF SHARDS August 17, 2009

The discussion on B. Rosh HaShannah 27b considers modifications and repairs that might be made to a shofar. Some modifications are acceptable: If [a shofar was] too long and one shortened it, it is valid. [If] one sanded it down until it’s coating was very thin, it is valid.

Some adaptations go too far: [If] one plated it with gold, including the mouthpiece, it is invalid. ...[If] one overlaid it with gold on the inside, it is invalid. [If one did so] on the outside—if the sound is altered and unrecognizable [as a shofar], it is invalid.

Some just seem bizarre: One who turned a shofar inside out [by softening it in hot water] has not fulfilled [the obligation]. Said Rab Pappa, “Do not imagine that one turned it inside out like a coat, rather if one stretched the narrow part and widened the broad part, [it still is not valid].
To remain a valid shofar the modifications may not change the quality or timbre of the sound or render the shofar unrecognizable. All quite reasonable if the goal is to preserve the constancy of the shofar sounds.

One other example, found in the mishnah, fascinates me. [If] one stuck together the shreds of shofars, [the resulting shofar] is invalid.

I am sure my interest does not mirror the Mishnah’s concern. When I read this line I envision a shofar cobbled together from a pile of shards, leftovers from destroyed shofars. I wonder how a shofar, which is so hard, could get so broken. I wonder why someone would even consider creating such a composite shofar.

Here is my fanciful reconstruction of this mishnaic teaching.

The Mishnah is the earliest Rabbinic document we possess, so it offers the first Rabbinic opportunity to respond to the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem. Nonetheless there are few overt responses to the destruction found in the Mishnah; more explicit responses are found in Tosefta, the Midrashim and in the Talmuds. Still the authors of the Mishnah could not have escaped the emotional sense of loss.

The shofar seems to my untrained eyes to be nearly indestructible. It bounces when dropped. It can withstand knocks and other abuse. I haven’t tried, but I can’t imagine how much force it would take to shatter a shofar. If I am right, the shofar could make an interesting symbol of constancy and faithfulness. In the destruction of Jerusalem, when the walls of the Temple were tossed over like Legos, even shofars could be shattered to pieces.

I can imagine someone searching in the ruins of Jerusalem and finding the remains of broken shofarot. An artisan might wish to preserve these fragments by reconnecting them to construct something like a shofar. I cannot imagine finding pieces of horn that would fit neatly together, like a jigsaw puzzle, nor can I imagine shaping the pieces so expertly that they fit together seamlessly. Rather, I envision a mosaic; tiled pieces that may come from multiple horns. They would be connected not edge to edge, but tiled with some sealed to the bottom of other pieces, some on top. The uneven surface of the reconstructed shofar would project the image of the destroyed shofarot.

It seems impossible to me that such an instrument could meet the requirements that the horn both preserve the recognizable timbre of a shofar and that it be recognizable as an “intact” shofar. Rather I imagine that such a creation would necessarily project brokenness and the impossibility of a perfect repair in this world. The broken shofar would, to my mind, sound the cry of a broken people looking for stability and faithfulness in an unstable world.

We sound the shofar on Rosh Hashannah to herald the beginning of a new creation. The words of the Musaf Amidah remind us that on this day the world was birthed, HaYom harat olam. But there are years when even the most devout must question the ability of the world to regenerate itself. There are times when brokenness overwhelms the hope for repair. Perhaps for those times a shofar of shards calls us to attention and urges us to gather up the pieces. The work of repair falls on our shoulders. The world awaits our best efforts at renewal.

© Rabbi Louis Rieser, 2009

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Learn more about shofar at www.HearingShofar.com where you can download Michael T. Chusid's book, Hearing Shofar: The Still Small Voice of the Ram's Horn.

Instructional Videos

Even without understanding the Portuguese, these instructional videos explain the differences between types of shofarot and how to blow them.

Tocando o Shofar e diferenças entre os Modelos
Differences in sounds from shofarot of various sizes.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wwHL9FEdMI&NR=1

Ensinando a tocar o Shofar
Shaping your lips to and producing sound.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9q4vvANlOs&NR=1

Ya Se Oye El Shofar

The language is Spanish, but the melody, spirit, and energy could be from a recent Hasidic song festival.

Ya Se Oye El Shofar is one of the most popular South American evangelical Christian songs, judging by how many entries for it I find on Google. It demonstrates the fervor with which some Christian denominations have embraced shofar as a spiritual call, a longing for the second coming of Christ that will be announced with the blare of trumpets -- similar to the messianic expressions of the Jews.

The song was, apparently, composed by Billy Bunster. Its Spanish lyrics and a direct translation are:

Ya se oye el shofar

     You can hear the shofar
en los cielos se oira              
     in Heaven will be heard
a su amada El
     of your beloved, God
esta llamando.
     is calling.
Ven, ven, ven, ven Senor  (repeat)
     Come, come, come, come Lord  (repeat)
Esperandote
     Waiting
Esta tu novia.
     is your girlfriend.

And here is a free translation:

You can hear the shofar's voice.
As it rises to Heaven;
Your children, God,
are calling.
Come, come, come, Adonai,
Come, come, come, Shechina,
Your beloved
are waiting.

With an even better translation, I can see this being embraces as a Jewish anthem for the Days of Awe.

Here is another, even more energetic, version:

The first video is from www.youtube.com/watch?v=onOJbzh7YYs; a version with an introduction is at www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE-8X6mDlUM. The second video is from www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A_9kvlmIFM. Chords are at www.e-chords.com/chords/billy-bunster/ya-se-oye-el-shofar.

