Rosh HaShana, Shofar by Yosef Ben Shlomo Hakohen

An inspiring teaching from Reb Yosef Ben Shlomo HaKohen.
editor "Hazon – Our Universal Vision" www.shemayisrael.com/publicat/hazon 

Reb Yosef, z’l, returned his soul to the Holy One on 27 Elul, 5771,  September 25, 2011

A Letter to My Visionary Friends: 

"Dear Friends,

 During ELUL we prepare for Rosh Hashana – the New Year. This is a season of “teshuvah” – spiritual return; thus, during Elul, it customary to blow the shofar at the end of the weekday morning service. The sound of the shofar serves as a reminder to all of us to begin the journey “home” – to our Creator, to our own souls that were created in the image of the Creator, and to the Torah path of our Creator which enables us to fulfill the life-giving purpose of the Divine creation.

The sound of the shofar is a wake-up call, and it is not just a wake-up call to become aware of our personal and collective weaknesses which are preventing us from fulfilling our mission on this earth. The sound of the shofar is to also serve as a wake-up call to become aware of our personal and collective strengths which can enable us to fulfill our mission on earth, as individuals and as a people."

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Rosh Hashana excerpt:

This sacred and uplifting period gives us the opportunity for heartfelt prayer, spiritual study, and reflection on how we can increase love and goodness in the world. And through praying, celebrating, and feasting with others, we are reminded that we are part of a community which can be a source of life and blessings for others.

May we be blessed with an uplifting year.

Yosef Ben Shlomo Hakohen

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The Rosh HaShana Revolution
A Teaching by Yosef Ben Shlomo HaKohen z'l, found in his archives.
http://hazonarchives.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-rosh-hashana-revolution.html

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Please make MiSheberach for Reb Yosef, Yosef ben Udal.  - Joy

With great sadness, I share that Yosef Ben Shlomo Hakohen, zt'l, was niftar 27 Elul, 5771.

Joy's Tribute:
http://yosef-ben-shlomo-hakohen-myrebbe.blogspot.com

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Blessing Each Other by Yosef Ben Shlomo Hakohen

Blessing Each Other - A Message For Our Times

- Yosef Ben Shlomo Hakohen

Dear Friends,

In this letter, I would like to discuss with you the following way to strengthen each other during this very difficult period for our people and the world.

We can bless each other.

We can give each other a blessing when we greet each other, when we separate from each other, or even during our conversations with each other. In fact, the word that we use to greet someone or to part from someone is “shalom” – a blessing for peace, harmony, and wholeness.

Anyone who visits a traditional Jewish community will notice how Jews love to bless each other. This is especially true when Jews are about to depart from each other. Among traditional Jews, there is no such thing as a simple “good-bye,” especially when one is departing from family members or friends whom one may not see for a long period. During such a departure, there can be a flow of many blessings, such as: May Hashem give you good health; may Hashem fulfill the requests of your heart for the good; may Hashem give you the strength to do many mitzvos; may you find joy in your Torah study; may you have nachas (satisfaction and pleasure) from your children; may you have a good livelihood; may Hashem bless you and protect you; and lech l'shalom – may you journey to shalom. A short and sweet Yiddish blessing which is popular among many Jews is, Zei gezunt – Be healthy!

In formulating a more personal blessing, we should choose words that are appropriate for those whom we are blessing; moreover, the poets among us can use their creativity in composing the blessing. We need to remember, however, that even a simple “Good morning” can be a powerful blessing, when the words come from the heart.

It is fitting to give a blessing for success to one who embarks on a new venture or undertakes a new job. And we should certainly give a blessing to someone who is starting a mitzvah project. We should not, however, give a blessing to any immoral or unethical work which is prohibited by the Torah. (Cited with sources in “Love Your Neighbor” by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin, pages 44, 45)

We have a tradition that the blessings of individuals who have achieved greatness in good deeds have special merit. In this spirit, I will share with you the following story from the Chareidi community in Jerusalem:

Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, a leading 20th century sage, describes one of his encounters with the tzaddik, Rav Aryeh Levin, during the ten days of “teshuvah” – spiritual return and renewal – which begin on Rosh Hashana and conclude on Yom Kippur:

