Shofar Halachot

Shofar Halachot

Arthur L. Finkle

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Chafetz Chaim created the Mishnah  Berura , an updated version of the Code of Jewish law (at least in one section  dealing with holidays – Moed) codified in the 16th century.

What is a Shofar?

A Shofar is the horn of a kosher animal, except that of a cow, processed and used to sound notes as a bugle.  Similar to a brass instrument, in which the lips vibrate to make the sound, there are no pistons or other devices to modify its pitch.  (Mishnah 3:1)

     Properties of an Animal Horn

         

An animal horn is a pointed, bony structure on the heads of many mammals.  Most horned animals have a pair of horns.  Such animals as cattle, sheep, goats, and antelope have true horns.  Deer have horn-like growths that are not true horns.  These growths are called antlers.

 Horns have a bony core.  The core is an extension of one of the skull bones.  A layer of skin covers the core.  This skin contains a protein called keratin that makes the horn extremely tough and durable.  Keratin «KEHR uh tihn», is a tough, insoluble protein found in the outer layer of the skin of human beings and many other animals.  This outer layer of skin is called the epidermis.  The outermost layer of cells of the epidermis contains keratin.  The keratin in these cells makes the skin tough and almost completely waterproof.  In places where the skin is exposed to much rubbing and pressure—such as parts of the hands and feet—the number of cells containing keratin increases and a callus develops.  Cells that contain keratin are constantly being shed and replaced by new ones.  The condition known as dandruff results when the scalp sheds such cells.

 Keratin is also a part of certain structures that grow from the skin.  For example, the nails and hair of human beings contain keratin.  In animals, such growths as horns, hoofs, claws, feathers, and scales consist mainly of keratin.  Keratin helps make these structures stronger and better suited to protect the body from the environment.  (Wit, 2000)

What Shape Should the Shofar Be?

MB 586:1  procliams that is it best to have a curved shofar

The Talmudic rabbis, as was their wont, had a great debate over which kind of shofar to use on the High Holy Days. The Mishnaic rabbis argued that the shofar sounded on Rosh HaShanah should be “of an antelope and should be straight.”

Rav Levi argued that the mitzvah of hearing the shofar is fulfilled through the sounding of a bent or curved shofar. Rav Yehuda settled the dispute: “On Rosh HaShanah we use a bent rams horn and on Yom Kippur we use a straight (antelope) horn.”

Rashi, the great 11th century commentator, taught that being bent over is correct for Rosh HaShanah, while the Gemara explained it would best to stand as straight as possible on Yom Kippur. [Babylonian Talmud Rosh HaShanah 26b]

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Can A Shofar Be Made Of Other Than A Kosher Animal?

The Mishna Berurua states that the preferable shofar for Rosh Hashanah should be made of a ram’s horn or other kosher animal and bent. See 586:16.

There are, however, some w ho disagree that the shofar must be made from a kosher animal. Indeed, because the Holy Tabernacle hosed non-kosher items: dye; elephant hides on the roof, certain secretions (honey of a non-kosher animal), silk; non-kosher food if unfit for human consumption; animal hairs; anointed oil and incense; and dyes of crimson.

For, indeed, since the corpus of the shofar is its note (not its material), one could construct a shofar with a non-kosher animal, except for that of cow

Proper Order Of Sounds

In Mishna Berura (“MB”)590 he covers the proper order of sounds

In section 1, he cites the debates of the Sages as to whether the teruah was either none staccato (short note) or three moaning sounds.

In the argumentation, the Sages quotes Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law) that the teruah is sounded nine times on Rosh Hashana and 3-times for the Jubilee Years. See Lev 25:9; Lev. 23:24; Num. 29:1

The Shofar is first indicated as sounding in the Jubilee Year (Yovel) Lev 25:8-13. Each teruah must be with honor guards called tekiah

However, the some Sages were in doubt as to whether the teruah is to be the nine staccato yelps or the broken shaver (3-moaning sounds. The Rabbi’s in the Talmud, who lived within 200-years after the Destruction of the Holy Temple, simply did not remember the sound articulation.  Accordingly, in tractate Rosh Hashanah 33b, they compromised that the first refrain be terurah-shevarim; the second, teruah; and the third, shevarim, knowing that one refrain would be correct.

