Why Do We Blow the Shofar?

The shofar, a ram's horn, is the central ritual object of Rosh Hashanah. Its piercing blasts have echoed through Jewish history, from Sinai to synagogues worldwide. But why this particular instrument, and what do its sounds mean?

The Biblical Command

The Torah commands:

יוֹם תְּרוּעָה יִהְיֶה לָכֶם

Translation: It shall be a day of teruah (blowing) for you. (Numbers 29:1)

While the Torah doesn't explain why, Jewish tradition has developed rich interpretations of this commandment.

Reasons for the Shofar

The Coronation of the King

Just as trumpets announce a king's coronation, the shofar proclaims God as King on Rosh Hashanah.

Remembering the Binding of Isaac

The ram's horn recalls Abraham's sacrifice when a ram was offered instead of Isaac. We invoke the merit of Abraham's devotion.

Sinai's Thunder

The Torah describes the sound of shofar at Mount Sinai. The Rosh Hashanah shofar echoes that moment of revelation.

The Prophetic Call

(Isaiah 58:1)

Anticipating the Messianic Shofar

that will herald the Messiah's coming and the ingathering of exiles.

The Three Sounds

Tekiah

One long blast—representing wholeness and the call to attention.

Shevarim

Three medium blasts—sounding like sighing or moaning, expressing the broken heart of repentance.

Teruah

Nine short blasts—like sobbing, representing the shattering of spiritual complacency.

Tekiah Gedolah

One very long final blast—the triumphant conclusion.

One Hundred Blasts

The custom is to hear 100 shofar blasts over the Rosh Hashanah services. This fulfills the obligation according to all opinions about the proper sounds.

The Wordless Cry

The shofar transcends language. Its primal cry expresses what words cannot—the soul's yearning for connection with God. Rabbi Nachman of Breslov compared it to a child crying out to a parent: beyond argument or explanation, simply the raw call of the heart.