“I once met Reb Aryeh trudging at his usual pace through the streets of my neighborhood, the Sha’arey Chesed section of Jerusalem, during the ten days of teshuvah. ‘Where are you going?’ I asked him. ‘Oh,’ he replied, ‘I am heading for the home of Dr. Miriam Munin.' Anxiously I asked him, ‘Who is sick in the family?’ His answer was: ‘Thank God, we are all well. But the holy day of Yom Kippur is approaching, and since Dr. Munin is an outstanding physician who has treated people with loving-kindness all her life, I am going to her to receive a blessing for the New Year that has started for us.’ ” (From “A tzaddik in our time” by Simcha Raz, page 355)

I also learned from my Chareidi teachers that one does not have to be a tzaddik in order to give a blessing. Each of us is precious to Hashem, and each of us has some spiritual merit; thus, we all have the ability to bless others. In this way, we become messengers of the One Who is the Source of all blessings. Our sages therefore caution us not to underestimate the importance of another person’s blessing, even if this person seems to be an “ordinary” individual. As the Talmud teaches:

“Rabbi Elazar said in the name of Rabbi Chanina: ‘A blessing given by an ordinary person should not be unimportant in your eyes.’ ” (Megillah 15a)

This teaching is also relevant to the giver of the blessing, for no one should underestimate the importance of the blessing that he or she gives to others. Both Jews and Gentiles, states the Talmud, have the spiritual potential to bless others and to have their blessings fulfilled (ibid).

It is proper to answer “Amen” if someone gives you a blessing; moreover, you should also respond “the same to you” or a similar phrase, such as, “May the blesser be blessed.”

I am a member of the family of Kohanim, the descendents of Aharon. Hashem gave our family the mitzvah to bless the people each day; thus, giving blessings is our family business. The following is the traditional blessing that we say, and I give this blessing to all of you:

“May Hashem bless you and guard you. May Hashem illuminate His countenance towards you and endow you with grace. May Hashem lift His countenance to you and establish shalom for you.” (Numbers 6:24-26)

And I would like to add the following blessing:

“May Hashem bless you from Zion, and may you see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life.” (Psalm 128:5)

Have a Good and Sweet Shabbos,
Yosef Ben Shlomo Hakohen  (See below)

A Related Story and Comments:

1. Although Rav Yechezkel Sarna, the head of the Chevron Yeshiva in Jerusalem, was ill and very weak, he exerted himself one Saturday night – a few weeks before he passed away – to go to the yeshiva in order to pray with the students the evening prayers. As he was walking up the steps, he and the person accompanying him realized that the students had finished praying. Nevertheless, Rav Sarna continued up the steps.

“Why are you troubling yourself?, asked his companion. They have already finished praying!”

Rav Sarna responded: “Praying with the congregation is the fulfillment of a rabbinical obligation, but blessing the students to have a good week is the fulfillment of ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’ (Leviticus 19:18) – a Torah mandate!”

Although he missed the opportunity to pray with the congregation, he could still fulfill the mitzvah of loving others through blessing them. (This story is found in “Love Your Neighbor” by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin, page 45.)

2. “A tzaddik in our time” is published by Feldheim: www.feldheim.com
Hazon - Our Universal Vision

