בס׳ד

"Where does it say that you have a contract with G-d to have an easy life?"

the Lubavitcher Rebbe



"Failure is not the enemy of success; it is its prerequisite."

Rabbi Nosson Scherman



30 Aug 2010

The Shofar (and Marvin Hamlisch)

The Torah gives no specific reason why we blow the shofar on Rosh Hashana. According to the great Jewish scholar, Rambam (Maimondies), we blow the shofar on Rosh Hashana to say, "Wake up! Wake up, everyone who is asleep! Remember your Creator! Instead of going around doing things that are not important or worthwhile, take some time to think about what you can do to make yourself into a better person. Give up doing bad things!"
Rav Saadia Gaon gave many reasons for blowing the shofar, here are some:
Rosh Hashana is the birthday of the world.
The shofar reminds us of Akeidat Yitzchak, (the Binding of Isaac) where Abraham sacrificed a ram in the place of his son.
At Har (Mount) Sinai, when Hashem gave us the Torah, Bnei Yisroel heard the sound of a shofar. The shofar reminds us that Hashem gave us laws and rules to obey.
The shofar is the call of redemption. The shofar reminds us that Hashem will redeem the Jewish people.
The shofar is not blown if Rosh Hashana falls on a Shabbat.

http://www.torahtots.com/holidays/rosh/roshstr.htm

The lyrics in the first song of the video below are about G-d's command to Abraham to take Isaac, his son, to Mount Moriah. (the area in which Isaac was to be bound)

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