In gloss 5, the Aramaic translation of Teruah is yahava (cry). It is also derived for Sisera’s mother after Tobit's slaying him.

Gloss 6 indicates that there m must be series of note of approximately equal time length.

The Orech Chaim., a commentary on Code of Jewish Law, maintains the teruah is sounded 3-times; See  Lev 23:24 See R. Chaim Margoliot, Poland (1750’S-1818). Orech Chaim.

The MB then explores whether the Shofar Sounder may take one breath or two to sound the truah - shvarim. Although the  TAZ  (Rabbi David Halevi, 1586-1667) rules that two breaths or acceptable but one must try with one breath prior, the decision was discussion, the rule is two breaths (one before each word or sound).

The MB’s gloss indicates a widespread practice is to perform all with two breaths

Then, the MB discusses if the community practice is two and the Shofar Sounder blows with one breath, does the congregation have to perform the sound again. The conclusion os whatever the community standard is.

Halachic interruptions on whether the congregation has to repeat the shofar series if a mistake is made. The consensus is if one blew first two series correctly but makes error in third series, the Shofar Sounder only has to repeat the third series.

Another ruling is that bowling the shofar from the wide side (the bell) is invalid.  Another gloss is, after the community heard the Shofar blown, the community prayer should say Ashrey Ha-am Yode'ey Seru' ah (Psalms 89:16)and the verses Ashrey (Ps 84:5; 144:15; 145; 115:18) and they should return the Torah to its place.

At MB 586:1, the Jewish law is that one must hear the shofar  on Rosh Hashana

At MB: 586:2 deals with treif (unfit) shofars. If Shofar is split lengthwise it is treif.

Can You Repair a Shofar?

MB 856:9 concerns whether you can repair a shofar that is split, cracked or otherwise not fit. In MB 586:10, the law is, for a minimal split on a lengthwise split, repair is OK provided:

   The shofar is bound by a thread or string

   Glue, if not noticeable

   Filled with similar material as Shofar

   The Sound is similar to a layperson.

         

Although, Shofar was ornamented in the Holy Temple, the Jewish Law is that there shall be no ornamentation (gold or silver plating)

MB 586:16 provides the evidence of what CONSTITUTES HEARING A shofR SOUND. After much discussion. the law is that the sound must transmit directly –p not through an echoor any artificial means.

Qualifications for a Shofar Sounder (Ba'al T'kiyka)

Being a ba'al t'kiyah (shofar sounder) is an honor. "The one who blows the shofar on Rosh ha-Shanah...should likewise be learned in the Torah and shall be God-fearing, the best man available. However, every Jew is eligible for any sacred office, pro­viding he is acceptable to the congregation. If, however, he sees that his choice will cause dissension, he should withdraw his candidacy, even if the improper person will be chosen"

(Shulhan Arukh 3:72). The Ba'al T'kiyah shall abstain from anything that may cause ritual contamination for three days before Rosh ha-Shanah (Shulhan Arukh 3:73).

When I train Shofar Sounders, I make sure that they all participate in the service and that no one is highlighted at the expense of another. I have also declined invitations to sound the shofar at other congregations if I know that I will displace another sounder. The democracy of each congregation is impor­tant. And it only enhances a sense of participation of as many people as possible can participate in a service.

Finally, the Ba'al T'kiyah shall recite the benedictions before the shofar ceremony. See Arthur L. Finkle, Easy Guide to Shofar Sounding, Torah Aura, 2002

During What Parts Of The Service Should The Shofar Be Sounded?

After theTorah service is Musaf  (additional prayer service) because it invo0lved an extra sacrifice during the itmes of the Holy Temple. The  Rosh Hashanah Musaf services contain three times when the shofar is sounded: Malchuyot (“kingship”), Zichronot (“remembrance”), and Shofarot (“sounding of the Shofar”). These three collections of 10 verses each speak respectively about (a) the proclamation of God as sovereign of the Jewish people and the universe, (b) God remembering the covenant and merit of our ancestors, and (c) the sounding of the shofar during the revelation of the Torah at Mount Sinai and the coronation of God as king, proclaiming God’s awesome power to all of the inhabitants of the world.

