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Why do we blow the Shofar every day during the month of Elul?

by Rabbi Yossi Marcus

  

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The sound of the Shofar, Maimonides explains,1 is the call to Teshuvah. Teshuvah means returning to your true self. As we get closer to the High Holidays, we start looking back at our year and see that we’ve gone off the track here and there. We find that we have not allowed our souls to dictate our actions.

In the month of Elul, the month before Rosh Hashanah, we start making our way back—to G-d, to our souls, to our true selves. The sound of the shofar is the wordless cry of the soul, yearning to break free of the prison of the mundane.

Historically, our sounding of the shofar on the first day of Elul harks back to the same date thousands of years ago when Moses went back up on Sinai to receive the second tablets. The shofar was blown in order to remind the Jews not to mess up again like they had the first time2. (See also What is special about the month of Elul?)

Also: the shofar is said to “confuse Satan” about what day is actually Rosh Hashanah and prevent his negative interfering with New Year. (Satan is not a guy with horns running around with a pitchfork. “Satan” in Hebrew means to “block” or to “push away.”3 “Satan” is the forces of negativity that G-d creates to challenge us and “block” our way to fulfilling our mandate. The sound of the shofar awakens within us the pre-verbal, transcendent commitment that silences the voice of darkness.) (See also Why don't we blow shofar on the day before Rosh Hashanah?)

[Ed. note: Blowing the Shofar in Elul is a Jewish custom, and no blessing is recited].

Footnotes

  • 1. Mishneh Torah laws of Teshuvah 3:4
  • 2. Tur Orach Chaim beginning Laws of Rosh Hashanah, Chapter 581
  • 3. Numbers 22:22
TAGS: Elul, shofar

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Teshuvah
Repentance. Or, more literally, "return" to G-d. Teshuvah involves regretting the past and making a firm resolution not to repeat the offense.
Rosh Hashanah
The Jewish New Year. An early autumn two day holiday marking the creation of Adam and Eve. On this day we hear the blasts of the ram's horn and accept G-d's sovereignty upon ourselves and the world. On Rosh Hashanah we pray that G-d should grant us all a sweet New Year.
Maimonides
Moses son of Maimon, born in Spain in 1135, died in Egypt in 1204. Noted philosopher and authority on Jewish law. Also was an accomplished physician and was the personal doctor for members of the Egyptian royalty. Interred in Tiberius, Israel.
Shofar
The horn of a Kosher animal. The Shofar is sounded on the holiday of Rosh Hashanah, and is intended to awaken us to repentance. Also blown to signify the conclusion of the Yom Kippur holiday.
Moses
[Hebrew pronunciation: Moshe] Greatest prophet to ever live. Led the Jews out of Egyptian bondage amidst awesome miracles; brought down the Tablets from Mount Sinai; and transmitted to us word-for-word the Torah he heard from G-d's mouth. Died in the year 1272 BCE.
Elul
The 6th month on the Jewish calendar, normally corresponding to August-September. This is the month which precedes Tishrei, the month of the High Holidays, and is a month of introspection and repentance.
G-d
It is forbidden to erase or deface the name of G-d. It is therefore customary to insert a dash in middle of G-d's name, allowing us to erase or discard the paper it is written on if necessary.