A Surprising Answer to our most Pressing Issues.

The following story and discussion on the power of the shofar have special significance this year, as the world, and Jewish people in particular, face many unknowns and serious difficulties.

In the summer of 1812, Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France, invaded the Russian Empire with 600,000 troops. Among the Holy Leaders (Tzadikm), opinions were divided. Some felt that this was a step toward improving Jewish hardships, especially since Napoleon would relax the physical condition of Russian Jewry, brutally oppressed by the Czars.

On the other hand, Bonaparte’s agenda was profoundly secularist. He planned to assimilate the Jews under his rule actively. The spiritual threat was worrying.

The Holy Rabbis, led by R’ Mendele of Rimanov, felt relief was on its way. Rabbi Shneur Zalman, the Alter Rebbe, represented the position that felt Judaism would be compromised if Napoleon should win.

A spiritual ‘contest’ was held between the Rabbi Shneur Zalman, the Alter Rebbe and R’ Yisroel, the Kozhnitzer Maggid in R’ Mendele’s camp. It was apparent that military victory would depend on which side triumphed spiritually.

Rosh Hashanah was approaching. It was decided that whoever would sound the Shofar first and reach God on this auspicious day and at this critical moment, their position would prevail.

R’Yisroel woke up early on Rosh Hashana morning, hastened to the Ritulariam Mikveh, and rushed through the preparations for the prayers and the actual prayers themselves. About to begin the sounds of the Shofar, he sighed and put the Shofar down. “Ay, Der Litvak hot shoin oisgechapt.” R’Yisroel correctly sensed, “Rabbi Shneur Zalman, the Alter Rebbe, had already arisen that morning and went through the process of all the shofar sounds and by now got through to God. “

Indeed, Napoleon’s Grande Armée began to suffer heavy losses. That winter, over 400,000 men had fallen, the remnants of the army departed Russia and Napoleon was defeated.

And now for a Talmudic discussion.

On Yom Kippur, the high priest wore two sets of clothing, one of gold and one of pure white linen, with which he entered into the Holy of Holies to perform the very special, exclusive service.

The Talmud explains that he did not wear gold inside the Holy of Holies because of the saying, “The prosecutor can’t be the defender.” Gold, which was used to make the golden calf and hence a prosecutor against the Jewish people, could not be used and displayed in this most intimate of settings when mercy and defense were the call of the place and the moment.

Outside of the Holy of Holies (at a somewhat less intimate connection with God), the High Priest wore gold in his vestments because, says the Talmud, there, we don’t say, “the prosecutor can’t be the defender.”

The Talmud asks if the reason why we do not use a bull’s horn on Rosh Hashanah for the shofar blowing is that it reminds us of the golden calf (a little bull) and ”A prosecutor can’t be a defender,” the blowing of the shofar is outside of the holy of holies, so just as the High Priest has no problem with gold outside the Holy of Holies why should anyone have a problem with using the horn of a bull which is outside of the Holy of Holies as well?

The Talmud answers. Since the Biblical Mitzvah of the shofar brings up our attention and remembrance before God, we are calling God’s attention at that moment. It’s as if the shofar sounds are connected with and coming from the holy of holies! Therefore, we are sensitive to the statement, “A prosecutor can’t be a defender,” and we avoid using a bull’s horn.

In light of the above, Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter, the Sfas Emes, answers the following question.

Why is there no mitzvah to go up to the Temple on Rosh Hashanah, as we are commanded for the other major Holidays? And he answers. That’s because we are going up to the Temple and similarly connecting with God through the shofar. As a matter of fact, at the time of the shofar sounds, as we just heard from the Talmud above, we are inside the Temple building inside the Holy of Holies!!

The time of the shofar sounds is the most elevated and prominent time of the year. We are inside the Holy of Holies!!!

Rabbi Shneur Zalman writes in his Holy Tanya the following, which explains the story we said above.

“Every year there descends and radiates a new and renewed light which has never yet shone, from the supreme wisdom of God to the land above. The light of every year withdraws to its source in the essence of the infinite source on the eve of every Rosh Hashanah, “when the moon is covered.”

Rosh Hashanah is known as “the holiday when the new moon is covered” since it’s the first day of the Hebrew month when the moon cannot be seen.

Afterward, by means of the sounding of the Shofar and by means of the prayers, a new and superior light is elicited, [a light] of a yet higher rank in the sphere of the supreme wisdom, which makes its way down into our lives as the blessings and everything we will experience in the coming year.”

It seems pretty clear that the critical day and the critical way to bring about a better year in the most powerful way is to be sure we hear the sounds of the shofar correctly. Many rules are associated with the sounds of the shofar, and not everyone who thinks they can blow the shofar is doing it right.

The most important thing to remember when listening to the shofar is to realize, that we have nothing else to rely on but God Himself, and therefore, we are crying out to God Alone to help us.

Many stories told in the name of the Holy Baal Shem Tov follow the same theme.

The Baal Shem Tov found favor in the person blowing the shofar, who had very practical requests from God Almighty. He had his house to provide for and his daughters to marry off, and he had no clue how all of that would happen. “Only You, God, can provide.”

Or the one sounding the Shofar, and he could only cry out from the bitterness of his heart to turn back again to God in a most simple and uncomplicated manner.

The Baal Shem Tov repeated many times, “God desires the heart.” (Rachamono Liba Bo ih). Let’s turn to God with all our hearts, especially during the performance of this very powerful Mitzvah, the sounding of the Shofar. God will surely listen to our pleas and bless us with a Happy and Sweet Year in all ways necessary to make it a Ketivah Vachatimah toiva. Goodness in all ways for all of us.