Shulchan Aruch (א 'סעי ו"תקפ) teaches that ideally, a shofar should come from a ram, and it should be bent.
The Mishnah Berurah explains that the shofar should be from a ram to arouse Heaven's memory of akeidas Yitzchak, and it should be bent to remind the community that they should bend their hearts before Hashem.
The Mishnah Berurah writes that it is more important that the shofar be bent. Therefore, if a person has only two shofars, one from a ram but is straight, and the other is a bent shofar from another animal, he should take the bent shofar.
The Mishnah Berurah writes, "The chachamim established that the shofar should be bent, as a reminder to bend our hearts to Hashem when we pray. However, no halachah requires that the shofar be from a ram. This is a custom that all Yidden practice for generations, because it arouses the memory of akeidas Yitzchak, and it is a hidur mitzvah, a more beautiful mitzvah [but it isn't an obligation]." So, a bent shofar is more important than a shofar from a ram.
When learning mussar we can derive from this that when one bends himself to do Hashem's will, it is a more significant accomplishment for him than the remembrance of the avos. A shofar from a ram arouses the merits of the avos, but a bent shofar, represents when one bends himself to do Hashem's will. That is a greater merit.
To understand this better, consider the following example: Sometimes, in Eretz Yisrael, you will get a ride in a taxi with a secular Jew who is proud of his religious ancestors. "Did you know that my grandfather was a rabbi? And on my mother's side, we are descendants from Reb Akiva Eiger..." The passenger taking the ride might reply, "If you would place a yarmulka on your head, it would be your greater accomplishment than all the grandfathers that you have." This is the lesson we are discussing. We want the merits of our forefathers. It means so much to us. That is why we ideally choose a shofar from a ram, so the merits of Avraham and Yitzchak at akeidas Yitzchak will be remembered in heaven, which will help us be blessed with a good year. But an even greater accomplishment is to have a bent shofar, to bend your heart and your will to do Hashem's commandments.
This year, the first day of Rosh Hashanah is on Shabbos, and we won't blow shofar. The chachamim forbid blowing shofar on this Shabbos because we are concerned that someone might carry the shofar four amos in a public domain. We wonder, because of those few fools who will make this mistake and carry a shofar on Shabbos, we should lose out on the great merit of blowing shofar on Rosh Hashanah?! We will lose out on the zechus avos, the merits of our forefathers, that the shofar arouses!
The Or Someiach answers that an even greater merit than zechus avos is when we bend our hearts to do Hashem's will or when we bend our hearts to help our fellow man. We therefore forego the great merit of shofar, to help those who might make a mistake and carry the shofar on Shabbos. We bend our hearts to help our fellow man, and that is a greater merit.
The Chofetz Chaim zt'l sent his son-in-law, Reb Hershel Levinson zt'l, to Reb Chaim Brisker zt'l, to ask him whom he should appoint to be the rosh yeshiva in Radin. Reb Chaim Brisker advised that they appoint Reb Moshe Ladinsky zt'l because he knew the entire Torah in depth.
Reb Moshe Ladinsky was the rosh yeshiva for about twenty years, and the students loved him. However, the spirit of the day changed, and the popular style of study became what is known as "the Brisker derech halimud." This new and ingenious approach to Torah study was sweeping the yeshiva world, it was the talk of the time, and the students of the Radin yeshiva didn't want to be left out. The Chofetz Chaim therefore invited Reb Naftali Trop zt'l to be among the rosh yeshivos in Radin. Reb Naftali was an expert in this new approach to study, and inevitably, he became the primary rosh yeshiva. Reb Moshe Ladinsky lost his prestige.
The Chofetz Chaim spoke to Reb Moshe Ladinsky and explained that he had no choice. The bachurim wanted the Brisker derech, and if he didn't hire Reb Naftali Trop, the bachurim would leave the yeshiva.
