Blowing the Shofar in Yom Kippur
The shofar can be blown for different reasons – to announce the start of a holiday, to announce a war or in processions. It is also blown at the end of the Yom Kippur service. Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the year for the Jewish people. This day arrives in late autumn and all the Jewish people are supposed to atone for their sins on this day. Every healthy Jewish adult spends this day in fasting.
The shofar is blown at the end of the Yom Kippur service. This is the time when the Divine Presence starts making its way up to reach the higher realms. The shofar is blown finally at this time so that people get to know about the closing of the divine gates. All the hard work that has been done by the people has been duly noted and they will now be presented to the Divine Throne.
The jubilee year of Yom Kippur is also commemorated by blowing the shofar. The shofar is also blown at the end of the Yom Kippur service so that people know that the fast is now over and they can eat. On the night following Yom Kippur, the Jewish people eat a festival meal and the blowing of the shofar means that they can start preparing for the grand feast.
It is the Tokea that blows the shofar. There are four distinct blows of this trumpet like musical instrument. The unbroken blasts of the shofar lasting for about three seconds signify Teki'ah. This is followed by Shva'rim where three segments of the Teki'ah are blown. This is followed by Teruah, consisting of nine rapid blasts. In the end is the Teki'ah Gedolah where the Teki'ah is blown three times, each blast lasting for at least nine seconds.
Since the shofar and the tallit form two of the most notable items in the Jewish religious customs, one has to pay special attention to buying them.
To buy shofar, visiting a Jewish religious website is the easiest option. The best shofar is the rams horn shofar, made from the curved horn of a ram. The ram is most preferable because it is this animal that Abraham received from God as he was about to sacrifice his son. There are other animals like kudu whose horns are used for making the shofar. But a cow or calf's horn cannot be used for making the shofar.
To buy your shofar, just pay some attention to all the shofars available online. It will be a special moment for you when you get to blow this great instrument in a religious congregation.
Blowing the shofar on Yom Kippur
The shofar is blown at the end of the Yom Kippur service. This is the time when the Divine Presence starts making its way up to reach the higher realms. The shofar is blown finally at this time so that people get to know about the closing of the divine gates. All the hard work that has been done by the people has been duly noted and they will now be presented to the Divine Throne.
The jubilee year of Yom Kippur is also commemorated by blowing the shofar. The shofar is also blown at the end of the Yom Kippur service so that people know that the fast is now over and they can eat. On the night following Yom Kippur, the Jewish people eat a festival meal and the blowing of the shofar means that they can start preparing for the grand feast.
The sounds of shofar
It is the Tokea that blows the shofar. There are four distinct blows of this trumpet like musical instrument. The unbroken blasts of the shofar lasting for about three seconds signify Teki'ah. This is followed by Shva'rim where three segments of the Teki'ah are blown. This is followed by Teruah, consisting of nine rapid blasts. In the end is the Teki'ah Gedolah where the Teki'ah is blown three times, each blast lasting for at least nine seconds.
Buying a shofar
Since the shofar and the tallit form two of the most notable items in the Jewish religious customs, one has to pay special attention to buying them.
To buy shofar, visiting a Jewish religious website is the easiest option. The best shofar is the rams horn shofar, made from the curved horn of a ram. The ram is most preferable because it is this animal that Abraham received from God as he was about to sacrifice his son. There are other animals like kudu whose horns are used for making the shofar. But a cow or calf's horn cannot be used for making the shofar.
To buy your shofar, just pay some attention to all the shofars available online. It will be a special moment for you when you get to blow this great instrument in a religious congregation.
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