The main mitzvah of Rosh Hashana is the blowing of the shofar, which is a call for the repentance of the Jewish People, to assure a good year filled with Hashem’s blessings.
The ba’al tokei’a (the person who blows the shofar) stands by the bimah, the place where the Torah is read, to signify the merit of our acceptance of the Torah and the merit of akeidas Yitzchak (the binding of Yitzchak).
Before the recitation of the berachos preceding the blowing of the shofar, the shofar is placed on the bimah and covered with a tallis. If the ba’al tokei’a has more than one shofar, and/or other congregants have brought their own shofaros, they too are covered with the tallis on the bimah. The Kaf HaChaim states that although the shofar is covered, the ba’al tokei’a should hold on to it during the recitation of the berachos.
Rav Baruch Rosenblum asks: Why do we make the berachos on the teki’os with the shofaros covered? Do we make a blessing on the tefillin while they are in the bag? The halacha is that the beracha is made when the tefillin are on the head or arm. Likewise, we take the lulav and esrog into our hands and then we make the beracha. Why is the custom different here?
Various explanations are offered. Some say this is to confuse the Satan, so that he will not realize that we are about to blow the shofar. The Satan knows that at the time of tekias shofar Hashem moves from the Throne of Judgment to the Throne of Mercy. The merit of akeidas Yitzchak is the central focus of Rosh Hashana and it is invoked with the blowing of the shofar. The shofar is made of a ram’s horn, symbolizing the ram caught in the bushes that was ultimately sacrificed in place of Yitzchak. Our Sages tell us that Hashem told Avraham Avinu that when the Jewish Nation will blow the shofar, He will be compassionate. Thus, the Satan is relentless in his efforts to prevent the blowing of the shofar.
It is related that once in the time of the Magen Avraham the experienced ba’al tokei’a was unsuccessful in blowing the shofar for the tzibbur. He turned the shofar to the wide end and said (Tehillim 90:17), “May the pleasantness of Hashem be upon us; our handiwork, establish for us.…” He then turned the shofar back to its narrow opening and blew the shofar without difficulty. This is not merely a segula; rather, it is meant to inspire the ba’al tokei’a with the many Kabbalistic intentions of this propitious time.
The Medrash Bereishis Rabbah (56:5) tells us that Avraham Avinu hid Yitzchak until the altar was readied in order to assure that the Satan would not harm him in any way that would invalidate him as a korban. (The Satan had already attempted numerous times on their way to obstruct the akeidah from taking place, as is related in Medrash Tanchuma Vayeira).
During World War II, the Germans continued to produce large supplies of armaments and ammunition. Even after many setbacks and heavy losses, production continued unabated. Tens of thousands of Jewish people were starved and tortured, working day and night, and died making munitions for Hasag, a Nazi arms-manufacturing company that operated a network of forced-labor camps in Europe.
Before Rosh Hashana, though, the main concern of these exhausted Jews was only: Where would they get a shofar?
It was evening of the second day of Rosh Hashana, as a group of Jews were returning from work, when a message spread like wildfire among the inmates: We have a shofar! Everyone wanted to fulfill this mitzvah, despite knowing that if they were caught, they would be persecuted and killed.
The ba’al tokei’a withdrew the shofar from its hiding place, beneath his shirt. He made the berachos and blew the shofar, as everyone stood in silence.
The person who had obtained the shofar was a highly skilled bootmaker, who was admired by the Germans for his expert craftsmanship. He was known as the Master Shoemaker. It was he who had been moser nefesh (self-sacrificed) to sneak the shofar into the camp. If discovered he would have been killed on the spot.
The Master Shoemaker never revealed how or where he got the shofar. It remained his secret his entire life.
Every year before Yom Tov, I personally reach out to all of our loyal readers and friends of The Jewish Press with a humble request – to assist me in helping others in the community who are in dire financial straits. There are families, individuals, and children who need our encouragement, our support, and our monetary assistance so that they can rejoice during the yomim tovim along with the rest of Klal Yisrael. Please join me in this great mitzvah.
I personally administer and distribute the monies from the special Yom Tov Fund I have established directly into the hands of those who are most in need.
Please send your contribution to Khal Bnei Yitzchok Yom Tov Fund, c/o Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser, 1336 E. 21st Street, Brooklyn, NY 11210. Donations can also be Zelled to 718-954-4343.
In the zechus of your contribution may you merit blessing and success, good health, nachas, happiness and prosperity. You may also include the names of anyone in particular who is in need of shalom bayis, shidduchim, refuah, parnassah, etc. and I will say special prayers on their behalf. May we be worthy, with all of our tefillos, to celebrate a good, healthy and joyous New Year. May we see an immediate resolution to the current situation that plagues the world, and blessing and peace for Klal Yisrael. Amen.