Shofar: The Sounds of RepentanceНамуна

Shofar: The Sounds of Repentance

“Say to the Israelites: ‘On the first day of the seventh month, you are to have a day of sabbath rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts.’” — LEVITICUS 23:24

No words can completely describe the sound of the shofar, the ram’s horn sounded hundreds of times on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and throughout the High Holy Days that culminate on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. It is a primal cry, a royal declaration, and a jarring, piercing, awakening sound all at the same time. The sound of the shofar is multifaceted, holy, and transcendent.

In the Jewish tradition, the shofar is described as the key to opening any door in the palace of the “King of Kings” through the power of a heart broken in true repentance. King David illustrates this for us in the beautiful words of Psalm 51, as he sought forgiveness for committing adultery with Bathsheba: “My sacrifice O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise” (Psalm 51:17).

Like the shofars that were sounded by the Israelites before the walls of Jericho fell to the ground (Joshua 6:1–20), the shofar sounded today has the power to break down whatever separates us from God, and once we break down these barriers, all doors can open for us.

In this Fellowship Study, we will learn about the many facets and multiple layers of meaning to the shofar. However, the underlying message of the shofar can best be summed up by the word itself.

In Hebrew, shofar (שופר) is very similar to shiper (לשַ פְׁ ר),ֵּ which means “to improve.” The High Holy Days are a time of introspection, repentance, and change—as we improve ourselves, to repent, and to return to our God.

•Unless otherwise noted, all Bible verses in this plan are from the New International Version (NIV).