Yom Kippur Shofar Blowing
Meanwhile when the shofar is blown at the end of yom kippur services rabbi hain says this is the one time it s used during yom kippur it adds to the already solemn tone of the holiday in.
Yom kippur shofar blowing. While the shofar is best known nowadays for its use on rosh hashana it also has a number of other ritual uses it is blown each morning during the month of elul and to mark the end of the day of fasting on yom kippur once the services have been completed in the evening. Hearing the shofar blown on rosh hashanah and yom kippur is considered a sacred commandment so some synagogues are offering standalone shofar blowing services outdoors to accommodate those who do. In the evening of saturday oct 4. In talmudic times it was also blown to introduce shabbat.
Much significance is attached to the shofar blowing. Many however from talmudists to the medieval sages to the chassidic masters have dug deep into our tradition and sacred texts to uncover layers of reason and significance embedded. As yom kippur ends we are spiritually cleansed and ready to once again accept god s laws and the shofar s poignant cry reminds us of our original commitment of na aseh venishma we will do. Although the shofar may be blown until sunset the traditional time for shofar blowing is during morning.
Congregation kneseth israel a 114 year old synagogue in annapolis also plans to blow the shofar outside after service. The synagogue s sanctuary fits 460 people and plans to space around 70. The torah does not tell us why to blow the shofar. The covid 19 pandemic is affecting all aspects of jewish life including how jews will hear the shofar during this high holidays season.
The torah refers to rosh hashanah as the day of the shofar blast 1 since rosh hashanah is two days long we need to hear the shofar blown during the daytime hours of both of those days unless the first day falls on shabbat in which case we blow the shofar only on the second day. The custom of blowing shofar at the end of yom kippur comes from the a jewish midrash saying that at the end of yom kippur a heavenly voice goes forth saying go eat your bread in joy the shofar is blown once after the breaking of the yom kippur fast. In addition to the use of technology another challenge is the blowing of the shofar a trumpet like instrument made from a ram s horn that is sounded on rosh hashanah and yom kippur.