Yom Kippur by Yosef Ben Shlomo HaKohen

Selections from the Hazon study programs

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The Universal Message of Yom Kippur “You are gracious and compassionate to all Your handiwork.”  (Yom Kippur Prayer – Repetition of the Musaf) Dear Friends, On Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, we engage in the process of “teshuvah - spiritual return. During this process, we regret and confess our various sins and weaknesses. We are not to despair, however, about our erring past, for teshuvah leads to atonement and new life. For example, during the era of the Prophet Ezekiel, when our people faced great danger, many cried out, “Since our sins and our iniquities are upon us and we are wasting away because of them, how can we live?” (Ezekiel 33:10). In response to this lament, the Prophet proclaimed the following message of the Living One: “As I live - spoke the Master of All, the Compassionate and Just One - I do not desire the death of the wicked person, but rather the wicked person’s return from his way that he may live; return, return from your evil ways - Why should you die, O Family of Israel?” (33:11) The above verse expresses a life-giving message of hope, and it is chanted during the concluding service of Yom Kippur. Is this message of hope only relevant to the Family of Israel? The answer can be found in the Book of Jonah which we chant during the afternoon service of Yom Kippur. This book tells the story of how the Compassionate One sent the Prophet Jonah on a mission to the city of Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria, which was guilty of a number of sins, especially theft. Jonah was told to give them a warning which would prompt them to do teshuvah. The story begins with the following passage: “And the word of the Compassionate One came to Jonah son of Amittai saying, ‘Arise! Go to Nineveh, the great city, and call out against her, for their wickedness has ascended before Me.’ But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from before the Compassionate One.” (Jonah 1:1-3) Why did this prophet of Israel want to flee from his mission to Nineveh? The classical biblical commentators, Rashi and the Radak, cite the following explanation of our sages: Jonah sensed that the Gentiles were “close to doing teshuvah.” He was therefore afraid that his mission would succeed, and the people of Nineveh would indeed change their ways. If so, it would point an accusing finger at his own people, who failed to heed the call of their prophets to do teshuvah. Jonah therefore wanted to avoid a mission which could evoke Divine judgement against Israel. Jonah’s love and concern for Israel caused him to flee from his mission. The Book of Jonah describes the unique way in which the Compassionate One caused Jonah to return to his mission; however, that part of the story is a topic for another discussion. When Jonah finally arrived in Nineveh, he proclaimed the following Divine message: “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be overturned” (3:4). The Book of Jonah describes how the people and their king believed the warning; thus, they donned sackcloth and fasted. The king also proclaimed: “Everyone shall turn back from his evil way, and from the robbery that is in their hands” (3:8). Their teshuvah was accepted because they changed their behavior, as it states: “And the Just One saw their deeds, that they returned from their evil way; and the Just One relented concerning the evil He had said He would bring upon them, and did not do it.” (3:10) What was Jonah’s reaction to their teshuvah and the Divine forgiveness which resulted? It states: “And it displeased Jonah greatly and angered him. He prayed to the Compassionate One and said, ‘Please O Compassionate One, was this not my contention when I was still on my own soil? Because of this I had hastened to flee to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, abundant in lovingkindness, and relent from doing harm. So now, O Compassionate One, please take my soul from me, for better is my death than my life” (4:1-3). Jonah was in anguish, for he felt that Israel would now be condemned for not doing teshuvah; thus, he prayed that he would not live to see the destruction that was awaiting Israel. (Commentaries of the Radak and Ibn Ezra) Jonah left the city and sat down to watch what would happen. The Book of Jonah then describes how the Creator of all life taught Jonah a universal lesson: “The Compassionate and Just One designated a kikayon (a leafy shady plant), which rose above Jonah to form a shade over his head, to relieve him from his discomfort. Jonah rejoiced over the kikayon, a great joy. Then the Just One designated a worm at the dawn of the next day, and it attacked the kikayon so that it withered. And it was when the sun shone that the Just One designated a stifling east wind; the sun beat upon Jonah’s head and he felt faint. He asked for his soul’s death, and said, ‘Better is my death than my life!’ And the Just One said to Jonah, ‘Are you so deeply grieved over the kikayon?’ And he said, ‘I am greatly grieved to death.’ The Compassionate One said, ‘You took pity on the kikayon for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow; it lived one night and perished after one night. And I – shall I not take pity upon Nineveh the great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and many animals, as well?’ ” (4:6-11). Jonah, grieving over Israel and over his own misery, had prayed for death. The Compassionate One responded with a message of life! Jonah was reminded that the Divine compassion gives human beings the opportunity to renew life through the power of teshuvah. How did Jonah react to this message? Midrash Yalkut Shimoni states: “At that moment, he (Jonah) fell upon his face and said, ‘Conduct Your world according to the Attribute of Compassion.’ ” In this spirit, the Radak explains that one of the reasons why the Book of Jonah was incorporated in our Sacred Scriptures is to teach us the following truth: “The Blessed God has compassion on people from any nationality who do teshuvah; moreover, He forgives them.” Yes, Jonah was concerned about the fate of Israel, but he needed to be reminded that Israel’s fate is connected to Israel’s mission. And the goal of this mission is expressed in the following words from a Yom Kippur prayer: “May all creatures bow before You and may they develop a unified society to do Your will wholeheartedly”(Shemoneh Esrei). Maimonides writes in his Mishneh Torah that the fate of all human beings during the coming year is sealed on Yom Kippur (Hilchos Teshuvah 3:3). May the Forgiving One therefore seal all of us in the “Book of Life.” May we be blessed with a Good Shabbos and a “Gmar Chasimah Tovah” – a Good Sealing! Yosef Ben Shlomo Hakohen (See below) Related Teachings: 1. During the Ten Days of Teshuvah – from Rosh Hashana until the end of Yom Kippur – the following verse is added to the daily Shemoneh Esrei prayer: “Who is like You, O Father of compassion, Who in compassion remembers His creatures for life.” 2. Any human being can get close to the Compassionate One, as it is written: “The Compassionate One is close to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him sincerely” (Psalm 145:18). The Radak explains that the words “all who call upon Him” apply to any human being regardless of nationality. Any human being can therefore pray directly to the Compassionate One and engage in teshuvah without the need of an intermediary. There will be a universal teshuvah in the messianic age, as it is written: “All the ends of the earth will remember and return to the Compassionate One” (Psalm 22:28). In his commentary on the words “will remember,” Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch writes: “Defection from God was never an inborn trait with individuals or with humankind as a whole. The unspoiled hearts of children are close to God, and the same was true of humankind in its pristine state. Alienation from Him came much later. Therefore, through the stimulus emanating from Israel, they will all ‘remember’; their original consciousness of God will come alive again, and they will ‘return’ to Him.” (The Psalms - Translation and Commentary By Rabbi S.R. Hirsch) Hazon - Our Universal Vision: www.shemayisrael.co.il/publicat/hazon/ Beloved Reb Yosef, z"l, was niftar 27 Elul 5771

