1 Get the Cobwebs Out

2 Maimonides stated that the act of blowing the shofar is the equivalent of an alarm clock, rousing us from our spiritual slumber with a call to examine our deeds, return in repentance, and remember God our Creator. Maimonides stated that the act of blowing the shofar is the equivalent of an alarm clock, rousing us from our spiritual slumber with a call to examine our deeds, return in repentance, and remember God our Creator. Others have suggested that it is a wake-up call to God and His mercy toward us. Later interpretations in the Hasidic tradition include considering the shofar as a “prayer without words,” the highest form of prayer, and the concept that within each of us is a little shofar that needs to be blown (especially the broken-noted shevarim) to penetrate deeply into our hearts and lead to serious repentance. Eisenberg, R. L. (2004). The JPS guide to Jewish traditions (1st ed., p. 196). Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society. Eisenberg, R. L. (2004). The JPS guide to Jewish traditions (1st ed., p. 196). Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society.

3 Psalm 51:1 (NKJV) 1 Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. PLEASE NOTE THAT DAVID STARTS THE PSALM WITH “TO THE CHIEF MUSICIAN A PSALM OF DAVID WHEN NATHAN THE PROPHET WENT TO HIM, AFTER HE HAD GONE IN TO BATHSHEBA.” David wrote this to the chief musician telling him to put it to song to sing it openly; he called out his own sin before God, because he HEARD the warning of Nathan. He heard the words of the prophet as the signaling of a trumpet calling him to repentance. Psalm 51 (NKJV) Psalm 51 A Prayer of Repentance To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David When Nathan the Prophet Went to Him, After He Had Gone in to Bathsheba. 1 Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. 4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge. 5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. 6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. 9 Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. 13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You. 14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, The God of my salvation, And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness. 15 O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise. 16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise. 18 Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, With burnt offering and whole burnt offering; Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.

4 A shofar is a ram’s horn whose sharp top was cut offA shofar is a ram’s horn whose sharp top was cut off. The shofar was used as signal and for religious purposes. Exod 19:16, 19:19; 20:18; Lev 25:9; Josh 6:4–20; Judg 3:27; 6:34; 7:18–22; 1 Sam 13:3; 2 Sam 2:28; 6:15; 15:10; Ps 150:3

5 What it is… Jersey to answer…. What is it?

6 What is it’s use?

7 What should we hear?

8 Psalm 33:15 (NKJV) 15 He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works. What we need to hear… Rosh Hashshanah 1:1 A There are four new years: B (1) the first day of Nisan is the new year for kings and festivals; C (2) the first day of Elul is the new year for tithing cattle. D R. Eleazar and R. Simeon say, “It is on the first day of Tishre.” E (3) The first day of Tishre is the new year for the reckoning of years, for Sabbatical years, and for Jubilees, F for planting [trees] and for vegetables; G (4) the first day of Shebat is the new year for trees, in accord with the opinion of the House of Shammai. H The House of Hillel say, “On the fifteenth day of that month [is the new year for trees].” 1:2 A At four seasons of the year the world is judged: B at Passover for grain; C at Pentecost for fruit of the tree; D at the New Year all who enter the world pass before Him like troops, E since it is said, He who fashions the hearts of them all, who considers all their works (Ps. 33:15); F and on the Festival [of Tabernacles] they are judged in regard to water. Neusner, J. (1988). The Mishnah : A new translation (pp ). New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. Psalm 33 (NKJV) Psalm 33 The Sovereignty of the Lord In Creation and History 1 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful. 2 Praise the Lord with the harp; Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings. 3 Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy. 4 For the word of the Lord is right, And all His work is done in truth. 5 He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. 6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. 7 He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. 9 For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. 10 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. 11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations. 12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance. 13 The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. 14 From the place of His dwelling He looks On all the inhabitants of the earth; 15 He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works. 16 No king is saved by the multitude of an army; A mighty man is not delivered by great strength. 17 A horse is a vain hope for safety; Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. 18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, 19 To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine. 20 Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. 21 For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name. 22 Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, Just as we hope in You.

9 Leviticus 23:23-25 (NKJV) 24 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. Blowing of shofar for Feast of Trumpets Giving of Torah at Mount Sinai Walls of Jericho and conquest of Promised Land His second coming In fact, the term “Rosh Hashanah” does not appear in the Torah at all. Instead, the holiday is referred to as Yom Teruah (day of blowing). However, the use of the shofar was not limited to this day. The shofar was blown to mark the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai (Exod. 19:16) and the razing of walls of Jericho during the Israelite conquest of the Promised Land (Josh. 6:20). It was also used to announce the jubilee year (Lev. 25:9). Eisenberg, R. L. (2004). The JPS guide to Jewish traditions (1st ed., pp ). Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society. Eisenberg, R. L. (2004). The JPS guide to Jewish traditions (1st ed., pp. 190–191). Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society.

