When a Mohel Blows Shofar

The following is from Daily Halacha by Rabbi Eli Mansour:

The Taz (Rabbi David Halevi, 1658-1667) comments that when a Brit Milah (ritual circumcision) is to be performed on Rosh Hashanah, it is held just prior to the sounding of the Shofar. Both Brit Milah and Shofar have the capacity to arouse Divine compassion upon the Jewish people, and it is therefore proper to combine them in this manner in our effort to invoke God’s mercy on this day of judgment.

The Taz then proceeds to record a custom he observed that further underscores the importance of this association between Brit Milah and Shofar. The final stage of Brit Milah is “Mesisa Be’fe,” when the Mohel (person who performs the circumcision) draws some blood from the infant’s wound with his mouth, in order to prevent infection.* The Taz observed in situations of a Brit performed on Rosh Hashanah that one of his Rabbis, Rabbi Feivel, would have the Mohel blow the Shofar after the Brit without first cleaning his mouth. Rabbi Feivel wanted the blood from the Brit to come in direct contact with the Shofar, in order to reinforce this association between the two Mitzvot of Milah and Shofar.

It should be noted, however, that this practice may be followed only if the Mohel will himself be sounding the Shofar. In most cases, however, when the person who performs the circumcision is not the same one who sounds the Shofar, the one sounding the Shofar may not perform the Mesisa in order to fulfill this custom. As the Hatam Sofer (Rabbi Moshe Sofer of Pressburg, 1762-1839) and Hochmat Adam (Rabbi Avraham Danzig of Vilna, 1748-1820) write, drawing blood is generally forbidden on Shabbat and Yom Tov, and it is allowed only in the context of a Brit Milah, which overrides the prohibitions of Shabbat and Yom Tov. Hence, only the Mohel, who performed the actual circumcision, may perform the Mesisa on Yom Tov. Therefore, the person sounding the Shofar may not perform the Mesisa unless he had performed the circumcision. Although the practice recorded by the Taz is certainly an admirable one, it is followed only if the same person who performs the circumcision will also sound the Shofar.

Summary: If a Brit Milah is performed on Rosh Hashanah, it is held immediately preceding the Shofar blowing. If the person who performs the circumcision will also be sounding the Shofar, then he should not clean his mouth after performing the Mesisa (drawing blood from the infant’s wound), so that the blood of the circumcision will touch the Shofar.
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The same teaching is also found in Why Aren't Jewish Women Circumcised, which goes on to say:

"In contrast, R. David Abudarham (Fourteenth Century)... says that a circumciser must wash his hands and mouth before reciting the benedictions, so that he may utter the prayers, 'in cleanliness'."

* Note: Also transliterated as metzitzah b'peh or mezizah, some rabbinical authorities have ruled that this traditional practice of direct contact should be replaced by using a glass tube between the wound and the mohel's mouth to conform to contemporary sanitation practices.

For more on circumcision and shofar...
 
Illustration from Sefer Minhagim (Book of Customs), Amsterdam, 1722

The Minchat Elazar's Shofar

This story was told by Rabbi Baruch Rabinovitch of Munkacs, father of the present Munkacser Rebbe, about his late father-in-law, Rabbi Chaim Elazar Spira (1871-1937), known as the "Minchat Elazar."

When the Minchat Elazar became ill, Reb Baruch moved back to Munkacs, in Czechoslovakia, which they did.

Rabbi Baruch had a son named Tzvi Nosson Dovid. Baruch would often recall that his father-in-law loved this boy —the Minchat Elazar's dear grandchild— in an "exaggerated way," in part due to the fact that they had waited a long time to have that first child. He would play with and "spoil" the child, and Tzvi would sit on his grandfather's lap at the Shabbat gatherings.

In the final year of his life, the Minchat Elazar took the shofar on the first day of the month of Elul and tested it to see whether it was in good condition. Tzvi was in the room and was visibly excited by the shofar and its sounds.

He asked his zeide (grandfather) for one more blast, and his zeide gladly obliged. From then on, for the remainder of the month, this became a ritual; the Rebbe blowing the shofar once each day for little Tzvi. On the day before Rosh Hashanah, Tzvi was there, awaiting his daily blast, but he was disappointed.

"Today is the day before Rosh Hashanah," his grandfather explained. "Today we do not blow the shofar. Tomorrow morning, we will blow the shofar in the synagogue."

The child did not comprehend reasons. He knew no reason. He kicked and screamed, "Just one blast! Just one blast!"

After a while, the grandfather softened at the sound of his favorite grandchild crying, and he took the shofar and blew one blast.

On Rosh Hashanah, the custom in Munkacs was that the Rebbe spoke before blowing the shofar. That year, the Rebbe went up before the ark, opened it and said: "Master of the Universe, I have to repent. It's written that on the day before Rosh Hashanah one mustn't blow shofar, yet I did."

He began to sob uncontrollably and called out: "Master of the Universe, do you know why I transgressed this custom? It was because my young grandchild lay on the floor begging and crying that I should only blow one blast of the shofar for him. My heart melted, I couldn't bear to watch him cry like that, so I blew once for him, though I shouldn't have.