Yom Kippur and Joy

Yom Kippur and Joy

"Feel tremendous joy on Yom Kippur that the Almighty forgives us for our transgressions.  

The greater your awareness of receiving atonement, the greater your joy."

  - R. Zelig Pliskin - Gateway to Happiness

ELUL Whispers by R. Simon Jacobson

View article by R. Simon Jacobson

http://www.meaningfullife.com/oped/2006/08.25.06$ShoftimCOLON_Elul_Whispers.php

Rabbis Say

"The Jewish New Year is called "Yom HaDin", the Day of Judgment. The deeper meaning here is that it is a day that celebrates our capacity for judgment, to judge our own lives with the guidance of the light from the Divine.

"This work of inner knowledge and good judgment based on insight and wisdom takes work, hard work, and hard traveling on a journey to truth."

- Rabbi Finley
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Avraham Sutton, a great Chassidic Jerusalem teacher (who visits LA), writes in his book, "Days of Awe, Awesome Days":

"The judgement of Rosh Hashana is not what most people imagine it to be, i.e. punishment. The judgment is more like a measure - a measure of where we are relative to who we really are (our neshama / soul) and what we are really capable of. On Rosh Hashana we are given glimpses of who and what we really are, can be, could be, and will be. It is in this context that we are to see the challenges that we are encountering. It is all part of the package of who we are. Simply put, on Rosh HaShana, HaShem shines a new light into us that has the ability to awaken the deepest potential
sleeping in us."  (http://avrahamsutton.com)
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Rabbi Laibl Wolf’s Rosh HaShannah Message 5767

Rabbi Laibl Wolf’s Rosh HaShannah Message 5767

The Courage of a Smile

The stream or river is a wonderful metaphor for life. Observing a gentle stream on a sunny day instills inner peace and harmony. But there are times when the waters swell, crush, pounding their banks. Like the human, the river can change character and transform from tranquility to torrent, from pacific to menacing threat.

