Rethinking Rosh Hashanah Shofar Blasts Through Sarah's Tragedy

A commentary piece reinterprets the significance of the shofar blasts on Rosh Hashanah, suggesting they represent not Isaac's near-sacrifice, but Sarah's grief and realization of her sin.

The author posits that the traditional readings for Rosh Hashanah, focusing on Sarah's conception and Isaac's binding, highlight a hidden agenda concerning parent-child relationships. The article delves into the biblical narratives of Sarah's demand to banish Hagar and Ishmael, and Abraham's subsequent binding of Isaac.

According to the piece, the traditional understanding that the shofar blasts commemorate Isaac's near-sacrifice is incomplete. It introduces a Midrash (rabbinic interpretation) suggesting that Sarah died immediately after hearing of Isaac's binding, not from old age, but from shock and grief. This interpretation frames her death as a direct consequence of the near-sacrifice, making her the true, albeit unintended, victim of the event.

Furthermore, the article proposes a radical reinterpretation: the shofar blasts are not Isaac's, but Sarah's wailing cries as she realizes her sin. Her sin, the author argues, was her excessive hatred for Hagar and her role in the near-fatal banishment, which she later understood as a divine response to her demand. The shofar, in this view, becomes a call to awaken from anger and hatred, a reminder of responsibility, and an opportunity for repentance, even on the last day of the year.

The author, Avrum Burg, a former Knesset member and chairman of the Jewish Agency, concludes that the shofar blasts embody Sarah's painful realization and regret, urging listeners to recognize their own potential for cruelty and to seek atonement.