"Tatte (Father), how can you stand by and see how millions of Your children are down on the floor, and crying out to You, 'Tatte, just one blast! Sound the blast of the great shofar which will herald the final Redemption!'? Even if the time is not right for it yet, even if the time for Moshiach has yet to arrive, Your children cry out to You: how can You stand by idly?!"

Rabbi Baruch cried as he recounted the story, and recalled how at that time the entire crowd cried along with the Rebbe. The sounding of the shofar was delayed, and for a long time "they could not regain their composure... loud wailing was heard throughout the synagogue..."

I have heard several versions of this story. This one is from http://theantitzemach.blogspot.com/2008/11/belated-yet-timely.html

"As for the shofar"

As for the World

As for the world,
I am always like one of Socrates’ students:
walking beside him,
hearing his seasons and generations,
And all I can do is say:
Yes, certainly that is true.
You are right again.
It is exactly as you have said.

As for my life, I am always
Venice:
everything that is streets
is in other people.
in me—love, dark and flowing.

As for the scream, as for the silence,
I am always a shofar:
hoarding, all year long, its one blast
for the terrible Days of Awe.

As for the deeds,
I am always Cain:
A fugitive and a vagabond before the deed that I won’t do,
or after the deed that
can’t be undone.

As for the palm of your hand,
as for the signals of my heart
and the plans of my flesh,
as for the writing on the wall,
I am always an ignoramus: I can’t
read or write
and my head is empty as a weed,
knowing only the secret whisper
and the motion in the wind
when a fate passes through me, to
some other place.

From The Selected Poetry of Yehuda Amichai translated by Chana Bloch & Stephen Mitchell

Shofar-Making Class

I recently taught a class of adults to make and blow shofarot. The class was an extracurricular event during a Jewish Shamanic Healing retreat taught by Rabbis Gershon Winkler and Miriam Maron amongst the beautiful hills at Brandeis Bardin.

While Tzivos Hashem's Shofar Factory provides opportunities for children to make shofarot, organized classes for adults are scarce. I wonder why this is? The experience of the class certainly suggests that making one's own shofar deepens appreciation for the mitzvah of shofar.

We had acquired a number of cleaned horns from a commercial vendor, and the participants were invited to inspect each of them, over the course of the day, to find one that resonated with them in some subtle way. This process of bonding with their horn was taken further by having them each try to understand the insides of their horn that can't be seen because of the horn's curvature. In Hearing Shofar: The Still Small Voice of the Ram's Horn, I compare this with the way we have to look into ourselves in order to perform teshuvah.

One of the most important steps in making a shofar is in deciding where to cut the horn or make the blow hole. The uncertainty about whether the cut will be in the right place is similar to the uncertainty we feel during the High Holy Days as we contemplate the future.

Each of the participants successfully made a working shofarot, learned to sound it, and created a beautiful noise. Many expressed a great sense of accomplishment at making something, particularly several who admitted to having never used hand tools before! One person talked about how the animal smell of dust made by cutting the horn helped them connect to the animal from which the horn came.

AriellaShira and her gemsbok shofar. Lower left shows it before fabrication, top left shows her using the tip of the horn as a pua (striker) to run across the ridges on the horn to use it as a rythmic instrument. Photo (c)Joy Krauthammer. See Joy's comment describing this shofar.

About half of the group made side-blown shofarot. As students of the shamanistic arts, perhaps they sensed the importance of expressing the helical shape of their horns. The next day, one of the participants asked Rabbi Winkler whether a side blown horn is acceptable. I am told he answered by saying it is acceptable, as long as only one hole is made and it is towards the narrow end of the horn. The proof text is Psalms 118:5 that says, "From the narrow place I called..."

Several of the students selected gemsbok horns, and loved the idea that the tip of the horn could be used as a striker to play the horn as a percussion instrument.

Afterwards, one participant wrote, "It was definitely a highpoint of the week, and everyone felt really great about it. We held a group ritual on Thursday night under the full moon of Adar, and blew our shofarot in unison - powerful stuff."

Water Willow Dance – Hoshana Rabba: Christological Significance

Water Willow Dance – Hoshana Rabba

Its Christological Significance

By Arthur L. Finkle

In reading Tractate Succah, both Palestinian and Babylonian, we come across some fascinating social history regarding the role of the shofar in the ceremonies of the Holy Temple.

Parts of the Succot ceremony as celebrated in the Temple are still celebrated today, including dwelling in the sukkah and handling the lulav (palm branch), etrog (related to the lemon and indigenous to Israel), myrtle branch and water willow branch (Arava).

Two important ceremonies, however, were not carried over from the rites of the Holy Temple on Succot: the Aravot Ceremony and the Water Libation Ceremony.

In this article, we will discuss the Water Willow Dance, performed on the seventh day of Succot. This ceremony eventually was transformed by the Rabbi’s into Hoshana Rabba on the same day of Succot.


Water Libation Ceremony
The Water Libation Ceremony was performed each day of Succot. The rationale teaches the Jewish people to bring water before Him on Succot, petitioning for adequate rains, paramount to the success of an agricultural society. (Succah Bavli 37; and Rosh Hashanah 16a). Another interpretation from the Midrash (book of ethical stories and interpretations) is that the lower waters were sad when God separated the waters to upper and lower. Their distress was noted by God that the lower waters would be elevated during this season. (Rabbaynu Bachya to Lev 1:13)

Water Libation

The Water Libation ceremony was an elaborate ritual emitting great joy, in fulfilling of Isaiah 12:3: ”You shall draw water with joy from the wellsprings of salvation.”