Most of us have experienced life’s gentleness and warmth. But the world is “a’changing”. The threat of dark and turbulent waters engulfing our lives looms near. Terrorism, the dagger at the heart of civilized society, is spreading its tentacles in the global village, creating convulsions politically, economically, and socially. Under such increasing threat, confusion and weakness colors the canvass of our lives.

How do we tame this 21st century monster? To destroy the cancerous growth is an obvious priority. At the cancer’s core lies a cadre of demented, evil, and calculating fanatics who employ sophisticated mechanisms of destruction. This phenomenon has many historical precedents. But the one thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history. The solution: prevention is far better than cure.

How do we redesign the seamier and uglier profile of humanity? In the long term, the answer lies not in defensive or invasive operations (necessary as this may be in the sort run to stem the immediate social hemorrhaging). In the long term, prevention and maintenance require two human experiences: joy and personal fulfillment. No-one has lifted his hand in anger when happy, and no-one seeks the other’s assets when fulfilled. It’s that simple – and yet so elusive.

I am a big believer in chaos theory – the multiplier effect, the butterfly effect. The Hassidic founder and master, The Ba’al Shem Tov, taught: the leaf falling off the tree is a designated act of creation that alters the course of history. Everything we say and do (and even think and feel) leaves its signature in the ether of time/space. When we laugh, we produce ‘angels’ of laughter. When we share, we produce ‘angels’ of compassion. In other words, you and I have the capacity to subtly, but definitively, change the face of humanity. Researchers call this the ‘non-local’ field effect. The Frierdicker Rebbe noted that a good thought projected across the other side of the globe leaves a targeted effect, spiritually and materially.

Criminals and terrorists are not born! They are made from the hurt and pain within. But that hurt and pain can be undone – by you. The Lubavitcher Rebbe emphasized many times: a small act of goodness produces a major multiplier effect. A little light dispels the densest darkness. When you and I model kindness, understanding, compassion, happiness, humility – not only do we affect the world with our cosmic signatures, but we instill confidence and hope in those who are in our domain: our families, our clients, our colleagues, our club members, in ways that can only be understood through spiritual insight. Indeed, the ‘non-local’ effects extend even to those who seek our very destruction.

Social malaise doesn’t occur suddenly. Like many illnesses it begins with a diminished immune response mechanism through the three-fold shortcomings – the lack of qualitative nurture, commitment to prevention, and personal discipline.

Now, with the approach of Rosh HaShanna, lies a profound opportunity to become an integral facilitator of social change. Rosh HaShannah is a spiritual dynamic, not just a calendar event. The Kabbalah and its Hassidic teachings inform us that over Rosh HaShannah the creative potential On-High reconfigures – literally. And the new configuration of fate and destiny is dramatically affected by each one of us – through our introspective discoveries plus the commitment to grow, to become a compassionate participant in the radical act of sacred life.

The answer lies in joy (laughter) and fulfillment (radical acceptance).

On the eve of Rosh HaShannah, I ask you to undertake the following simple fivefold personal agenda:

Spend quiet time, without phones or people, introspecting pensively, deeply, thoroughly, and critically – allowing truths about your interpersonal style, your belief systems, your fears, to rise to the surface of consciousness and awareness. Have the courage to look at yourself in your spiritual mirror.


Commit to undoing two of the shortcomings you recognize. But commit with sincerity and depth. Enshrine that commitment by sharing it with a loved one.


Approach someone you may have wronged and humbly and unconditionally seek forgiveness. Bridge the gap and chasm of hurt, through the simplicity of spiritual touch.


Speak to G-d – verbally, uttering real words and sounds. Converse with G-d. Share your aspirations for yourself and the world. Don’t be afraid of your own voice. And don’t be afraid of the Voice that answers you through the exigencies of your life.


Take on a real Mitzva for this coming year. There are Mitzvot for all peoples of the world. Mitzvot are the most powerful spiritual channels for globally neutralizing innate evil. If you have any doubts as to what is the most powerful Mitzva in your life, write to me and I will share with you.

