YOUR OWN SHOFAR
«Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament!» (Psalm 150:1).
ROSH HASHANAH is the celebration of the Jewish New Year. It takes place on the same date as the Feast of Trumpets and celebrates the day that God created the world. For this commemoration, a very strange instrument called a shofar is used; in the Bible, this word is sometimes translated as «trumpet,» while other times as «horn» or specifically «ram’s horn.» is why this date is also known as the «Day of the Shofar Blast.»
The shofar is a ceremonial wind instrument that has been used by the Hebrews for more than three thousand years. It is made from the horn of a clean animal (like the ram, the goat, the antelope, or the gazelle), making it hollow on the inside. The sound of this instrument is a call to take stock of the previous year and to meditate, analyze oneself, and decide to begin the New Year on the path of righteousness. It is interesting that the person who plays the shofar must fulfill two requirements: 1) be a scholar of the Torah and 2) fear God.
These two requirements are the basis of every spirit of praise because it is through the study of the Bible that we know God and that we discover the type of praise He likes to receive from His creatures. It is the fear of God which gives us the true sense of His greatness and our smallness. However, in order to praise God, we do not need sophisticated instruments, nor do we even need to know music. Our voice, raised to Him with a clear sense of devotion, is a perfectly valid praise.
«Singing, as a part of religious service, is as much an act of worship as is prayer. The heart must feel the spirit of the song to give it right expression (White, Patriarchs and Prophets, ch. 58, p. 594). Singing is not something empty that does not lead anywhere, but should inspire us to take stock, meditate, analyze ourselves, ask the Lord for help and guidance, and give thanks for all that He has done for us in the past.
Friend, you have in your hands a shofar, which is your own voice; you yourself are a living instrument that can praise God. Sing with enthusiasm, in public or in private, in such a way that you pass it on to others and glorify God with your music
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Take From: Daily Devotions for Women’s 2020
«One Day at a Time»
From: Patricia Muñoz Bertozzi
Collaborators: Lorina Maya & Magda Sanz T