The Rabbis in Yerushalmi Succah 31b give a social history of the role of the shofar in the Holy Temple, with particular emphasis on Succot. Further, the Rabbis agreed that the Water Libation Ceremony is Scriptural (Bavli Zevachim 110b)

Aravot (Willow Branch) Ceremony
The Mishnah (Sukkah 4:5) indicates that the custom was to circle the altar one time on each day of Succot and seven times on the seventh day, similar to Joshua’s circling of Jericho. So too we circle the Bimah one Hoshana each day of Succot and seven Hosannas on the Seventh day.

Jonatan Adler discusses this ceremony as he describes ancient coins which depicted this ceremony. The depiction shows the golden flagon used to gather the water from the well of Sheloah; a willow branch

"What was the rite of the willow-branch? There was a place below Jerusalem called Motza. The Talmud indicates that Baavli Talmud cites that city to be Kalonia. Because it was tax-exept, the trees were ownerless; thus, there was no taint of theft involved (Meiri Bavli 45a).

They went there and collected young willow branches, and then came and set them upright along the sides of the altar, with their tops bent over the top of the altar, after which the trumpets made a long blast, a quavering note, and a prolonged blast". These trumpets were sounded by Kohanim (Priests) (Numbers 10:8,9 and Mishnah Succot 5:6).

With reference to what we have learnt, '''Every day they walked round the altar once, and on that day they went round seven times"', your father, citing R. Eleazar, stated: "[This was done] with the lulav (Bavli Sukkah 43b). This statement was challenged by contemporary sages, who held that the altar was encircled while holding willow-branches, and not the "four species" (ibid.); See also J.L. Rubenstein: The History of Sukkot in the Second Temple and Rabbinic Periods, Atlanta, 1995, p. 109, who writes: "Most likely the circumambulations were performed with willows - the description says nothing of the lulav but we should not advance solid historical claims where the traditions are silent". M Sukkah 4: 5, The statement by R. Johanan b. Baroka (M Sukkah 4: 6) regarding the beating of palm fronds should be seen as complementing this tradition (Rubenstein, above, n. 7, p. liS). Jonatan Adler, "The Temple Willow-Branch Ritual Depicted on Bar Kokhba Denarii", Israel Numismatic Journal, 16 (2007–2008), pp. 129–133

Afred Ederssheom also concurs with the ritual s of this ceremony. Alfred Edersheim, http://philologos.org/__eb-ttms/temple14.htm#Tabernacles

The Mishnah indicates that, to prepare for the Sabbath restriction of carrying, they gathered the branches the day before and placed on the altar. http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/etm/etm076.htm

The Yerul. Gemara 23b stated Motza was free from taxes. (The, itself, means exempt from taxes.) These branches were 11 amos high (c. 400 ft.) and placed near the altar. The altar was 9-amos.

The Yersul. Talmud, in Succah 24a describes the ritual. The priests, even those with blemishes, performed the Arava ceremony in the Temple, which required them to circle the altar one time for the first six days of Succot and 7-times on the 7-nth day of Succot, in remembrance of the Joshua’s encirclement of Jericho. (Only priests were allowed into the ante-chamber area.)

Because the priests had to enter the ante-chamber adjacent to the altar area, the Rabbi’s ruled that for the Arava ceremony, R. Yehuda indicated that priests with blemishes were allowed because such a regulation was Rabbinic in nature and could be changed by the Rabbi’s.

An interesting note is that the Pharisee maintained that priests could enter the Temple cited in the Tractates, Parah, Kipuurim and Succot. The Sadducees opposed this holding. Yersul. Succah 27a.

It should be also noted that, although most trees in ancient Egypt were not considered holy, the willow tree was the primordial tree on which the sun rested in the shape of a bird at the beginning of the world. The Metternich Stela makes a connection between the tr-tree, apparently the willow, and the benu bird.

It was sacred to Osiris and gave shade to his coffin while his soul rested on it in the guise of the phoenix. In some versions of the myth it was the willow which grew around the coffin protecting it, in others it was the persea.

Trees were possibly less important in the Egyptian religion than in others. But some trees had divine connections, being home, birthplace or resting place of some deities. In the temple at Denderah one inscription proclaims: The names of the sacred trees are jS.t, kbs, tr. http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/botany/willow.htm

Shofar
The Bavli Succah (45a) discusses the mitzvah of "Arava" (willow branches). It states that during the time of the Beit HaMikdash the priests would go down on Succot to a place called Motza that was below Yerushalayim and there they would cut large willow branches. They would then bring the branches to the Beit HaMikdash and lean them against the side of the altar, with the top part leaning over the top of the altar. They would then blow the shofar in the standard fashion, with one broken sound (teru'ah) preceded and followed by a solid sound (teki'ah).

Although the Rabbi’s disagreed over the exact time this ritual began, they concurred that the Prophets instituted this custom. Thus, it was not likely occurring in the Frist Temple but was in the Second Temple.