You don’t fight fire with fire. You neutralize fire with water. Fire is Gevurah and water is Hessed. These are the two most powerful emotion tools in our spiritual repertoire. When we make peace, Shalom, in our physical domain, then the angels Gavr’iel (Gevurah) and Micha’el (Hessed) bring peace On-High. When that happens, evil is simply neutralized, without any fight, enmity, war or destruction. The ultimate expression of this is Mashiach. Live your life as if this depends on you alone – because it does! So do it!


Allow yourself to laugh and smile. Even force it. And the world will smile with you.

Allow yourself to accept, and the world will practice acceptance with you. This is the year.
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Google Rabbi Wolf for his wisdom.
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High Holiday TORAH from Michael Rosenberg, Torah.org

High Holiday TORAH from Michael Rosenberg, Torah.org
(sent out with a list of names; to pray for their needs to be met.)


During the month of Elul it is the custom to blow the shofar at the
conclusion of weekday morning prayers. The primal blast of the ram's horn
is intended to wake us from our lethargy and shake up our hearts. "Rise you
who slumber! Return to me wayward children!" In Elul we are called upon to
make preparations for the coming High Holidays remembering that Teshuva,

Tefila, and Tzedaka ma'avirim es roah ha gezera (Repentance, Prayer, and
Charity can reverse the heavenly decree) and that in this month we are
especially close to the Kadosh Baruch Hu. May we all use this time to great
effect, deepening our awareness of the great Chesed (lovingkindness) the
Kadosh Baruch Hu has bestowed upon us by allowing us, His People, to serve
him in this world to bring about a time of no war, no hatred, no poverty, no
suffering, no death.

Knowing that His Torah is the blue print guiding us towards that goal, may we redouble our efforts to learn at whatever level we can. Knowing that His desire is that we should emulate Him may we redouble our efforts to perform acts of Tzedaka v'Chesed. Knowing that He loves us, his Holy People, may we redouble our efforts to love Him, to love one another, and to love ourselves. In so doing, may we come this year into the
Yomim Nora'im prepared to plead our case and the case of klal Yisroel (All Israel) with a tender heart and purity of purpose. May our earnest prayers open the Gates
of Mercy. May our heartfelt weeping open the Gates of Tears. Avinu
Malkeinu p'sach sha'arei Shomayim l'sfiloseinu. Our Father our King, open
the Gates of Heaven to our prayers!
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High Holiday Torahs from Favorite Rebbes. Reb Shlomo

High Holidays -  Favorite Torahs from favorite rebbes

 Reb Shlomo Carlebach zt"l taught a Torah delivered in 1990:

 The month of Elul, according to Sefer Yetzirah, is associated with the left hand and also the letter "yud." This signifies that during the month of Elul, we are 'fixing' our subconscious.

On Yom Kippur, we were asking Hashem to forgive us for the sins that we committed on a conscious level. But then when the end of the year comes around, we realize that though we may have succeeded in fixing our 'external' behaviors, there is still much work to be done on the in-side of our selves. We still need to work at getting the Torah and mitzvot to reach us deeper and deeper within.

As long as we still have anger inside us on a subconscious level, as long as we still have to deal with jealousy and attachment to physical pleasure, the Torah and the mitzvot have not yet reached the deepest depths of our being. It is easier to stop eating non-kosher foods, than to stop having negative thoughts about yourself and others, for example.

The letter "yud" is the smallest letter and it is also a part of every letter (as soon as you put the quill to the parchment, you have already written a "yud"). So the "yud" represents, the innermost point--your innermost point of being a "yid".

The left hand represents your subconscious actions. This means that in the month of Elul, we are able to access the energy needed for doing the inner work, which needs to get done before the year ends. The 'work', which we tried to accomplish on Yom Kippur, on a conscious level, needs to become real on a subconscious level. This is the spiritual task that we need to complete before the year is over.
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(Last week in preparation for ELUL, I was glad to davven in Reb Shlomo's NY Carlebach shul. - Joy)

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SHOFAR excerpt from Reb Shlomo Carlebach, z'l, on Netzavim/Vayelech

The All of Me

You know friends, life is also a combination of two things. On the one hand I have to do things like everybody else, meaning that there are certain rules which everybody has to do. But then there is something which only I have to do, nobody else can do it. There is one thing which makes me so special. Everybody has something so special which is so deep and this cannot be written down in words. Once a year G-d is revealing to us what we have to do and this happens when we blow the shofar. When we hear this voice of G-d everybody hears what this special thing is that he has to do, and it's not in words.

