Shofar on Sukkot

Sukkot is one of the main Biblical holidays that Jews celebrate on Day 15 of the Tishrei month. Sukkot usually falls between late September and late October. It is mandated during sukkot that Jews from around the world make a pilgrimage to the Holy Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Among the various traditions followed during sukkot one is blowing the shofar.

Sukkot traditions

Sukkot holiday lasts for seven days where Jews live inside a walled structure made of palm leaves or other leafy overgrowths. These leaves also form the roof and are called skhakh. Meals are also taken inside the booth, also called the Booth of Tabenacle. These seven days remind Jews of the fragile and difficult living conditions their forefathers endured during their exodus from Egypt. Each day of the sukkot is spent in reciting blessings over a lulav and eating one of the four species of etrog.

Shofar and sukkot

Blowing of the shofar is an intrinsic part of sukkot. Since the shofar is blown for religious purposes too, it is not uncommon to hear blasts of the shofar during the seven days of sukkot.

There are four different shofar sounds that are made during any festival, sukkot included. The Tekiah is a single long blast of the shofar. The Shevraim consists of three medium blasts. The Teruah consists of nine or ten short blasts creating a staccato noise. In fact, modern blowers of the shofar ensure that each blast of the Teruah is as long as possible. This really gets the crowd going. The Tekiah Gedolah consists of a single note of the Tekiah but is much longer in duration. As part of the holiday celebrations many Jews are also seen wearing their traditional tallit.

Types of shofar

Typically, shofars have a curved look. They are hollow inside and this is what creates the sound when the shofar is blown. The best shofar is the rams horn shofar, made from the horns of the domestic ram. The Yemenite shofar is also popular and it is made from the horns of a kudu. In fact, the horns of any animal of the bovidae family can be use to create the shofar except for cows and their calves. Antlers cannot be used to make shofars because they are solid in nature and cannot be hollowed.

Buy shofar

Before you buy shofar you should get some information about it. Go to any of the numerous Jewish websites and you will get all the details about the shofar. Once you know about the dos and don’ts of shofars, buying a shofar online is not a tough job. Some people also make their own shofars.

Celebrate sukkot with the blows of the shofar and you will get to know the essence of the Jewish religion.