Why do we blow Shofar in Elul?
asked Aug 11, 2010 at 14:45
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Who says we do this? Who is 'we'?– mevaqeshAug 21, 2017 at 15:22
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Why do we blow Shofar in Elul? (Sorry for beating you to it DoubleAA.)– DonielFAug 21, 2017 at 16:41
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3 Answers
The Tur (O.C. 581) brings down two reasons the Pirkie Drav Eliezer says when Moshe went up on Rosh Chodesh Elul to get the second Luchos in order to prevent the Jews from doing something like the golden calf the Shofar was blown. This based on a Posuk in Tehillim God shall be exalted with the trumpet blast; the Lord, with the sound of the Shofar (47:6). Then he brings a Posuk in Amos (3:6) Will a Shofar be sounded in the city and the people not quake. This is because the first Posuk indicates a prevention of further Aveiros the second Posuk symbolizes that they will do Teshuvah. The Shlah in his Chiddushim on Gemarah Rosh Hashanah says the Pirkie Drav Eliezer is only a reason to Blow on Rosh Chodesh itself the rest of the month is because of the Posuk in Amos. The Levush (581) adds his own twist saying it is the concept of Turn away from evil and do good on Rosh Chodesh it is turn away from evil then on it is do good.The significance of the Month time of blowing's source is from Tiku baChodesh shofar since Chodesh is a month.
answered Aug 11, 2010 at 14:46
R' Ephraim Greenblatt writes (1:394) brings some of the reasons quoted by SimchasTorah.
He adds another reason quoting Rav Kook - Just as we need to start learning the Halachos of Pesach 30 days earlier, so too we need to practise blowing the Shofar 30 days in advance.
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1Why does that need to be in shul? I would think that this would only mean the person blowing on Rosh Hashanah should practice at home starting 30 days before. Also why does it have to be every day, in the morning. Learning halachos of Pesach 30 days before doesn't mean once a day every day for 30 days in the morning.– robevAug 21, 2017 at 15:15
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you're right - that would be one reason why NOT to blow outside of a Minyan– ZviAug 21, 2017 at 15:33
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I thought I was saying this reasoning suggests no difference between blowing inside or outside of a minyan.– robevAug 21, 2017 at 15:34
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His Teshuva is discussing whether an individual should blow. While he concludes that one shouldn't (See here: judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/2454/…), he begins with a few reasons why one should blow at all during Elul. This is one of the reasons he quotes.– ZviAug 21, 2017 at 15:36
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And I'm saying this reason justifies blowing at home. All it does is explain why a shofar should start to be blown 30 days before RH, but doesn't explain the practice of every day, once a day, in shul, in the morning.– robevAug 21, 2017 at 15:38
I don't have a source, but I've always heard it's to serve as a "wake up" call that it's time to do Teshuva...
