The
standard ancient shofar was made from a flattened ram’s horn.
The outer layers of the horn, the rough, scarred and pocked keratin, were
scrapped off. The remaining thin-walled horn was heated, typically in a water
and oil bath, and pressed flat to create an L-shaped shofar. The heating
process left the horns a dark yellow, almost golden hue. Frequently, a
decorative crown was carved at the top of the bell or along the spine and the berachos,
ornamental or kabbalistic markings were often engraved on the sides. The
scrapping and flattening process allowed the shofaros to fit into a pocket or
other small space and caused them to have a loud, shrill sound.
Since World
War II the flattened shofaros have been disappearing. The style has shifted to one
which retains most of the natural curl. The bell area from which the sound
emerges is frequently left untouched. Only the section leading to the
mouthpiece is properly straightened. Often, these shofaros are left somewhat
raw with much of the outer layers of keratin remaining. More recently, a new,
“natural-look” shofar has been introduced where all of the original, natural
curves and curls are preserved with no straightening of the section leading to
the mouthpiece. Occasionally, these shofaros have minimal work done to adjust
the mouthpiece.
The key
motivation for the newer shape is that without the flattening there are considerably
fewer steps to making such a shofar. This translates into less time in the
factory and less opportunity for cracking or damaging the shofar due to the
stress of the heating and pressing processes. Additionally, some people believe
that the completely natural curvature offers an advantage in meeting the
halachic preference of kafuf — that the shofar used on Rosh Hashanah
should be bent (more on this below). So, if the more natural shaped shofar is less
time-consuming and easier to make, why did our ancestors go through the trouble
of straightening and flattening their shofaros?
Contemporary
writers have filled the pages of many Torah journals attempting to answer this question.
Theories abound. One popular explanation is that the horns were straightened to
make the shofaros easier to hide during difficult times. The flattened shofaros
could be hidden unobtrusively under clothing for transport or fit into smaller hiding
places. A second possibility is that this shape produces a shriller, wailing-like
tone which more closely resembles a cry or sob than the foghorn-like blasts of
the naturally curled horns. A third theory attributes the reason for this shape
to Kabbalah.
A less
popular, but very intriguing reason draws a likeness to the chatzotzaros
— trumpets — used in the Beis Hamikdash. According to the Mishna (Rosh Hashana
26b) whenever the chatzotzaros were sounded in the Beis Hamikdash they
were accompanied by shofaros. Based on a variety of sources, the chatzotzaros
were long silver tubes held pointed to the ground with an L-shaped bell at the
bottom. Bais Hamikdash era shofaros were made to match and blend with these chatzotzaros.
They use a similar design – a long shaft with an L-shaped bell. Later-day
shofaros retained this design as a remembrance.
I
would humbly like to add my thoughts on the matter and suggest that the shofaros
were flattened to accentuate the inherent, natural bend found in almost all ram’s
horns. According to the Gemara (Rosh Hashana 26b), on Rosh Hashana it is best
to use a shofar made from a ram’s horn. The rams’ horn recalls the Akiedah,
where “a ram caught by its horns” replaced Yitzchok as the korban. Additionally,
ram’s horns tend to be bent (see Rashi to Mishna there). The bend signals that
the petitioner should bow in submission before Hashem on this day of judgment.
I
would like to share two observations about the natural shape of the ram’s horn.
One, the horn is twisted and curled, but not it is not a shape I would describe
as bent. The Mishna should not have described it as kafuf – bent, but
with the more appropriate term, mesullol (מסולל-twisted/winding).
Two, superficially, the natural twists and curves of the ram’s horn seem very
similar to other curled horns, like those of the ibex or kudu. What then is
unique about the ram’s horn?
The
answer, I believe, lies in the L-shaped bend. Only the ram’s horn has this
L-shaped bend. In its initial curved state, and even more so once it has been
flattened, the L-shape is inherent and specific to the ram. The other horns
mentioned, or other horns known to this author, all lack this feature and
cannot be made to have this feature.
While
the afore-mentioned heating process can be used to alter the shape of any horn,
whether it was originally, naturally straight or curled, the process has its restrictions.
The process is limited to minimal changes, such as widening, narrowing or
flattening. It cannot be used to make drastic changes in the shape like adding
an L-bend.
When
the Mishna discussed bent ram’s horns it was referring to this inherent bend,
whether in its natural form or if it was underscored through straightening.
*****
There
is a school of thought which proposes that only the original, natural bend qualifies
as bent. They contrast the ram’s horn which the Mishna (Rosh Hashana 26b) calls
“bent” and the ibex horn which the Mishna refers to as “straight.” Why does the
Mishna call one bent and one straight when in fact both horns have an impressive
curl? Additionally, they focus on Rashi’s comment to Mishna (cited above) which
states, “bent ram’s [horns]. Rashi explains that stomon kefufin — they
are ordinarily bent. This camp assumes that if Rashi used the words “ordinarily
bent” he must be referring to the original, natural bend.
However,
as explained, the twists and curves of the ram’s horn are indeed not much
different than the twists and curves of other animal’s horns. The Mishna is
referring to the L-bend present even in the unprocessed ram’s horn and
accentuated by removing the distracting curves and twists.
Moreover,
this school disregards the simple reading of Rashi that stomon kifufin
means to exclude the breeds of sheep (e.g., Jacob Four-horned) or occasional
anomalies whose horns lack the L-shaped bend to introduce a radical new
interpretation of kafuf which disregards a thousand-year-old, universal
tradition which went the extra mile to flatten and straighten the shofaros.
The
L-shape of the ram’s horn is a natural phenomenon and is present as the horn
develops on the ram’s head. This sharp bend is exclusive to the ram’s horn and
cannot be replicated by heating or twisting other types of horns. Ancient
shofaros were flattened to remove the extra curves and twists which might obscure
the difference between the ram’s horn and the horns of other animals with
similar curls and twists. Flattening underscored the unique L-shaped bend
specific to the ram’s horn. The Mishna about bent ram’s horns cited above, is
referring to this highlighted, L-shaped bend. While flat shofaros have the
benefit of the accentuated L-shaped bend, the “natural-look” shofaros also have
this bend – albeit not as pronounced – and can serve to remind the petitioner
to bow in submission before Hashem.
Ram’s
horns, whether with the accentuated L-bend or with the original, natural bend,
were chosen to highlight the importance of bowing in submission before the
Creator on this Day of Judgment.
