The Three Questions

Joy and Introspection are both imperatives. Torah reveals the secret how they can coexist.

The Three Sounds

The central observance of Rosh Hashanah is the sounding of the shofar. There are three distinct sounds that must be made: A Tekiah-a long blast, Shevarim, three broken short blasts, and Teruah, a series of rapid, staccato sounds. These two “broken sounds” are collectively referred to in the Torah as Teruah. Every Teruah sound must be prefaced by a Tekiah sound and also must be followed by a Tekiah sound. Many explanations have been advanced for this sequence.

One symbolic explanation is that the Tekiah is a sound of joy. As we stand in judgment before G-d, we are confident in His compassion and He will certainly heed our prayers. There is great joy in the knowledge that we will win our case.

The broken sounds of the Teruah express our broken heart and remorse for all the negative things of the past year for which we ask forgiveness. This is followed by another Tekiah, to indicate that we know that G-d will forgive us and give us a good and sweet year.

Strange Talmudic Questions

This introductory description of the Tekiah and Teruah sounds will help shed some light on an enigmatic series of questions and answers in the Talmud about the Shofar:

The Talmud asks:

“Why do we sound the Tekiah (the long blast) of the shofar?”

To which the Talmud responds, “Why? Because it’s says so in the Torah!”

The Talmud continues with a second question: “

Why do we sound the Teruah (the broken sound)?”

Again the Talmud’s incredulous response, “Why? Because it’s says so in the Torah!”

The Talmud finally follows these two questions with a third more understandable question:

“Why do we sound the Tekiah and the Teruah when we sit and then again when we stand?”

This is a reference to the two series of Shofar blowing. Before the Musaf prayer we sound the Shofar, at which time it is permissible to sit. These are known as the “Sitting sounds of shofar.” We then repeat the sequence of shofar blowing during the Musaf service, at which time one is required to stand. Hence these blasts are known as the “standing sounds of shofar.” And here the Talmud asks why we must repeat all of the blasts?

The answer:

“To confound the satan.”

Satan is an angel G-d created and serves as the obstacle and challenge to us. When the Satan sees how conscientious we are—that we are not content with a one time, perhaps, perfunctory sounding of the Shofar, but we repeat it again—it demonstrates that we have the power to overcome any obstacle.

However, what needs clarification in this Talmudic passage is what did the Talmud have in mind when it asked why we sound the Tekiah and the Teruah? Didn’t the Talmudic sages know that they are commanded in the Torah? And if they wanted to know the reason why the Torah commanded us to make these sounds, no answer is furnished in that passage. All it says is that it is so written in the Torah—a fact that we knew from the outset!

We can gain some insight into the Talmud’s questions with the introduction above: i.e., the Tekiah is an expression of joy and confidence, whereas the Teruah indicates a broken heart and heartfelt remorse for one’s past iniquity. We can now proceed to understand the underlying premise of the Talmud’s questions.

How Can we be so Confident and Happy?

The first question is why do we sound the Tekiah?

The Tekiah, as was noted, is a long triumphant blast indicating that we are celebrating our victory. Incredible! We have barely begun the Rosh Hashanah service yet we are so confident that we will prevail!

Thus the Talmud’s question as to why we sound the Tekiah might actually be a question as to how can we be so confident when our lives are being judged and our fate hangs in the balance?

Moreover, as we reflect on the state of the world we ask, how can we be so happy in a world that is so shattered and fragmented? How can a Jew express any feeling of joy considering the amount of pain and anguish that exists in our lives and in the lives of so many others all over the world?

Would this be any other time of the year, one can and must compartmentalize one’s feelings. There is a time to rejoice and a time to empathize with the pain of others. But on Rosh Hashanah, the anniversary of creation of all humanity, the entire world’s concerns are foremost on our minds. How can we in good conscience be joyous?

Torah Reality

To which the Talmud replies: “It says so in the Torah!”

Torah is not only a collection of laws and guidance for us. It is Divine wisdom. It represents the ultimate and true reality from which all other reality emerges. The Torah is the blueprint of the world. If it is not in the blueprint it cannot be real. And conversely, if it is in the Torah then it is real, true and can eminently achievable!

If the Torah says, unequivocally, that we can sound the triumphant, confident, joyous sound of the Tekiah on Rosh Hashanah, it is true regardless of our own perceptions to the contrary.

Reminder of G-d’s Promise

The triumphant sound of the Shofar, furthermore, reminds us of G-d’s promise to bring Moshiach and usher in an age of true peace and goodness. That is reality because it is the reality established by the Torah regardless of our own perceptions of reality. The Torah declares that as we enter into the Day of Judgment we should come with confidence and joy that we will prevail because, in the end we will.

The sound of the Shofar is both a reminder of the sound of the Shofar that preceded the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai and the sound of the Shofar that will herald the arrival of Moshiach and the final Redemption.

How Can we Reconcile Joy with a Shattered Heart?

The Talmud then questions the reason why we sound the Teruah, the broken sound which expresses the opposite emotion of a broken heart. The sound of Teruah has been compared by our sages to the moaning and wailing sounds of a person who is distraught about their situation.

Why then do we sound this sound of Teruah which seems to contradict the first sound of Tekiah that bespeaks joy? How can we do both; sound the joyous sound of the Tekiah and follow it with the melancholy sound of the Teruah? How can one combine these two opposite feelings?

Furthermore, how can we afford to allow ourselves to dwell on the negative and allow us to fall apart emotionally? Won’t these thoughts lead us to depression and other destructive feelings?

Torah Synthesis

Again the Talmud answers. “It says so in the Torah!”

The Torah is the ultimate instrument of empowerment. The Torah is likened to both fire and water because it is a composite of both extremes. Torah therefore gives us the ability and the strength to achieve that balance and synthesis. On the one hand, Torah is refreshing and life sustaining as water. On the other hand, Torah can also be demanding and will burn our inside negativity.

Without Torah, joy can often border on levity and frivolity that can distract a person from the serious matters in life. Conversely, a person who is heartbroken can descend into depression that can destroy the person. When our joy and broken heartedness is derived from and empowered by the Torah, they are safe and productive emotions and therefore capable of coexisting. The joy does not take us away from reality and the broken heart does not take away our enthusiasm and joy.

Thus, the Teruah sound is followed by another Tekiah, to underscore that we cannot remain in a Teruah state. The need for serious self-evaluation and introspection is not intended to be permanent. It is a temporary state of mind necessary for self-cleansing; and it must be “sandwiched” in between two Tekiah-joyous blasts.

A Jew must begin with joy and confidence and conclude with joy and confidence.

May we all be inscribed and sealed for a year of goodness, sweetness and joy.

From the book Light from the Future: Rosh Hashanah by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.