See Daniel Kohn, http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/ Rosh_Hashanah/In_the_Community/Services.shtmlea. Accessed September 2007.

Must the Shofar Be Sounded 100 Times

There is no REAL significance to the total number. One requires a tekiya-shevarim-tekiya. That unit gets multiplied a few times to reach 9, 9x3 (=30!) or 90 (100). For conventional reasons, we count tekiya-shevarim-terua-tekiya as 4 sounds, although you are correct - it  very likely should count as three. But these numbers are purely convention and have no real halakhic significance. We simply call it 30 to keep track.

The Torah requires nine sounds - as in Code of Jewish Law (Shulchan Aruch) 590:1-3.  The Rabbi’s had a problem with the Teruah, whether it is nine short sounds, three medium sounds, or a combination of the two.  Therefore, we have three sets of nine; thirty (counting shevarim-teruah as two).  The "Schlah" (Siftei Kohen, (1621-1662), a  Jewish legal commentator, in The Codeo f Jewish Law (Shulchan Aruch) 592:3-4) was stringent and favored the custom of blowing 30 sounds for "Malchiot, Zichronot and Shofrot" (the three blessings in Musaf) and added ten to complete 100 sounds.

The Shevarim - Teruah, are generally counted as two sounds (in counting the thirty).  Halachically, although the Shevarim - Teruah  could be counted as one when the congregation is seated, (SA 590:16):  however, because the Shevarim and Teruah, are each counted separately in the other two series. the Teruah and Shevarim are counted as two in the counting of thirty, we therefore count them separately.  (SA 592:4), where all the hundred sounds are enumerated, and the Teruah and Shevarim are clearly counted as two sounds, in counting the hundred sounds; the custom mentioned in the "Shlah."  Accessed 12/26/01.  E-mail by ebick@etzion.org.il (Ezra Bick)

Issac Klein, in Jewish Religious Practice confirms that the shofar is sounded 100-times:

The Shofar is also sounded at the conclusion of the service to make a total of one hundred blasts (Tosafot, B. R.H. 33b,; Sefer Hamanhig, lii. Rosh Hashanah, sec. 21; Liq. Maharil, p. 180). Customs vary as to how the hundred blasts are completed. Those who follow the Sefardic practice of having thirty blasts during the silent Amidah were shy ten, and added these during the Qaddish Titqabbel that follows the Amidah. Those who follow the Ashkenazic rite were shy forty; they added thirty at Qaddish Titqabbel and ten more after the mourner's Qaddish following Aleinu. The thirty blasts follow the sequence n"vr, n"wn, n"in three times, and the ten follow the same se­quence once. Each set of thirty is concluded with a long blast—as a sign that the prescribed sounds of this section have come to an end (Maharil). Isaac Klein, Guide to Jewish Religious Practice, JTS, 1979

Does The Same Person Have To Sound The Shofar For All Notes? 

The MB 592:1 provides that a shofar sounder can be substituted for another at any time

Neilah Service 

The MB 623 provides tht the shofar be sounded at trhe Neilah service on Yom Kippur, practicing that of the proclamation of the Jubilee Year

Shofar Sounding Made Easy: A Practice Guide

Shofar Practice Schedule

Arthur L. Finkle

Preparations One Whole Month Before Rosh Hashanah

Tisha B’av signals to me that there are 7-weeks before Rosh HaShanah. Therefore, I should prepare myself mentally to devote practicing the shofar at the beginning of the next month - Elul.

Customarily, we sound the shofar at the end of morning (and, in some place, afternoon) services.

 

Sounding the shofar at services is a practical way of preparing for the “real deal” on Rosh HaShanah. In addition this period serves as a reminder to orient my attention to appropriate repentance.