The Rabbi’s taught that willows of the brook mean of special type of willow as opposed to the zafzafah which grows in the mountains. (Bavli Talmud, Sukkah 34a)

Accordingly, the Rabbi’s decreed the seventh day of Succot as Hoshana Rabba, the day of many Hosannas (petitions for salvation); the time that the Book of Life and Death are finally sealed.

Although trees in Egyptian culture did not have extraordinary significance, it should be noted that the Willow tree in Egypt, a primordial tree on which the sun rested in the shape of a bird at the beginning of the world. The Metternich Stela makes a connection between the tr-tree, apparently the willow, and the benu bird:

It was sacred to Osiris and gave shade to his coffin while his soul rested on it in the guise of the phoenix . In some versions of the myth it was the willow which grew around the coffin protecting it.

http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/botany/willow.htm


Water: Special Significance
Why was a special offering of the water willows brought on the last day of Succot?

The Talmud (Bavli, Rosh Hashana 16a) writes that as the world is judged for water on Succot, we bring a water offering so that the rains for the coming year should be blessed. Water was the lifeblood of the Israeli agricultural society. Petitioning adequate water was a prayer to further one’s livelihood.

Another reason is that the holiday of the harvest moon (on which Succot begins) occurs five days after Yom Kippur in the harvest season. During the harvest season, a person may become haughty and forget God. The Rabbi’s reflect that haughtiness affects not only farmers, of course. The wise may take credit for their knowledge and those of fine character may take credit for their graces. The bottom line is that all we get, whether it be money, wisdom, or respect, comes from God

http://www.torah.org/learning/yomtov/sukkos/vol3no21.html

The Succot 4:5 indicates that the shofar blew three times (tekiah, teruah and tekiah) right before the priests circled the altar. Again the shofar was featured to draw attention to an important festival.

The Rishonim Sages from the 11th through 16th centuries) explain that the reason that this is specifically done on the seventh day of Succot is as follows: Succot is the Day of Judgment for water. This means rain and, in a broader sense, all livelihood. We therefore add special prayers to ask for a good year. The Gemara records a dispute as to whether this is a prophetically ordained custom or not, but we do know that it traces back to the Holy Temple.

Transition of Water Willow Dance to Hoshana Rabba
The name for this holiday probably comes from Psalm 118:25. Hoshana means to save. This is the seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles. It comes one day before Shimini Atzeret. It is usually observed on the 21st day of the Hebrew month Tishri. It is also called "the great Hosanna."

• This practice in the Temple serves as the basis for our modern custom of Hosannas. As reported by The TUR (14th century German-Spanish Legalist, in Orech Chaim 660), we circle the bema once a day with a Torah being taken to the bema (a practice based on the Yalkut Tehillim) and thus serving as the focal point and in place of the altar. We also bring a Torah to the middle since during the time of the Holy Temple the marchers would recite the name of God while walking, and we have a tradition that the entire Torah is made up of various names of God. According to the Yerushalmi (Palestinian Talmud), our current practice reflects not only what was done during the time of the Temple, but also is meant to mimic the siege and conquering of Jericho in the time of Joshua, when they circled the city once a day for six days and seven times on the final day, causing the walls to come tumbling down (Joshua 6).

R. Joseph Caro (compiler of the Code of Jewish Law, 1565) notes that on Hoshana Rabba (seventh day of Succot), even a person who does not have the four species (palm branch, myrtle, water willow and etrog) should take part in the seven laps around the Torah. His rationale is that since there is a special remembrance of what was done in the Temple - see Succah 41a for more on this concept). The common practice is that a person who does not have the four species never takes part in the walking around the bimah.

Rav Feinstein (mid-20th century) also notes that there is a custom to recite the Hosannas after Additional Service where in the Temple there was an additional sacrifice on special days, including the festivals. He gives a simple reason for this order - since one is obligated to read from the Torah and say the additional service, but the Hosannas are simply a custom, it is logical that obligations should precede customs. The Bach (1586-1657 ) offers a second reason. The Mishnah concludes that after the Hosannas on Hoshana Rabba everyone would leave for home while praising the altar. The implication is that the Hosannas were the last thing done in the Holy Temple before people departed, and thus we also make them the end of our services every day before departing for home.

The Order of the Hoshana Rabba Service
The Night: The Mogen Avrohom records that the custom was to stay awake on the night of Hoshana Rabba. Commentators indicate that we read the eno9re Torah, Deuteronomy (as a review of the other 4-books) and the Psalms. (The Avudraham; R. Isaac Luria, (Arizal)

The Morning: The Code of Jewish Law (Shulchan Aruch) cites a custom brings a Mintage to loosen the bindings of the Lulav so that the water willow is freed.

The congregants circle the Bimah seven times instead of the usual one. In some congregations they blow the Shofar after each circuit.

Hoshana Rabba is the Hebrew name given to the last and greatest day of Hag HaSuccot, the Feast of Tabernacles. Due to the mechanics of the calendar, ...

www.betemunah.org/hoshana.html

Hoshana Rabba became recognized as an official judgment day in modern Judaism when the Zohar (13th century Kabala) declared it. During the worship service it is common to see congregations march around their worship room seven times (similar to Joshua marching around Jericho). Psalm 118 is chanted and when verse 25 is sung, and after the seventh cycle around the room, the worshipers take the willow branches that they have been carrying and strike the ground with them until the leaves fall off. This is symbolic of the worshiper beating their sins away. Sometimes these palm branches are saved and used to build a fire to burn bread just before Passover.

