Shofar (Ram's Horn) - What Is It ?

Blowing the Shofar or Sounding of the Shofar - Rosh Hashanah begins on the 1st day of the Hebrew month of Tishri (or Tishrei). The Torah calls Rosh Hashanah "Yom Teruah" or "Yom Truah" (Leviticus 23:24). "Yom Teruah" or "Yom Truah" means "A Day Of Shofar Blowing" in Hebrew. The sounds from the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah are a call for Repentance ("Shofarot" in Hebrew) and Remembrance ("Zikhronot" in Hebrew) of the sovereignty of G-d ("Malkhuyyot" in Hebrew) as well as heralding the start of the High Holy Days or "Days of Awe and Repentance" ("Yamim Noraim" in Hebrew), beginning with Rosh Hashanah on the 1st day and 2nd day of the Hebrew month of Tishri (or Tishrei) and ending 8 days later with Yom Kippur on the 10th day of the Hebrew month of Tishri (or Tishrei) (Reform Jews and Reconstructionist Jews celebrate Rosh Hashanah for 1 day, the 1st day of Tishri or Tishrei, and so for them, Yom Kippur is 9 days after Rosh Hashanah). In fact, hearing the sounds of the Shofar in person, and not on a recording or over a telephone or other device, is the commandment of Rosh Hashanah. The primary purpose of hearing the Shofar in person is to help re-awaken us spiritually. The month prior to the Yamim Noraim, the Hebrew month of Elul, is when Jewish people begin the process of self-examination and repentance for transgressions made in the past year, and this process culminates in the Yamim Noraim, and ends at the conclusion of Yom Kippur on the 10th of Tishri (or Tishrei).

What if the first day of Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbat or the Sabbath ?

If the first day of Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbat or the Sabbath, then the shofar is not blown on the first day of Rosh Hashanah; rather, the shofar is blown on the second day of Rosh Hashanah.

What are the Shofar notes ?

There are three Shofar notes. They are:

Tekiah or Tekiyah - one long, sharp, straight blast that is sustained for 3 seconds.
Shevarim - three or nine 1-second medium, staccato, wailing sounds in broken segments that rise in tone.
Teruah - a series of nine quick, firm, searing and soaring blasts in short succession that extend over a period of about 3 seconds.

Tekiah Gedolah or Tekiyah Gedolah - literally "big Tekiah" or "big Tekiyah" in Hebrew, this sound replaces the regular Tekiah or Tekiyah sound. A Tekiah Gedolah or Tekiyah Gedolah sounds the same as a Tekiah or Tekiyah but is a triple Tekiah or triple Tekiyah, meaning it is a sound that extends for three consecutive tekiyot or tekiot, meaning it lasts for a minimum of nine seconds.

Note that determining how the Teruah is sounded has been lost in history. Our Sages have ruled that after long years of exile, we can no longer be certain how the Truah is sounded: whether it is a staccato sobbing sound or a burst of sighs/groans; or is it a combination of both sighing/groaning and sobbing tones which is called Truah. Therefore, we sound all of these shofar tones, and call the sobbing sound "Truah" and the sighing/groaning sound "Shevarim".

What kind of sound does the Shofar make?

The shofar makes a shrill and piercing sound, that is haunting in its intensity.

What do each of the Shofar notes symbolize?

Tekiah or Tekiyah - symbolizes wholeness as it is one long, sharp, straight blast
Shevarim - the Talmud describes this medium, staccato, wailing sound as symbolizing sighing or groaning.
Teruah - the Talmud describes this quick, firm, searing and soaring sound as symbolizing sobbing.

Tekiyah Gedolah or Tekiah Gedolah - this sound symbolizes not only an alarm call, but a wake-up call.

When is the Shofar sounded?

The Shofar is sounded once before the Rosh Hashanah Musaf or Mussaf ("additional" in Hebrew, as in the additional prayer service to the regular prayer service) services, six times during the Musaf or Mussaf, and once after the Musaf or Mussaf. The grand total is thus 100 sounds of the Shofar (Many Sephardic communities add another long tekiah blast in order to total 101 sounds: the numerical value of Mikhael, the chief angel; some Chassidic communities sound an extra cycle of 30 sounds at the conclusion of the prayers, "to confuse the Accuser".).

In what order are the Shofar notes sounded?

The Shofar notes are blown or sounded in the following order [a "Tekiah Gedolah" or "Tekiyah Gedolah" (literally "big Tekiah" or "big Tekiyah" in Hebrew) replaces the final Tekiah or Tekiyah in the set blown before Musaf or Mussaf)]:

Tekiah, shevarim, teruah, tekiah

Tekiah, shevarim, tekiah

Tekiah, teruah, tekiah

What is the minimum amount of Shofar notes required to fulfill the Rosh Hashanah mitzvah ("commandment" in Hebrew, as in a commandment from G-d) of hearing the Shofar ?

Since the Torah mentions the word "Tru'ah" (the shofar sound) three times with reference to blowing the shofar, and each Truah is known to be preceded and followed by a straight sound called "Teki'ah", a person is obligated to hear on Rosh Hashanah at least nine shofar sounds:

Tekiah Truah Tekiah

The first thirty Shofar notes are sounded after the Torah Reading and before the Musaf or Mussaf prayer. They are called "Tekiot d'Meyushav" or "Tekiyot d'Meyushav" ("the blasts while seated" in Hebrew). Hearing these first 30 sounds of the Shofar fulfills one's obligation to hear the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah.

Customs of Rosh Hashanah
Shofar
Traditional Greetings
Shehecheyanu or Shechecheyanu Blessing
Foods
Seder
Readings From Scripture
Liturgical Poems - Piyutim
Tashlich - Tashlikh - Tashlik
Wearing White

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Shofar - Ram's Horn - FAQ