 

Being a Shofar Sounder for 30+ years, I have established a routine which I want to convey to readers of this article. The routine is based on sound musical principals expressed (hopefully) in plain English.

If you have any questions or concerns, contact me at:

Shofar221@lycos.com

Or any of the websites below:

Joint Effort with Michael Chusid, an expert Shofar sounder and commentator

http://www.hearingshofar.com

Shofar Sounders WebPage

http://shofar221.com

 Shofar WebPage

http://shofar-sounders.com

BLOGS

http://shofar-sounders.blogspot.com/

http://hearingshofar.blogspot.com/

 

Warm-Up
WE MUST WARM-UP! This should not be left to chance nor 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. In simple terms, a noise from a musical instrument plays more than one note, called Harmonics, but the principal musical tone produced by vibration (as of a string or column of air) is the fundamental or most prominent tone. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fundamental Then, focus on your attack (how you articulate the note). 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 because the instrument should be the same temperature or more than the room. A cold note becomes flat (off-tune or atonal). 
The shofar’s sound is similar to creation as that of a brass instrument b(Trumpet, French horn, trombone, tuba, etc) in that the lips vibrate creating a “buzzing.”
You should practice buzzing; (brass players do this by 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 blowing into it to stimulate your embouchure. (See The Art of French Horn Playing by Philip Farkas, The Complete Method by Milan Yancich, and 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 up your embouchure 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.
Related issues are 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 of day. Practice standing up; sitting down will change your embouchure.
Initially, practice the fundamental note until you feel your muscles get adjusted. Do not play too much beyond this level. If they tire, 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.  The quality of an 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 the side of their side tongue and move it back. The technique that  is most effective for the Shofar Sounder – and still allows maintenance of the correct embouchure -- is the correct way.

 

Week 1

During the first week, work on your embouchure (muscle tone of your lip and surrounding  facial muscles) by sounding the most prominent note (fundamental).

How long – start with no more than  5-minutes per day; gradually increase this practice time so you will build and tone your embouchure.

SHOFAR RANGE

 

Week 2

Begin the play the sets

Phrase I - T-SH-R-T  (3X)  Tekiah-SHevarim-teRuah-Tekiah

Phrase 2 -  T-SH-T  (3X)  Tekiah-SHevarim -Tekiah

Phrase 3 - T-R-T  (3X)     Tekiah- teRuah-Tekiah

You may sustain ‘lip fatigue’ – your lip will tire and will not respond the way you desire.

You should begin with phrase 1.

The tekiah is one blast – some end it with a small ‘up’ not (but is not necessary)

The shevarim is three moaning sounds. In music we call these sounds slurs. They begin with a low note and slide up to the dominant note. You accomplish this by tightening the lips from the dominant note to the third above note.

The Teruah – nine staccato notes. To avoid confusion, count the nine notes as three triplets, thus:  xxx xxx xxx.  The notes are articulated by touching the tongue to the tip of the shofar for nine times.

Tonguing needs practice and repetition to become natural.

 

Week 3

Continue practicing the phrases for as many times as you can In doing so, you will memorize the the association of the sounds and their names . Also, you will build stamina and embouchure definition. Note that you are focusing on endurance athletics but you do need a certain amount of stamina and lip strength to beat fatigue.

Learn Prayer To Be Recited On Rosh Hashanah

Praised are You, O Lord, Master of the Universe who has commanded us to hear the shofar

Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech

Ha-olam, asher kid-shanu b-mitz-votav

Vi-tzi-vanu Lish-moa Kol Shofar.

 

First Day Only

 

Week 4

Work from the prayer book to practice each series of sounds. Some congregations sound thirty note; others, ninety; most, 100 sounds.

On a couple of the days, I suggest you work with the kri’ah (the one who pronounces the sounds so you can coordinate your activities. You also will ‘feel each other out,’ as so often happens in musical schemes.

On the day before Rosh HaShanah – do not practice. Although Jewish law forbids such practice, the musical reason is to enable your embouchure to rest on the day prior to performance, such as soloists do prior to musical recitals.

Special thanks for significant input of premier shofar Sounder Michael Chusin

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