Conclusory Observations
We have found the rhythm of the Jewish Fall holidays from Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and Succot as series of vitally important holidays to the pulse of the Israelite in the days of the Holy Temple. Rosh Hashana began the religious year. Yom Kippur was the Day of Atonement not only for individual but also communal sins. Succot was the fall festival of paramount importance in the agricultural society.

We also observed the importance of the shofar. Rosh Hashana is the festival of the shofar. Yom Kippur sounds the shofar at the end of the service, originally to announce the Jubilee Year. Succot, to petition God for abundant rains and consequent harvest, the shofar was utilized, particularly for the Water Libation Ceremony and the Water Willow Dance.

We also observed the role the synagogue has replaced the Holy Temple as mean for worship. No longer do we make animal and meal sacrifices. We have kept the intent of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. And we have spiritualized the festival of Succot to one of petition for our agricultural needs, to one of remembrance and thanksgiving. Further, Hoshana Rabba celebrates the closing of the book of accounting.

Christological Significance
Dr. Moody believes that the celebration OF Feast of Tabernacles will help bring world peace. In the future Feast of Tabernacles, God will celebrate this feast. Indeed, everyone will celebrate the Succoth during the Messianic Age. (Zechariah 14:16-17).

Isaiah 11 describes this coming age:

• Ferocious animals are at peace with meek lambs.

• The earth is filled with the knowledge of God as waters cover the sea.

• Yeshua, the root of Jesse (Son of David), is a banner for all people.

• Ephraim, those Israelites now scattered in the nations, dwells in peace with Judah, the Jewish people.

• Together, they conquer the enemies of Israel and establish her biblical borders.

In preparation of the Messiah, Dr. Moody instructs his followers to to build a backyard sukkah and wave branches and fruits.

Celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles fulfills Leviticus 23:34-43, and helps prepare for the millennial reign of Messiah on earth! This chapter explains how to celebrate with traditional prayers, menus, and recipes.

http://vmoody.com/feasts/tabernacles/

Sounds of Faith Concert

Cantor Daniel Pincus will be playing shofar in the Sounds of Faith - New York concert. The concert will be a multi-faceted production celebrating the interconnection and diversity of sacred sound in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, performed by leading practitioners and artists in Manhattan’s historic Riverside Church. This program, taking place on Sunday, March 13, 2011, will bring the Sounds of Faith paradigm into national focus. With its central commitment to social justice and intercultural relations,

Horn Mezuzah

In Hearing Shofar: The Still Small Voice of the Ram's Horn, Chapter 2-3, I say,

A horn makes a beautiful mezuzah case, symbolic of the lamb whose blood we used to mark our doors on the eve of the exodus from Egypt.

The only examples that I had of this, however, are ones I made for myself.

Now, I see that Shimon Kinan, an Israeli shofar maker, also makes mezuzot from horn. Here are some examples from his website:

JNF Stamps

DARK VIOLET, 5697.
ROCHLIN # AH5

1940, Rochlin Catalogue section D2 #AH20 "Sound the great SHOFAR"

Booklet pane Rochlin catalog.#AH22 1941

1944

AH65 1950-51 (5711) LARGE SHOFAR
AH92 1953-54 (5714) SETTLEMENT in SHOFAR

1946 booklet pane Rochlin AH45 - Various denominations issued

1953 Rochlin AH87, AH91. Block of 4 Imperforate in middle horizontally & vertically at right side of left stamps, also without value at left stamps.

1950, Rochlin Catalogue section D2 #AH66 "Sound of the great SHOFAR.. 5711.." 1950.

1950 Rochlin AH 67,70, blue and tan color paper

1952, Rochlin Catalogue section D2 #AH80 "Sound of the great SHOFAR..1952/53.."
1952, Rochlin Catalogue section D2 #AH82 "Sound of the great SHOFAR..1952/53.."

1956

1956 ROCHLIN AH 104, 105, 107 BLUE AND YELLOW COLOR PAPER

1957 ROCHLIN AH 109-112 BLUE AND BLACK COLOR PAPER

AH115 1958 BLOWING SHOFAR BEFORE MAP

GREAT SHOFAR $1 1965

AH145 1965 LARGE SHOFAR  various values
AH150 1966 LARGE SHOFAR

1973 - Error

Water Libation Ceremony: Social History of the Shofar

Water Libation Ceremony: Social History of the Shofar

Arthur L. Finkle

In reading the tractate Succah, both Palestinian and Babylonian, we come across some fascinating social history regarding the role of the shofar in the ceremonies of the Holy Temple.

We learn that part of the Succot ceremony is celebrated today insofar as dwelling in the sukah and handling the  lavav (palm branch), etrog (related to the lemon and indigenous to Israel), myrtle branch and water willow branch (Arava).

Two important ceremonies, however, were not carried over from the rites of the Holy Temple on Succot: the Aravot Ceremony and the Water Libation Ceremony and.  

