Rabbi Speaks
Rabbi Moshe Leib Gray, Chabad at Dartmouth

The 9 hour drive between New York City and New Hampshire makes for a lot of time spent in thought. The other day, as I was far into one of these trips, I was lost deep in thought about the mitzvahs we are commanded to perform on Rosh Hashanah.

Jewish sources use up large amounts of paper describing what the mitzvah of Shofar does but often overlook the reasons for how or why it works the way it does. The Rebbe spent a lot of time talking about this mitzvah and the deeper meaning of blowing the Shofar every year on Rosh Hashanah. What makes the mitzvah of Shofar so special and how can it have newfound meaning for each and every one of us?

The mitzvah of Tekiat Shofar is unique. Among the many numerous mitzvahs there are nuances that allow for flexibility in their observance. For example, some people own bigger Tefillin and some people have smaller ones. Some people’s Tefillin feature pointed shins and some have shins that are rounded. Then there are variations on how the Tefillin are wrapped. Some make a shin on the bicep, some on the hand. There are even mitzvahs that are open to personal choice in the level at which they are observed. With tzedakah, one can give nothing, one can give a tenth of his income, or one can give a fifth.

Tekiat Shofar, on the other hand, is always observed the same way. It's always the same horn, always blown the same way. Why is this? I believe the answer lies in understanding what G-d wants to accomplish through this mitzvah with each and every one of us.

The holy Baal Shem Tov likens the blowing of a shofar to a story of a king’s son who became separated from his father. Without the wealth and power, the prince became very lowly. He wanted to see his father but no one recognized him and would not let him approach the palace. One day the king was passing through the capital and the son went out to see him and to try to get close, but he couldn't, so he cried out, “Father, Father, save me!” The emotion and imploration in his son’s voice penetrated the king’s very soul and he went to his son.

So too with us – our souls left the throne of our Father God Almighty and entered this corporeal world. Yet on Rosh Hashanah the soul yearns to come closer to its source and cries out, “Father, save me!” This is what the sound of the shofar is - the cry of the Yiddisher Neshamah.

There are two parts to this cry. The first part is the cause of the cry, the reason behind the crier’s supplication. The second part is the actual essence of the cry, just the fact that the cry goes out.

The first part of the cry is different for everyone. What is ailing me does not ail you. And how each of us expresses it is different in words and thought. But when it comes to the essence of the cry, we are all the same. It is the same cry because we all really want the same thing whether we know it or not, we all want to be closer to our creator.  This is why the shofar is blown the same way by everyone: three simple blasts from the horn of a kosher animal.

This is what the shofar represents; this is what it tells us. How many of us in earnest talk to G-d? Yet it is absolutely necessary for us to talk to God and ask for the fulfillment of our individual needs, because we need them to help with fulfilling our universal mission, the reason why we were all created. Cry out to your G-d; ask him all that you will, all of your individual needs and desires. And in the course of your cry, the universal human essence will reach Him as well.

We know that the Shofar represents our cry to G-d. Yet how do we know it will work? It's one thing to cry out, it's another to be heard. If the king’s son would have been in another town when he cried out, the king would not have heard his cry.

There is a rule in Jewish law; if one has a doubt about saying a blessing then he doesn’t say it. Before the sounding of the shofar, we read the following blessing: “He hears the sound of the shofar of His nation Israel with mercy.” If we had a doubt that G-d would not hear the shofar, then we would not be allowed to say this blessing. G-d will hear it and we know that when he hears the “cry,” he will accept it.

G-d Almighty wants to fulfill our wishes. All we have to do is ask. And may this be the year that he grants all of our desires with joy and mercy and fulfills the ultimate request in bringing the final redemption, when the whole world will recognize G-d and suffering will no longer be.