Anything which has to do with me which everyone else is doing is on the level of details. Keeping Shabbos, putting on tefilin, being good, eat with a fork, don't talk evil about other people, be positive and do this and do that is all very beautiful, but it's all details. Then that one thing which is just 'I' is the all. There is one thing which touches the all of me which is the deepest depths of my existence.

Reb Shlomo Carlebach and Shlomo's drummer Joy Krauthammer

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GEMSBOK SHOFAR as GUIRO and GROGGER

GEMSBOK SHOFAR as GUIRO and GROGGER

Joyous Purim wisdom, double Adar 5751

Joy Krauthammer, MBA   

11 March, 2011


                 

                  As a temple musician– a passionate performing percussionist and sound healer, I share with you that the Purim grogger, festive ritual noise maker (used to drown out Haman's name in Megillat Esther reading), is similar to a GEMSBOK SHOFAR. A Purim rattle is twirled and spins round the handle, and causes a thin flat piece of wood to flick over (‘to and fro’) a NOTCHED cog wheel set in a frame, making a noise. By cutting off, separating several inches of the slightly curved, black, smooth pointy tip of the long Gemsbok's horn, to create an opening for the Shofar mouthpiece, it is revealed that this horn tip can be used as an 'offering–' as a percussion scraper on the set of natural raised ridges of rings encircling the brown wide end of the raw, rough, splintery Gemsbok horn.

                 

                  When rubbed in ‘to and fro’ motion with a PUA *, on the thick transverse rings, rasping percussive sounds are created and ‘heard’ on the horn, as on the grogger. Could it be that the Shofar was a signaling instrument in alerting the Persian Jews that they could be saved from the king's edict in Shushan during the reign of Queen Esther, thus making the horn also a culturally authentic grogger? Hearing the Megillah and Shofar are both mitzvot.

                 

                  Ethnic scraper percussion rhythmic instruments are spiritually used in most world cultures for sacred moments. (Scrapers and Shofars are in LA’s Howard Ethnic Instrument Collection, Watts Tower Arts Center.) Performing world-beat percussion, I use a frog shaped wood guiro (Vietnamese or Thai), and also a Gemsbok-like guiro (Latin American) made from hollow gourd, aka calabazo, with parallel carved out grooves, along with a fragrant sage branch stick PUA, a scraper/wand, to make long and short raspy, ratchet (and croaking) sounds.

                 

                  Biblical Miriyahm HaNeviah, the Prophetess, a percussionist, Exodus 15:20, was also known as "Puah"*, Genesis, Shemot 1:15, a mid-wife, who sang soft cooing sounds as she gently rocked ‘to and fro’ and stroked with her voice and hand-- like a wand, the baby boys she saved from Pharaoh's edict against the Jews. Gemara Sotah 11a. As Puah with (po'ah) she drowned out the sounds of the murder edict.

                 

                  My friend, and ritual teaching partner, ARIELLASHIRA LEWIS created (with Michael Chusid's guidance) her GEMSBOK shofar for rituals, by carving the opening, the hollow 'inside' mouth piece. She is a healer, and a Ba’alat Tekiah/shofar blower for Simchat Chochmah ceremonies (http://www.simchatchochmah.blogspot.com), and for women's Rosh Chodesh/New Moon rituals, as is traditional. With her soulful Ruach/breath and holy kavanah/intention, AriellaShira beautifully and with awesome rich sustained sound, plays her new Shofar. AriellaShira created this personal ceremonial tool during her Simchat Chochmah/Joy of Wisdom ceremony, and shamanic journey. I think her shofar is from a female Gemsbok.

