Shabbat Forshpeis
A Taste of Torah in Honor of Shabbat
PARSHAT NITZAVIM-VAYELEKH
THE MEANING OF THE VOICE OF THE SHOFAR
SEPTEMBER 10-11, 2004 / 25 ELUL 5764
By Rabbi Avi Weiss
The portion Nitzavim, is replete with
urgings to return to God. A term which jumps from the text, is one describing God?s hope that we, the Jewish people, would hearken to His voice ?li-shmoah be-kolo.? (Deuteronomy 30:20) The word kol, voice, resonates with deep meaning.
The key to understanding a Biblical word is to assess its meaning the first time it appears in the Torah. Kol first presents itself in the Garden of Eden?s story, where the Torah states that Adam and Eve heard the voice of the Lord. (Genesis 3:8) Kol is, therefore, not a surface voice, rather it is the voice of God. An important reminder to all of us that even as we busily prepare ourselves for the observance of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, that we not forget that the ultimate goal of these days ? is to reconnect with God, to feel His presence, to hear His voice.
Kol also prominently appears in the Revelation story. Once again, the Torah states that the Jews heard the voice of God. (Exodus 19:19) This time, however, the voice of God was a call to commit to Torah practice as revealed at Sinai. Kol here speaks to the voice of God as expressed through observing God's laws, an idea worth remembering on Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur.
And, of course, Kol is found again in the prophetic descriptions of the Messianic era. (Isaiah 40:3) In the liturgy we echo this prophecy with the words, Kol me-vaser, the voice that announces the coming of the Messiah. Thus, Kol, especially during this time of year, speaks to the challenge of not only hearing the voice of God and His commandments, but of harnessing the energy of these messages into repairing the world?the Messianic period ? the time when God?s voice will be heard by all.
These three different messages of kol are echoed in the mitzvah of shofar. Shofar is the call that reenacts the moment of creation. Shofar is the call that brings us back to Sinai when the Torah was given. And shofar is the call that will ring out when the Messiah comes.
It ought be noted that the blessing preceding the shofar ritual does not state ?to blow the shofar (li-tkoah)? it rather reads, ?to listen (li-shmoah)? to the shofar. Yet, it goes one step further. The blessing teaches us to go beyond, to listen to the inner voice of God, His law and the yearning for redemption. It does this by declaring that we ?listen to the voice, the kol, of the shofar.? If only.
Rabbi Avi Weiss
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