Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Why is the shofar blown during Rosh Hashanah services?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Jewish religious year
The months and holidays of the Jewish religious year.
The shofar, a ritual musical instrument typically made from a ram’s horn, is blown during Rosh Hashanah services as a call to spiritual awakening.12
The practice serves several significant purposes:
- Spiritual Awakening: The notes of the shofar are intended to stir the Jewish people to self-examination and repentance as the religious New Year begins.23
- Biblical Mandate: The association of the holiday with the blowing of horns is derived from the Torah, specifically Leviticus and Numbers, where the holiday is referred to as Yom Teruah, or the "Day of Blowing Trumpets".13
- Commemoration: The sounds are associated with the revelation to Moses on Mount Sinai.3
Traditionally, the shofar is sounded in the synagogue after the reading of the three sets of prayers that form the musaf service. It is also of particular significance when blown following the reading of the Akedah, or the binding of Isaac, which is read on the second day of the holiday.13