Israelis Urged to Listen to Unheard Pain as Rosh Hashanah Falls on Shabbat
This year, the first day of Rosh Hashanah coincides with Shabbat, meaning the traditional shofar blowing will not occur on the holiday's first day. This absence has led some Israelis to feel a sense of unease or missed obligation, with some associating it with the period leading up to the October 7th Hamas attack, which also began on Shabbat.
Jewish tradition offers two main explanations for why the shofar is not blown when Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbat. One view attributes it to a rabbinic decree enacted out of concern that individuals might carry the shofar in public on Shabbat, an act prohibited by Jewish law. The other interpretation suggests this was the Torah's original intention, derived from the phrase "zichron teruah" (remembrance of a blast), implying remembrance rather than actual blowing.
The shofar's sound can evoke various emotions, including warning and alarm, akin to air raid sirens experienced during wartime. It can also represent profound pain, such as the cries of bereaved families or the silent suffering of soldiers wounded in conflict.
The article suggests that the absence of the shofar this year presents an opportunity to focus on "unheard pain." This includes the grief of bereaved families, the struggles of tens of thousands of PTSD-affected soldiers who find it difficult to reintegrate into normal life, and the emotional toll on couples separated for extended periods due to conflict. It also touches upon personal unfulfilled aspirations.
Instead of the loud, commanding sound of the shofar, the focus this year is on listening to the "quiet, painful silence" and finding healing within it. This introspective approach is linked to the liturgical phrase "a great shofar will be sounded, and a quiet voice will be heard."
