How to Blow a Shofar

Submitted by Shahar Geva on Fri, 01/22/2016 - 07:41

Shofars has great significance in Judaism, being connected with the traditions of Rosh Hashana (Jewish new year) as well as stories in the bible of Shofarot being used in a variety of different occasions. Each time though, it signifies a call to action in some way. On Rosh Hashanah the Shofar is sounded to call the listeners to atone for their sins before Yom Kippur, the day of godly judgement.

However, you may find yourself in the possession of a shofar or perhaps you are considering buying one, and suddenly it strikes you that you don’t know how to blow a shofar! After all, it isn’t simple like a whistle; just blowing into it will make no sound at all. For this reason we’ve taken upon ourselves to help you out and collect the knowledge together to help you learn how to ‘play’ the shofar. It will almost certainly take practice though, from experience, it doesn’t all just work on the first try.

Step 1: Acquire a Shofar and make sure it is clean.

Step 2: Purse your lips top over bottom and make a vibrating sound through them (watch the video to hear the sound)

Step 3: Once you have mastered making the sound without the shofar,lift the shofar to your lips where they are making the sound, either in the center or towards the right of the mouth is halachically acceptable.

Step 4: Learn the patterns that are used for each type of blast (shofar command).

– Tekiah: A long blast

– Shevarim: Three medium blasts

– Teruah: 9 or more short blasts

Step 5: Blow your shofar according to the commands written in the Siddur, where they are organised according to shofar command words, totalling 100 shofar sounds on Rosh Hashana.
Congratulations! Now you can blow a Shofar!

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