How to Blow the Shofar

    When I blow the shofar in Jerusalem's Old City. People come up to me and ask questions. I'd like to share with you some of my answers.

    The shofar is a musical instrument similar to a trumpet. It is made by hollowing out the horn of any of seven kosher animals. The horns of a ram are most often used in the making of the shofar. Other longer darker horns of the antelope are used to make the Yemenite shofar.The shofar is a unique musical instrument. It is described in the Bible as the horn to blow for alarm and celebration. The term Jubilee comes from the Hebrew word yovel, to blow the shofar. This is because the blowing of the shofar was the sign of the fiftieth or Jubilee year when there would be a redistribution of property.

    The horn must naturally come from horned animals except bovines. It must be whole and can not be fixed, or patched. The usual test for this is to stop the small end and fill the carved out horn with water. If there is a leak it is not kosher or fit to be used.

    The shofar itself has no vibrating "reed" only the "sound box". So the blower must use his own lips as the "reed". I do this by blowing at the side of my mouth (not at the center like most horns). I separate my lips just enough for them to vibrate, sort of like making a "raspberry". It is not always clear what this distance is on each shofar. So sometimes I have to tighten my lips while trying to find the vibration point. This does take a little practice. Once I have found this point the sound flows through the shofar. And the results are a majestic sound.

    There are three calls of the shofar: Ta-ke-ah, Tru-ah, and Shvorim, plus Ta-ke-ah Gedolah The Long Ta-ke-ah.

    Ta-ke-ah is a regular blast starting at middle range and finishing up.

    Shvorim is three quick blasts: whip, whip, whip. The length of all three should be equal to one Ta-ke-ah.

    Tru-ah is a long undulating wailing with there being two main traditions as to this form; the first tradition is that they are nine separate short blasts in quick sequence, the second tradition that it is one blast of nine undulations. The Rabbis say that this call is supposed to sound like the crying of Sisera's mother as mentioned in the Book of Judges.

    Ta-ke-ah Gedolah, or the Long Ta-ke-ah, is a ta-ke-yah blast held as long as the blower can hold it. It is used at the end of the series of calls.

    The shofar is a natural item. It can collect dust and moisture. I tap the mouth end against my palm before each use to get out any moisture or miscellaneous objects. Shofars do deteriorate with age. An old shofar can be pretty to look at but if it has cracks or holes it is not kosher, not fit to be used.

    Enjoy.

    Yours, Pinchas Richard Wimberly, Jerusalem

To Shofar page.

To Tradition Gifts from Israel.

To Esek Homepage.

This page prepared by Pinchas Richard Wimberly, webwright.

May 28, 2007.