L’shana tova y’all! Happy 1 Tishri, 5772. This is the day that the world was born. Happy Birthday Earth! Apples and honey for everyone. And a crazy round of horn blowing. What was that all about?
Nice of you to ask. The shofar is a trumpet made of the horn of any kosher animal except a cow. Jews have bad history with the worship of golden calves, so no more mistakes like that one. Rams, antelope, sheep, etc. are fine. Ashkenazim go for the ram since that’s what Abraham sacrificed after the sacrifice of Isaac was called off. I’m sort of thinking that I should have picked one of those up in Israel. Put on the kilt and blow the shofar and confuse the hell out of the neighborhood.
4 blasts from the shofar:
Tekiah – Wake up from your complacency! Hear the call of the community.
Shevarim – Witness the brokenness of the world and ourselves
Teruah – Prepare to move toward the promised land of wholeness
Tekiah Godolah – The birth of a better, new self.
Baruch ata Adonai, Ehloheinu mehlech haolam shehhehchehyanu v’kiy’manu v’higianu lazman hazeh.