Voices: A Healthful Cry
“From the voice of my sighing my bone clung to my flesh (Psalms 102:6).” Constant sighing and groaning weaken the body; and healthy muscles and body fat are dissipated to the extent that the shriveled skin clings to the bones (Radak).
The voice we hear from the Shofar is determined by the voice we use in our prayers. This verse reminds us that we do not pray on Rosh Hashanah with sighs and groans, for they will shrivel our flesh. Sad prayers will make us hear the Voice of the Shofar as a sigh. We blow a voice of joy, the Tekiah, both before and after the sounds of crying and weeping, Shevarim-Teruah, so that we will experience the Shofar as joy overcoming sadness, resulting in our ability to pray with joy; a healthful prayer.