Aravot Ceremony

The Aravot ceremony consisted of bringing in water willow braches that were stood up with the tops touching the alter. The Priests would then encircle the altar reciting Psalms arguably with the either the willow braches in hand or the luvav in hand.

Water Libation Ceremony

The Water Libation Ceremony was performed each day of Succot. The rationale teaches the Jewish people to bring water before Him on Succot, petitioning for adequate rains, paramount to the success of an agricultural society. (Succah Bavli 37; and RH 16a). Another interpretation from the Midrash is that the lower waters were sad when God separated the waters to upper and lower. Their distress was noted by God that the lower waters would be elevated during this season. (Rabbaynu Bachya to Lev 1:13)

The Water Libation ceremony was an elaborate ritual emitting great joy, in fulfilling of Is. 12:3: “”You shall draw water with joy from the wellsprings of salvation.”

The Water Libation ceremony, however, was a joyous celebration during the holiday of Succot. We find a minute description of this water libation ceremony in Talmud Yerulshalmi 30a, wherein two priests stood by the Upper Gate that; led to the Israelites courtyard. When the crier called out, the Kohanin sounded a series of tekiah, teruah and tekiah. They sound the shofar series again – only longer - according to Rashi as they went to the East. The procession went to the gates, facing the Nicanor’s Gate, bowing toward the sanctuary OF God, faces to the East. They then turned to the West and said: our forefathers who were in this place but as for us out eyes are toward God (*and Yuh – close the ineffable name) was spoken to betoken God.

Thereafter, the trumpet sounders arrived at the tenth step (the Rabbi’s come to no conclusion as whether this was the tenth step from the bottom of the tenth step from the top – there are fifteen steps in all). (Succah Yerush. 31a)

The Jewish Encyclopedia cites the elegance of primacy of the elaborate Water Libation Ceremony:

To express their contempt of the Sadducees on the one hand and to strengthen their own position on the other, the Rabbis embellished the libation of water with so much ceremony that it became a favorite and distinctive rite on these occasions. On the night of the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles the outer court of the Temple was brilliantly illuminated with four golden lamps, each containing 120 logs of oil, in which were burning the old girdles and garments of the priests (Bavli. Shab. 21a; Bavli. Yoma 23a). These lamps were placed on high pedestals which were reached by ladders; and special galleries were erected in the court for the accommodation of women, while the men below held torches in their hands, sang hymns, and danced. On the fifteen steps of the Gate of Nicanor stood the Levites, chanting the fifteen "songs of degrees" (Ps. 120-124.) to the accompaniment of their instruments, of which the most important was the  flute, although it was used neither on the Sabbath nor on the first day of the feast (Suk. v. 1). The illumination, which was like a sea of fire, lit up every nook and corner of Jerusalem, and was so bright that in any part of the city a woman could pick wheat from the chaff. Whosoever did not see this celebration never saw a real one (Suk. 53a). Hillel the Elder encouraged general rejoicing and participated in the celebration that all might follow his example, while R. Simeon b. Gamaliel juggled with eight torches, throwing them in the air and catching them again, thus showing his joy at the feast. R. Joshua b. Hananiah states that the festival was celebrated throughout the night with songs, music, shouting, clapping of hands, jumping, and dancing.

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=54&letter=W#ixzz1DQKhLToV

Role of the Trumpet (Shofar)

Succah 31b (Palestinian) give a social history of the role of the shofar in the Holy Temple, with particular emphasis on Succot.

Indeed, the shofar was sounded in the Temple every day from 21 to 48 times: three times to accompany the opening of the Temple Courtyard Gates; 9-blasts to accompany the morning offering; another 9-blasts to accompany the afternoon  sacrifice; 9 for the musaf offering.

On days when there was an additional sacrifice (Musaf), commemorating New Moons, festivals, and other special days, another 9-blass were added.

Prior to the Sabbath, on Friday, the shofar sounded 6-blasts. The first three blasts for cessation of labor to prepare for the Sabbath. The latter three sounds to separate the sacred from the profane in order to officially begin the Sabbath.

If a Friday fell during the Succot festival, there were a total of 48 blasts.

3=opening of the Courtyard Gates

3=Upper Gate

3=Lower Gate

3=for the filling of water from the spring of Siloam

3=when the water willow branches were placed by the altar

9=morning tamid offering

9=afternoon offering

9=additional offering for special days

3=to tell people to cease labor

3= distinguish between the Sacred and profane.

Notes in the Talmud tells us that blowing the trumpets at a sacrificial services is derived from Num. 10:10

And a day of your joy and on your festivals and on your Rosh Chodesh (New Moon) days, you shall sound the trumpets over your olah (burnt sacrifice)  offerings and over your shelamim (peace sacrifices) offerings, etc.

After the procession marched to the Lower Gate, it drew water for the libation from the well spring of Siloam. See Rashi. The Rabbi’s interpret this verse to include the daily sacrifice (Zevech Todah to Tamid, Ch 7; Minchas Chimnuch 384:7)

The Rabbi’s also point out that 3-blasts were omitted, when  climbing down the steps to the Woman’s Courtyard.