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Learn more about shofar at www.HearingShofar.com where you can download Michael T. Chusid's book, Hearing Shofar: The Still Small Voice of the Ram's Horn.

Mystical Teachings

A good article on mystical teachings about shofar can be found at http://iyyun.com/teachings/holidays/sounds-of-the-shofar-explored. The illustration, from the site, shows "The Great Shofar".

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Learn more about shofar at www.HearingShofar.com where you can download Michael T. Chusid's book, Hearing Shofar: The Still Small Voice of the Ram's Horn.

Restictions on Shofar

In an article about Kurdistan, The Jewish Encyclopedia, published in 1906, reports about the town of Neri:

Neri : 50 to 60 Jewish families. Both Jews and Armenians are much oppressed. The Jews are not allowed to blow the shofar in the city on Rosh haShanah, but must go out into the field for that purpose.

May we be grateful that today, most of us have the choice of whether to hear the shofar in the city or the field.

May we remember those who did not enjoy this freedom.

May we strive to assure that all people have the freedom to observe the religious of their choice, speedily and in our own day.

Photo of "Kurd of Neri 1915" is from website page titled Kurds of Earlier Centuries. The Jewish Encyclopedia can also be viewed at www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=454&letter=K&search=neri

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Learn more about shofar at www.HearingShofar.com where you can download Michael T. Chusid's book, Hearing Shofar: The Still Small Voice of the Ram's Horn.

JOFA Articles on Shofar

The Journal of Orthodox Jewish Feminists (JOFA) website offers links to some excellent reading on shofar:

"To Satisfy Her Spirit: Women and Shofar,"

Berkovits, Rahel
JOFA Journal, 2003.

Synopsis: This article examines halakhic arguments in opposition to, and in favor of, women's participation in the commandment of shofar. Although women are not halakhically obligated this commandment, Berkovits concludes, women's participation in blowing the shofar becomes a halakhically valid act of mitzvah when a woman chooses to do so as a way of fulfilling her spiritual and developmental needs, or for her nahat ru'ah (spiritual satisfaction).

Click here to download this item in PDF format.

"Women and the Shofar,"
Pianko, Arlene.
Tradition, 14:4, 1974, 53-62.

Synopsis: Pianko traces the development of the woman's obligation to hear the blowing of the shofar on Rosh Hashana and how halakha responds to the needs of women.

Click here to purchase this item.

"The Songs of the Shofar: The Lessons of the Sons of Korah,"
Hubscher, Malka.
Vehigadet Levitekh, 2003.

Synopsis: Malka Hubscher discusses the connections between the blowing of the shofar and Psalm 47, a "song to the sons of Korah," which is recited before the shofar blasts. She also explores the reasons that the congregation on Rosh Hashanah can identify with the sons of Korah and their state of mind at the time of judgment.

Click here to download this item in PDF format.

"Crying: An Expression of Prayer"
Hurwitz, Sara
Vehigadet Levitekh, Undated

Synopsis: Hurwitz relates the tradition that the shofar blasts of Rosh Hashanah are supposes to sound like the cries of General Sisera's mother. After reminding us that two of the scriptural readings of Rosh Hashanah, about Hannah and Rachel, also describe crying, she posits that, "crying, as expressed through the shofar is not only the essence of the Rosh Hashanah prayer service; it is also the essence of prayer in general."

Click here to download this item in PDF format.

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Learn more about shofar at www.HearingShofar.com where you can download Michael T. Chusid's book, Hearing Shofar: The Still Small Voice of the Ram's Horn. Chapter 1-7 - "The Ewe's Horn" discusses women and shofar.

Protecting Shabbat

The debate about whether to blow shofar on the sabbath is discussed in Chapter 1-9, "Remembering Shofar" of my book, Hearing Shofar: The Still Small Voice of the Ram's Horn. This teaching, from Ohr Somayach website, provides an additional viewpoint and a beautiful teaching:

Is the shofar forbidden on a 'Shabbat Rosh Hashanah' because of the prohibition against musical instruments? That can't be the only reason, and here's why not:

More news of the Ram

One of my thesis in Hearing Shofar: The Stil Small Voice of the Ram's Horn is that shofar is but one symbol that represents the centrality of sheep in ancient Hebrew tribal identity. (See Chapter 3-1, for example.) Here are additional examples:

[Theodor] Reik notes that his friend, Karl Abraham, believed that the spread fingers [of the priestly blessing] represented the cloven hoof of the clean animals that Israel was permitted to eat, as described in Leviticus 11:3-8.

Reik and Abraham also saw the prayer shawl, or tallith, worn by Jews during certain prayers, as a representation of the sacrificial ram. Though often made of silk, the prayer shawl is ideally made of sheep's wool, and some worshipers prefer the wool of lambs raised in the Holy Land. The rectangular shawl has tassels (zizzith) attached to each corner, each tassel consisting of four white and four blue threads and bound together by knots formed by the longest thread. Reik suggests that "the tallith, made from the wool of a ritually clean animal, might be the substitute for the fleece of a ram, originally roughly cured and worn by the Hebraic tribes. The zizzith would then allude to the animal's four legs, and the knotting of the many threads would represent the joints," to which I would add that the blue threads may have originally represented the veins running through the legs.

http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/books/?bookid=21&chapid=105

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Learn more about shofar at www.HearingShofar.com where you can download Michael T. Chusid's book, Hearing Shofar: The Still Small Voice of the Ram's Horn. More theories from Reik are in Chapter 3-3 - "Sometimes a Shofar is Just a Ram's Horn"