We all know Rosh Hashana as the day on which we hear the sound of the Shofar, following the Torah’s commandment, “It will be a day of Teruah.” Yet, we may wonder: “Why is there such a variety of sounds; can’t we just hear a Teruah and go home?”
The Talmud explains that a Teruah must be sounded three times, each time preceded and followed by a Tekoah, a long clear sound. Although we are able to identify the proper sound for the Tekoah, when it comes to the Teruah, there is a debate.
The Talmud explains that the Oral Tradition translates the word “Teruah” as “Yebava” which is a unique type of cry that was let out by the mother of Sisrah. Sisrah was an extremely powerful general who tormented the Jewish nation for 20 years. When he went to war against the Jews, G-d performed a miracle and he was killed [Judges 4,5]. The chapter describing the song and praise given by the Jews to G-d ends with a description of Sisrah’s mother reacting to his delay in returning. The verse reads as follows: “And the mother of Sisrah cried.” The word used for cry, however, is “vateyabev” which is the same word the Talmud uses to translate “Teruah.”
The Rabbis in the Talmud say the reason we blow different sounds for the Teruah is that we are attempting to create a sound similar to the cry of General Sisrah’s mother and, because we are not sure what the sound is like, we need to blow a variety of sounds. Nevertheless, we still may wonder why we have to learn how to perform a mitzvah as significant as blowing the Shofar on this holy and important day, from the cry of the mother of an evil general. It is my belief that we can find the answer by understanding the uniqueness of her cry.
Usually, a cry emanates from feelings of despair and hopelessness. As a General, Sisrah had a perfect victory record — always returning as champion. When his mother cried, although she was concerned at the time, deep down she felt confident that her son would soon return. She even expresses her confidence by saying the reason he must be delayed is from the business of collecting the booty. The word “vateyabev” is a description of that unique cry, one that conveys concern and worry, but with an underlying confidence.
The day of Rosh Hashana is a very serious day. It is a day when our individual and collective future is determined, a day during which we have the opportunity to pray and ask for mercy for Israel, and that all suffering should come to an end. Thus, we lift the Shofar and blast the sound of a cry. This cry, however, is not a cry of despair and gloom, because we know that we have a Father if Heaven and that His concern for us is like that of a father for his children. So when we cry, it is a cry that carries within it, confidence that G-d has a plan and that redemption and peace will eventually come. When we blow the shofar, we don’t just blow the sound of a cry, but rather, a “yebava” that indicates our confidence in the Creator for a good year.
Shana Tova.