In the next Gemora, the Rabbi’s explain that the writer of the prior Mishnah was different from the writer of the second Mishnah. Accordingly there is an unresolved dispute. It turns out that one Tanna cites three blasts on the tenth step in Mishnah; the second, the three blasts are at the side of the altar. Nevertheless, they agreed on the 48 blasts. (Succah, Yersush. 31a)

The Rabbi’s then discuss the implications of Num. 10:8 “they shall blow” teaches that these blasts sound during the additional service. Then the Rabbi’s debate whether these blasts are in addition to the already mentioned blasts. They indicate that there may be more shofar blowers but no more blasts than originally decided.

This elaborate Water Libation ceremony pictured  Assistants to the Priests (Leviim) playing various musical (flutes, copper air pipes, different types of harps and percussion).Levites are descendants of Aaron. The Kohanim ("Priests") had the special role as priests in the Tabernacle in the wilderness and also in the Temple in Jerusalem.

The remaining Levites (Levi'im in Hebrew), divided into three groups (the descendants of Gershon; the descendants of Kohath, and the descendants of Merari) filled different roles in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple services.

Water: Special Significance

Why was a special offering of water brought on Succot?

The Talmud (Rosh HaShana 16a) writes that as the world is judged for water on Succot, we bring a water offering so that the rains for the coming year should be blessed. 

Another reason is that the holiday of the harvest moon (on which Succot begins) occurs five days after Yom Kippur in the harvest season. During the harvest season, a person may become haughty and forget God. The Rabbi’s reflect that haughtiness affects not only farmers, of course. The wise may take credit for their knowledge and those of fine character may take credit for their graces. The bottom line is that all we get, whether it be money, wisdom, or respect comes from God

http://www.torah.org/learning/yomtov/sukkos/vol3no21.html

A Medical Assessment

A physician friend of mine offered me this assessment of potential health risks associated with fabricating a shofar:

You asked if there are any health issues related to working with horns. First off, the main risk (which is small) will be related to hand, finger, or eye injury, or a respiratory allergy from working with the saws, drills, or sanders. Use safety goggles, facemasks, and work gloves to minimize these risks. I suggest you make sure you are up to date on your tetanus vaccine just in case.

Regarding health risks from the horns themselves, this appears to be extremely low. I called the company that supplies the horns [a major domestic trader of animal specimens]; it told me their horns are imported following government regulations and with approval of customs requirements. The sources of horns are either farmed animals, or culled herds in areas of overpopulation.

I went on-line and found the USDA Animal Products Manual (see link below). The relevant section is Section 3.4 relating to "Bones and Related Products" (which includes horns and antlers). The USDA requires such imports to be certified by a veterinarean at the country of origin that the products are free of disease. The Tables in the USDA document show an outline of how US customs determines whether to release the shipment or not. There are some diseases that have rarely been attributed to imported animal products (e.g. a case of anthrax from an African goat hide used for a drum head), and certain neurodegenerative diseases that can affect certain types of animals (e.g. scrapie in sheep, or similar neurotoxic agents in bovine, deer, and possibly antelopes), but this is very country-of-origin and even regionally specific, and as far as I can tell from the USDA documents, the country vets need to certify that such disease is not present in the area from which the shipment originates. My understanding is that these diseases are very rare and either cannot be acquired by humans, or if they can, it is generally by eating the infected animals.

Bottom line: I think health risk is exceedingly low, but not necessarily zero. I suggest soaking in horns in isopropyl alcohol as an additional precaution.

Finally, and ultimately, if you still have concerns you can, and should, check with your doctor (although to tell you the truth, if one of my patients asked me about this prior to my looking into it, I would have had no idea what to tell them).

Fiery Serpent and Shofar

Browns Family Bible, 1877

Babylonian Talmud Tractate Rosh Hashanah, Mishneh 3 discusses rules for shofar, including what horns can be used, what repairs are allowed, and other technical topics. For example:

Mishnah 7: If someone blew in a well or in an underground masoned store room, or in a large cask, and one heard the sound of the shofar, he has fulfilled his obligation; but if he heard the sound of the echo, he has not fulfilled his obligation. And likewise, if one were passing behind a synagogue, or if his house was close to a synagogue, and he heard the sound of the shofar, or the reading of the megillah, if he concentrated his mind on it, he has fulfilled his obligation; but if not, he has not carried out his duty. Though the former heard and the latter heard, one directed his mind and the other did not direct his mind.

In the middle of this, there is a discussion that at first seems out of place:

Mishnah 8: "And it came to pass, when Moshe held up his hand, that Israel prevailed, etc." But could could the hands of Moshe wage a battle or lose a battle? This is rather to teach you that whenever Israel looked on high, and subjected their heart to their father in heaven, they prevailed; but if not, they fell. Likewise, you may explain the verse, "Make for thee a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole, and it shall be that whosoever is bitten and looks at it, he shall live." But could the serpent kill or could the serpent keep alive? Only whenever Israel looked on high, and subjected their heart to their Father in heaven, were they healed; but if not, they perished...

The Fiery (or Brazen) Serpent incident is described in Numbers 21:

And they journeyed from Mount Hor by the way to the Red Sea, to compass the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became impatient because of the way. And the people spoke against G-d, and against Moses: 'Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, and there is no water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.'

