Sound Bites: Find Me!

Why do we blow the Shofar when we are sitting – before Mussaf – the Additional Prayer – and when we are standing during Mussaf? We do so in order to confuse Satan who will be overwhelmed by our love of and devotion to this great Mitzvah. (Rosh Hashanah 16b. See Rashi)

The Ran (3a in the pages of the Rif) explains that Satan refers to our Yetzer Harah – Evil Inclination. We are addressing our own hearts with the Shofar.

We often have mixed and confused feelings. Although we may strive to attach to God and perfect ourselves, we often slip and lose our sense of direction. We blow the Shofar to remind our hearts of what we truly believe and desire.

Imagine someone lost in a forest and his friend calls to him to help the first man find his way. The Shofar is the friend’s call to the one who is lost and cannot rediscover the path out of the forest.