                 

                  AriellaShira joyously demonstrated to me, as she stroked her new Gemsbok horn's wide end and long length of ridges of rings with her PUA/wand--horn tip, that she transformed her Shofar to be used in holy ritual and ceremony, also into a scraper PERCUSSION instrument. AriellaShira fashioned the horn’s cut tip into her wand for her musical playing pleasure. (See photo collage of AriellaShira playing her Gemsbok Shofar as a wind and percussion instrument.

http://hearingshofar.blogspot.com/ 2011-02-21) AriellaShira Lewis, from South Africa where the Gemsbok roam, informed me that Gemsbok is pronounced with a gutteral 'ch', ‘Ch’emsbok’. The sacrificial ram, the 'offering' in Torah's Genesis 22:13 Akeidah, may have been crying out for us to hear, "Use me, don't abuse me. I shall make music for you."

                 

      BlesSings for magical healing sounds, health, wholeness, shalom and joy,

                  JOY Krauthammer

                  Serve G*d With Joy

                 

                  www.joys-music.blogspot.com

                  Enjoy http://joyous-chai-lights-march-2011.blogspot.com/ Reply



                  


Joy Krauthammer, MBA11 March, 2011
  Before I realized that I, too, can create a Shofar and GEMSBOK horn grogger to use in my spiritual music, I purchased my foot-long Purim grogger in Jerusalem where I also purchased my Shofar. Now I joyously look forward to having the "Hearing Shofar" maven, Michael, guide me in creating my own percussive Shofar.

                 

                  What excites is that I can create a PUA/wand from a Gemsbok horn, and play the Shofar as percussion. This will enhance and amplify my spiritual playing. See my earlier COMMENT on AriellaShira Lewis regarding this transformational experience.

                 

                  I love that the PUA is also a name, PUAH, for Miriyahm HaNeviah. Genesis 1:15. This connection is meaningful to me– joining woman's voice in Torah to percussion.

                 

                  I include PUAH teachings shared from one of my rebbes, Rahmiel Hayyim Drizin:

                 

                  'Puah' This was Miriam (called Puah) because she cried and talked and cooed to the newborn infant in the manner of women who soothe a crying infant. Puah is an expression of crying out, similar to “Like a travailing woman will I cry " (Isa. 42:14). Rashi on Sotah 11a explains that she played with the infant to soothe and amuse him. Rashi to Shemot 1:15, citing Gemara Sotah 11a

                 

                  ‘Pu'ah’ is Miriam; and why was her name called Puah? Because she cried out (po'ah) to the child and brought it forth. Another explanation of Pu'ah is that she used to cry out through the Holy Spirit and say: ‘My mother will bear a son who will be the savior of Israel’. Sotah 11a

 ~ ~ ~

                 

                  During the High Holidays, 1995, Makom Ohr Shalom held services at UCLA. Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (Aleph and Jewish Renewal movement founder) officiated along with Cantor Monty Turner. (I am one of their musicians.) Reb Zalman knew that I was trained by my husband, Marcel Krauthammer, z"l, in blowing Shofar. I felt good that I could play all the ritual notes. Prior to Rosh Hashanah, Michael Chusid demonstrated to me another technique for blowing shofar that I continue to share when teaching others to play.

                 

                  Reb Zalman, during the Days of Awe service, called upon me to come to the bima and play my Shofar and "to represent the women of the world". He was aware that a major international conference on women had just finished in China. He wanted that powerful feminine energy to come through the voice of the ram. With great Kavanah/intention, I sounded the Shofar for the congregation.

                 

                  As a Mitzvah, and in my husband's Zechut/merit, I continue to play Shofar, even over the telephone, especially for those Jewish friends who miss my husband playing Shofar for them. May his soul continue to have an Ilui Neshamah/soul elevation.

                 

                  Have a joyous Adar and

                  BlesSings for hearing Shofar, rhythm, having gratitude, health, Shalom and joy,

                  JOY Krauthammer

                  Serve G*d With Joy

                  www.joys-music.blogspot.com
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http://highholidays-favoritetorahs.blogspot.com/2009/08/sounds-of-shofar-inspire-me.html

                       

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Michael Chusid13 March, 2011


Joy Krauthammer revised her initial post, above. I have retained both drafts because they each offer different insights that deserve to be shared. MC


http://hearingshofar.blogspot.com/2010/01/making-gemsbok-shofar.html?showComment=1299871508258