The Netziv - “A Remembrance of Blasts”

The Netziv in his commentary explains that there are different shofar blasts, and that these blasts are representative of different meanings which are associated with it. The Tekia’a sound (a long blast) represents joy and happiness, as is apparent from the verse in Numbers 10:10:

And on your joyous occasions—your fixed festivals and new moon days—you shall sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and your sacrifices of well-being.

The Teru’a (broken notes) sound represents a moment of fear and trepidation. Again, this is clearly written in Numbers (10:9), where it states:

When you are at war in your land against an aggressor who attacks you, you shall sound short blasts on the trumpets, that you may be remembered before the ETERNAL your God and be delivered from your enemies.

The purpose of the blasts here are meant to recognise that this is a moment in time when they need G-d’s help, and it will be in that merit that they are “delivered” from their enemies.

Calling the festival a Zichron Teru’a means that the person blowing and those hearing the shofar should not only blow the sounds, but remember and focus on the idea that this is a day of trepidation and awe, one in which we need to supplicate to the Almighty. Hearing the notes, and not understanding their intent would be akin to someone blowing the Shofar as a musical instrument, which we see in the Tractate of Rosh Hashanah (28).

If this is the case, the verse needs to be read as follows:

you shall observe complete rest, a remembrance (to focus) on the concept of Terua’a.

This interpretation allows the reader to see the day as a day of awe and reverence. This brings us closer to the concept of Rosh Hashanah. However there is an important part which is missing: how is the concept of joy that we express on Rosh Hashanah expressed in the Torah?

The Tekiya AND the Terua

There is a law which is important to recognise, that from a Torah perspective, there is no concept of just blowing a Teru’ah blast on its own. It must have with it a Tekiya blast. If one considers the blasts of the Shofar, it always begins with a Tekiya, followed by a Teru’a^[1], and then a Tekiya at the end. Perforce, there must be an element of joy on this day. It is not only awe which is expressed. What joy should we find in the moment in time when we are being judged?

The Rosh Hashanah of Ezra:

The Torah’s language and the symbolism of the shofar are only part of the picture. The book of Nehemiah gives us a historical moment that shows how Rosh Hashanah was experienced in practice. Rosh Hashanah is mentioned in the book of Nehemiah. This is how it is described:

(1) the entire people assembled as one in the square before the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring the scroll of the Teaching of Moses with which GOD had charged Israel. (2) On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Teaching before the congregation, men and women and all who could listen with understanding. (3) He read from it, facing the square before the Water Gate, from the first light until midday, to the men and the women and those who could understand; the ears of all the people were given to the scroll of the Teaching. (4) Ezra the scribe stood upon a wooden tower made for the purpose, and beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah at his right, and at his left Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, Meshullam. (5) Ezra opened the scroll in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people; as he opened it, all the people stood up. (6) Ezra blessed the ETERNAL, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” with hands upraised. Then they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves before GOD with their faces to the ground. (7) Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites explained the Teaching to the people, while the people stood in their places. (8) They read from the scroll of the Teaching of God, translating it and giving the sense; so they understood the reading. (9) Nehemiah the Tirshatha, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were explaining to the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the ETERNAL your God: you must not mourn or weep,” for all the people were weeping as they listened to the words of the Teaching. (10) He further said to them, “Go, eat choice foods and drink sweet drinks and send portions to whoever has nothing prepared, for the day is holy to our Sovereign. Do not be sad, for your rejoicing in GOD is the source of your strength.” (Chapter 8)

There are various elements of this Rosh Hashanah which we still observe to this day. We see the entire congregation “prostrating themselves…with their heads to the ground” to G-d as we do during the Aleinu prayer of Mussaf. It seems even then that there was a large emphasis on the Rosh Hashanah on giving a sermon - “translating and giving it sense”. What is fascinating is the people’s response. It is clear that they were clearly affected by the words to the extent that they started to weep and mourned. Why were they so upset?

The Malbim explains that they wanted to fast, because they realised the enormity of the day itself. Ezra’s response is crucial, because it reveals that repentance must be joined to joy, not despair. Ezra tells them to celebrate the festival, “eating choice foods, and drinking sweet drinks”, because in his words “rejoicing in G-d is the source of your strength.” These words require deeper understanding. How will rejoicing in G-d provide them with a source of strength on a day which is a Yom Teru’a? This introduces a deeper question: how can joy itself become a spiritual source of strength on a day of judgment?

Rav Sadiya Goan explains that the reason that they were told to eat delicious food and drink was so that in order to make the year itself sweet. Eating apples and honey is more than just a tradition. In some mysterious way, it “sweetens” the year ahead. Why should that be?

^[1] I am not discussing Shevarim, as it is a type of Terua.