10 After the biblical period, the shofar no longer was used in Jewish priestly, military, and civil ceremonies. Eisenberg, R. L. (2004). The JPS guide to Jewish traditions (1st ed., p. 191). Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society. Ears have grown dull After the biblical period, the shofar no longer was used in Jewish priestly, military, and civil ceremonies. However, the shofar was blown on fast days, to announce a death, and at funerals; a special black shofar was sometimes used to announce an excommunication from the Jewish community (see p. 105). Eisenberg, R. L. (2004). The JPS guide to Jewish traditions (1st ed., p. 191). Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society. An old man was just fitted with hearing aids and hearing better than he had in a decade.  He came back into the clinic a week after being fit, and the audiologist asked him, "How are your hearing aids working?" old man: "Good, I've changed my will three times already!"

11 Isaiah 6:10 (NKJV) 10 “Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed.”

12 Matthew 13:15 (NKJV) 15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’ Yom Teruah is about the hearing. Not only the blowing of the trumpet, but the hearing of it as well It is the hearing of the call back to worship, back to battle, back to victory Matthew 13:3–23 (NKJV) 3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” 10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11 He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; 15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’ 16 But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 17 for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. 18 “Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. 20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

13 Isaiah 27:13 (NKJV) 13 So it shall be in that day: The great trumpet will be blown; They will come, who are about to perish in the land of Assyria, And they who are outcasts in the land of Egypt, And shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem. Since biblical times, the shofar has been associated with messianic redemption. According to the Midrash, the left horn of the ram that Abraham sacrificed instead of Isaac was sounded on Mount Sinai, while the right will be blown “in a time to come at the assembling of the dispersed” (PdRE 31). Isaiah (27:13) prophesied: “And in that day a great ram’s horn shall be sounded; and they who were lost in the land of Assyria and they who were dispersed in the land of Egypt, shall come and worship the Lord on the holy mountain in Jerusalem.” In addition to the traditional belief that the shofar will announce the resurrection of the dead, according to a medieval legend Elijah will blow the shofar three days before the arrival of the Messiah. Eisenberg, R. L. (2004). The JPS guide to Jewish traditions (1st ed., p. 191). Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society.

14 Acts 28:27 (NKJV) 27 For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.” ’ Acts 28:21–28 (NKJV) 21 Then they said to him, “We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren who came reported or spoken any evil of you. 22 But we desire to hear from you what you think; for concerning this sect, we know that it is spoken against everywhere.” 23 So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening. 24 And some were persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved. 25 So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers, 26 saying, ‘Go to this people and say: “Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; And seeing you will see, and not perceive; 27 For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.” ’ 28 “Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!”

15 Why ram, antelope, gazelle, goat…Not a cow- recalling the sins of the Golden Calf Must be hollow- shefoferet means tube Ram is preferred because of Abraham/Isaac on Mt. Moriah Curved horn- symbolic of our bowing to God’s will According to the Talmud, the ritual commandment to hear the sound of the shofar on Rosh Hashanah can be fulfilled using a shofar made from an antelope, gazelle, goat, mountain goat, or ram (RH 27a). All of these are kosher animals that have horns with removable cartilage. This second feature is important because a shofar must be hollow, since it is derived from the word “shefoferet” meaning “tube.” The Talmud explicitly forbids using a cow’s horn because it is known as a “keren,” not a “shofar,” adding that it is forbidden because our advocate on Rosh Hashanah should not be a reminder of the Golden Calf, our great sin and accuser. We do not want our past transgressions to bias God against forgiving our current sins (“the accuser may not act as defender”; RH 26a). The Rabbis strongly recommended the use of a ram’s horn as a shofar because of its association with the story of the Akedah (see p. 194) (RH 16a). A ram’s horn is also desirable because it is curved, which is symbolic of our bowing in submission to God’s will (RH 26b). The shofar may not be painted but may be covered with gold, as long as its tone is unchanged and the mouthpiece stays natural. It is permitted to pour water, wine, or vinegar into the ram’s horn on Rosh Hashanah to make a clear sound, because this is not considered to be “repairing,” which is forbidden on a festival. Eisenberg, R. L. (2004). The JPS guide to Jewish traditions (1st ed., pp ). Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society. Eisenberg, R. L. (2004). The JPS guide to Jewish traditions (1st ed., pp. 191–192). Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society.

16 Bad Jokes For the third time YES!...You might be the one not hearingYou got a heart murmur. Be careful… You might misinterpret what is said I’ve changed my will 3 times…What you don’t hear can hurt Different blasts (sounds) are for different occasions Teruah (long and crying) mentioned 3 times in scripture Lev 23:24 (Feast of Trumpets- Yom Teruah) Leviticus 25:9 (Jubilee Marked on the Day of Atonement) Numbers 29:7 (Feast of Trumpets- Yom Teruah)

17 Acts 28:28 (NKJV) 28 “Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!” Love that the Gentiles will hear… The refusal of the Jewish nation to hear instigated our hearing… Will we hear it Will GQF hear it Will GQ hear it Will Rowan Co hear it Will the USA hear it Let us not miss the sound of His return…

18 Joseph’s brother’s heard the 2nd time not the first. Message has always been the same to HEAR Deuteronomy 6:4 (NKJV) 4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! Mark 12:29 (NKJV) 29 Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Deuteronomy 6:4–9 (NKJV) 4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

