Tekias Shofar

Tekias Shofar

Blowing Barrels of Gold:

Sefer Chakal Yitzchok (Parshas Re'eh) writes in the name of the Imrei Yosef of Spinka zy"a that one year on Rosh Hashanah, as the Chozeh of Lublin zy"a was going up to blow shofar, his badchan, Rav Mordechai Rackover z"l, asked him jokingly, "Rebbe, what are you going to blow?"

The Chozeh replied, "What do you want me to blow?"

The badchan said, "I want the Rebbe to blow big 'chavitin' (barrels) full of gold coins for Klal Yisroel."

The Chozeh responded, "That is what I will do."

The Tekios of the Berditchover:

Sefer Shivchei Baal Shem Tov (page 157) relates that the Magid of Mezheritch zy"a did not blow the shofar himself. Rather, Rav Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk zy"a was the baal tokea, and the Magid was the "makri". Even during the last few years of his life, when the Magid was very sick, he would be makri from his room.

One year, Rav Menachem Mendel was unable to be in Mezheritch on Rosh Hashanah. That year, the Magid asked Rav Levi Yitzchok of Berditchov zy"a to blow the shofar.

Rav Levi Yitzchok prepared for this task very enthusiastically and emotionally, as was his way. When the Magid called out the first tekiah, Rav Levi Yitzchok saw a bright light, and he fainted. The Magid said, "I don't know what's wrong with him. Mendel saw more than he did and he didn't get so scared."

He then told someone else who wouldn't be so scared to blow the shofar instead.

A Small, Thin Voice:

The Kotzker Rebbe zy"a asked Rav Yechiel Meir of Gustini zy"a to blow shofar in his bais medrash. When it came time to blow, however, it was very hard for him to get the sounds out.

After davening, the Rebbe told him, "You blew well!"

He then quoted the words of the piyyut U'Nesana Tokef, Odom gadol yitaka", which he used to mean: “A great man blew." He added, “Even though only 'kol demama dakah yishama' (a small, thin voice was heard), it was still 'malachim yichapeizon v'cheil v'raadah ye'echeizun' (angels hurried and fear and trembling grabbed them)."

The Kavanos of Tekias Shofar:

R' Shmuel Deutsch, the baal tokea in the bais medrash of the Chasam Sofer zy"a, once asked him to teach him the holy intentions he should have in mind when blowing the shofar. The Chasam Sofer quoted the pasuk (Bamidbor 29:1): "It is a day of blowing for you." He then said, "You must have intentions to fulfill this mitzvah that Hashem commanded us, nothing more."

Tevilah Before Blowing:

Sefer Ohalei Shem relates that the Magid of Kozhnitz zy"a once asked Rav Levi Yitzchok of Beritchov zy"a, "What time do you start davening by you?"

Rav Levi Yitzchok answered that he started davening late, especially on the Yomim Noraim, because he needed time to prepare for the holy prayers.

The Magid then said, "I finish davening early."

The Berditchover then said, "This year, I will make sure to blow shofar before you do."

On Rosh Hashanah, as the Magid was getting ready for tekias shofar, he saw that there were Heavenly accusations against Klal Yisroel. He began engaging in his avodah hakedosha, using lofty yichudim in an attempt to annul the decree. Since he was toiling so hard in this avodah, he became weak and fainted. He then had a vision in which he was standing in Shomayim and saw that there was a tremendous accusation against the nation.

Suddenly, he heard a loud noise breaking through the Heavens. He asked what it was, and he was told that Rav Levi Yitzchok of Beritchov was going to the mikvah before blowing shofar, and this was cancelling all the decrees.

When the Magid awoke, he said, "We must wait until after the Berditchover blows shofar. It will then be easier for us to blow."

Hashem Does Not Give Negative Testimony:

Rav Yitzchok of Vorka zy"a was orphaned from both his father and mother as a young child. He was adopted by Rav Dovid of Lelov zy"a, who raised him in his home. As a child, he was known as "Itzikel".

On erev Rosh Hashanah, the chasidim of the Chozeh of Lublin zy"a hired a wagon to travel to their Rebbe. Rav Dovid took leave of the boy and told him, "Itzikel, you will not be traveling to Lublin because it is very crowded and you could get trampled. I don't want to have to watch you the whole time because I wouldn't be able to concentrate on my tefillos. Therefore, you will be staying home."

The boy didn't say a word. Once all the chasidim were on the wagon, he ran over and tied himself to a plank that was sticking out in the back, without anyone noticing. When they stopped for a break halfway through the journey, someone realized he was there and brought him into the wagon.

When they got to Lublin, Rav Dovid told him, "Since it is so crowded here and you might get pushed around, please hold tightly onto my belt so that you won't get separated from me."

On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, after Tefillas Shacharis, the Chozeh walked out of the bais medrash. The crowd waited for a long time for him to return so that they could start tekias shofar, but he didn't come back. The chasidim began to worry, and they finally decided that Rav Dovid of Lelov should go to the Rebbe's room and see what was taking so long.

Rav Dovid entered the room, with Itzikel still holding onto his belt. The Chozeh did not look at Rav Dovid. Instead, he turned to the boy and asked, "What's your name?"

The boy answered, “Itzikel."

The Chozeh asked him, "What are you learning?"

Itzikel answered that he was learning the sugya about how someone cannot give testimony about a relative. The Chozeh then asked, "Why can't he?"

The boy responded, "Because he might testify falsely because he wants to help his relative."

The Chozeh continued to ask, "Do you have any questions on this Gemara?"

Itzikel said, "Yes. It says that one can't testify in favor or against his relative. I understand why he can't testify in his favor, but why can't he testify against him?"

The Chozeh asked, "Do you have an answer for this question?"

The boy said, "Yes. It is because someone who testifies against his relative is not a mentch, and the Torah says (Devarim 19:17) that only a human being can give testimony."

The Chozeh became excited and said, "Hashem is our relative. He certainly would never testify against us."

He then immediately entered the bais medrash for the tekios.

May we all be blessed with a kesiva v'chasima tova and sweet New Year!

Tochacha Sweetens Judgment Like the Shofar:

The pasuk states (Yeshaya 58:1): "Like a shofar raise your voice."

Rav Yissochor of Belz zy"a explains that this is a hint that just a like a shofar sweetens a harsh judgment, words of mussar can do the same and can cause sins to be forgiven.