And HaShem sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses, and said: 'We have sinned, because we have spoken against HaShem, and against thee; pray unto HaShem, that He take away the serpents from us.' And Moses prayed for the people.

And HaShem said unto Moses: 'Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole; and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he seeth it, shall live.' And Moses made a serpent of brass, and set it upon the pole; and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked unto the serpent of brass, he lived.

The "fiery serpent" is known as “Nehushtan”, which is etymologically related to snake or serpent, נחש (nachash) and נחשת (nachoshet) means "brass" or "bronze".

So what does this have to do with shofar?
The redactors of Talmud explain that it was not the serpent that caused the healing, but the reminder to look to God for salvation. It is inserted into the laws about shofar to expound upon the kavanah for listening to shofar stated in the preceding mishnah.

Similarly, it is not the shofar itself, or even its voice that provides healing, but its reminder about teshuvah, to return to Godliness.

There is another linkage between the Nehushtan and shofar. This is how the snake on Moses' pole may have appeared. The similarity of the winding snake to a kudu horn shofar is blatant, and a ram's horn shofar shares the same helical nature.

The image of a snake winding about an axis is among the most ancient symbols; in many spiritual paths it is understood as a symbol of healing or of the life-force energy. It was called, for example, the staff or rod of Asclepius, the god of medicine in Greek mythology.  It is still used as an emblem of the healing arts.

It is also representative of the coiled flow up the spine of kundalini energy in yoga. And it is the zig-zag lightning path or flash of energy through the Tree of Life in Kabbalah (shown in yellow in illustration to right). "The Lightning Flash describes the creative process, beginning with the unknown, unmanifest hidden God, and follows it through ten distinct stages to a change in the material world." (Source)

The rod of Asclepius is frequently confused with the caduceus, a staff with two intertwined snakes that has a different significance in the Greek system. See Chapter 3-13 - "Spirituality and "Spirality" in Hearing Shofar: The Still Small Voice of the Ram's Horn for more insight into the significance of the helical shape of a ram's horn.

Michelangelo's depiction of the Nehushetan in a corner of the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Note the ram's head above the pendentive, artistically linking the helical snake with the form of the horns. This photo was taken before the mural was cleaned; click here to see a restored detail in dazzling color. 

Apparently, the Nehushtan, like many other holy relics, became an object of idolatry. King Hezekiah destroyed the Nehushtan in the late 8th century BC:

Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign... And he did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done. He removed the high places, and broke the pillars, and cut down the Asherah; and he broke in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made; for unto those days the children of Israel did offer to it; and it was called Nehushtan.  (2 Kings 18:1-4)

I recreated a brazen serpent, however, for Rosh Hashanah 5751. I carefully wound brass wire around a kudu horn and mounted it high on a staff where my congregation could look up at it. Both the Nehushtan and the shofar were reminders to seek at-one-ment with God, fulfilling the teaching of the mishnah.
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Some Christian renderings favor a staff with a cross bar, foreshadowing the cross of the Cruxifiction. (Virgil Solis, Nuremberg, 1562)


Photo Credits: Rod of Asclepius.  Sistine Chapel. Tree of Life.

The Four Elements

In Chapter 3-4 - "The Shaman's Shofar" of Hearing Shofar: The Still Small Voice, I relate shofar to the Four Elements of earth, air, fire, and water.

Here is an additional quotation about the relationship from Zohar:

588. On the day of Rosh Hashanah when the Holy One, blessed be He stands in Judgment over the world, and the Other Side comes to prosecute, the Twelve Seraphim and the Four Er'elim gather and stand before the Holy One, blessed be He. They are all adorned and stand before Him. At that time it is written, "he looks in at the windows; he peers through the lattice" (Shir Hashirim 2:9). "He peers," looking through a slit, sees, but sees not all that needs seeing. Later, "He looks in at the windows," where He can look more closely, meaning that He opens openings to have pity over all. And when the Holy One, blessed be He looks at the world, He looks through these windows and the lattices, and has compassion over all.

589. When Yisrael blow the Shofar, a sound is raised, coming out of the Shofar included of fire, water, and wind. That sound is made of them all, to rouse a high sound, Zeir Anpin, coming out of the Shofar, Binah, likewise included of fire, water, and wind, the Three Columns. Then the crier goes out and proclaims through all the firmaments, "The voice of my beloved is come...he looks in at the windows; he peers through the lattice" (Ibid.).

590. Then all know that the Holy One, blessed be He has compassion over Yisrael, and say, happy are Yisrael, to have the means on earth, by blowing the shofar, to awaken compassion above. Then it is written, "happy are the people who know the joyful note" (Tehilim 89:16). Assuredly, they know the note, for they break the note, which is harsh Judgment, by which all are judged. Happy are Yisrael in this world and in the World to Come, for they know the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He, and know how to walk in His ways and properly bind the unity.

591. The windows, Seraphim, and the lattices, Er'elim, are all ready to unite all the prayers coming up from below, and watch over them to bring them before the Holy One, blessed be He.

In my understanding, the Earth element is represented by the shofar itself.

Zohar Vol 13 - Pekudei, Section 48 - The Chamber of Brightness - Netzach, taken from http://www2.kabbalah.com/k/index.php/p=zohar/zohar&vol=26&sec=939.