Elul Shofar Blowing

During the month of Elul it is customary in Judaism to blow the shofar every morning.  After all, the instrument is used to “wake” us up and prepare for the High Holy days. What is Elul and how do I blow a shofar?

Elul is the 12th and final month in the Jewish calendar. It is a month that connects the past year with the coming year—a time when we reflect on where we stand, and where we should be going. It is taught that in this month, the “King is in the Field,” and G‑d is readily accessible, willing to hear our requests, and listen to our fervent prayers for the coming new year. Every day of Elul we blow the shofar and recite special Psalms in anticipation of the High Holidays; Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

Jewish tradition points to the name of the month as symbolically appropriate — the letters of Elul form an acronym for the words in the verse Ani le‑dodi ve‑dodi li–“I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine” (Song of Songs 6:3). Believing that the “beloved” refers to God, the sages take this verse to describe the particularly loving and close relationship between God and Israel. Elul, then, is our time to establish this closeness so that we can approach the Yamim Noraim, or Days of Awe, in trusting acceptance of God’s judgment. We approach the trial not out of fear, but out of love.

I Have a Shofar...How Do I Use It?

The shofar is a ram’s horn that is blown on the High Holidays: Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Blowing the shofar follows a specific pattern. It is composed of three sets of blasts, each consisting of three repetitions of three notes.

Each set is different from the other. The various notes of the shofar are:

teki’ah–one long blast

shevarim–three medium sounds

teru’ah—nine short notes

When blowing the shofar for High Holy Days, the shofar blasts follow a prescribed pattern:

1. teki’ah ‑ shevarim teru’ah ‑ tekiah;
2. teki’ah ‑ shevarim ‑ teki’ah;
3. teki’ah ‑ teru’ah ‑ teki’ah gedolah.

The final tekiah is prolonged (it is called teki’ah gedolah, a “great blast”). Some people have been known to watch the clock during the teki’ah gedolah and time how long it lasts. Trumpet players seem especially good at this one!