19 I didn’t hear you calling. I can’t Listen to everybody who yells at me

20 Recall’s God as Creator of the WorldBlowing of the shofar reminds us of several things Blowing of the shofar reminds us of several things

21 Recall’s Giving the Word at Mt. Sinai

22 Destruction of the EnemyPsalm 130:title–1 (NKJV) A Song of Ascents. 1 Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord; Destruction of the Enemy The original reason for blowing the shofar may have been related to the pagan custom of making loud noises at the beginning of each new year to chase away demons—frightening away the evil spirits so that the forces of good would triumph and the upcoming year would be a happy one. According to the Talmud, the sound of the shofar can “confuse the avenger” and prevent Satan from testifying against Israel on these holy days (RH 16b). In line with this tradition, later-day mystics added several verses from Psalms to be read before the blowing of the shofar. One of these, Min ha-meitzar (“Out of the depths”; Ps. 130:1) forms an acrostic that reads kera satan (destroy Satan). Eisenberg, R. L. (2004). The JPS guide to Jewish traditions (1st ed., p. 195). Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society.

23 To herald the season of repentance,the shofar is blown from the second day of Elul. On Rosh Hashanah, the Torah prescribes the commandment of “hearing” the sound of the shofar, but does not say when or how this ritual act is to be performed Eisenberg, R. L. (2004). The JPS guide to Jewish traditions (1st ed., p. 193). Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society. To herald the season of repentance, The Rabbis decided that there should be 100 shofar blasts, equal to the number of sobs of Sisera’s mother or the number of letters in her lament for her son as recounted in the Song of Deborah (Judg. 5:28). This was designed to show that, just as Jews were sensitive to the tears of the mother of an archenemy, so we hope God will be sensitive to our tears and judge us mercifully on the High Holy Days. Eisenberg, R. L. (2004). The JPS guide to Jewish traditions (1st ed., p. 193). Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society.

24 Coronation of God as our King

25 Saadiah Gaon 10 additional reasons for sounding the shofarTo announce the beginning of the period of repentance and to warn people against transgressing. To remind us of the warnings of the prophets, who raised their voices like the shofar to touch our consciences. To remind us of the alarms of battle that accompanied the destruction of the Temple. To cause us to be in awe and do the will of God, for as Amos (3:6) asked, “When a ram’s horn is sounded in a town, do the people not tremble?” To remind us of the great Day of Judgment, when the horn will be sounded as a summons to the heavenly court (Zeph. 1:16). To remind us that the shofar will herald the ingathering of Israel’s scattered remnants to return to the Holy Land in the Messianic Age (Isa. 27:13). To remind us of the revival of the dead. Eisenberg, R. L. (2004). The JPS guide to Jewish traditions (1st ed., pp ). Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society.

26 Isaiah 27:13 (NKJV) 13 So it shall be in that day: The great trumpet will be blown; They will come, who are about to perish in the land of Assyria, And they who are outcasts in the land of Egypt, And shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem. Messianic deliverance at the end times. Since biblical times, the shofar has been associated with messianic redemption. According to the Midrash, the left horn of the ram that Abraham sacrificed instead of Isaac was sounded on Mount Sinai, while the right will be blown “in a time to come at the assembling of the dispersed” (PdRE 31). Isaiah (27:13) prophesied: “And in that day a great ram’s horn shall be sounded; and they who were lost in the land of Assyria and they who were dispersed in the land of Egypt, shall come and worship the Lord on the holy mountain in Jerusalem.” In addition to the traditional belief that the shofar will announce the resurrection of the dead, according to a medieval legend Elijah will blow the shofar three days before the arrival of the Messiah. Eisenberg, R. L. (2004). The JPS guide to Jewish traditions (1st ed., p. 191). Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society.

27 1 Corinthians 15:52 (NKJV) 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. Have ears to hear what the Spirit of the Lord is saying this day 1 Corinthians 15:51–58 (NKJV) 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

28 Maimonides stated that the act of blowing the shofar is the equivalent of an alarm clock, rousing us from our spiritual slumber with a call to examine our deeds, return in repentance, and remember God our Creator. 3) Matt 24:31 1 Corinthians 14:8 and 15:52 2) 1 Thessalonians 4:16 1) Hebrews 12:29 Revelations 1:10; 4:1; 8:2; 8:6; 8:13; 9:14 Maimonides stated that the act of blowing the shofar is the equivalent of an alarm clock, rousing us from our spiritual slumber with a call to examine our deeds, return in repentance, and remember God our Creator. Others have suggested that it is a wake-up call to God and His mercy toward us. Later interpretations in the Hasidic tradition include considering the shofar as a “prayer without words,” the highest form of prayer, and the concept that within each of us is a little shofar that needs to be blown (especially the broken-noted shevarim) to penetrate deeply into our hearts and lead to serious repentance. Eisenberg, R. L. (2004). The JPS guide to Jewish traditions (1st ed., p. 196). Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society. Eisenberg, R. L. (2004). The JPS guide to Jewish traditions (1st ed., p. 196). Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society.