The blowing of the Shofar

302. Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Aba were sitting. Rabbi Elazar said, I saw that my father, on the day of Rosh Hashanah (The Jewish New Year) and on Yom Kippur, refused to listen to the prayer of a man, unless he was with him three days in advance to purify him. As Rabbi Shimon used to say, by the prayer of the man who I purify, the world is atoned for. All the more so by the blowing of the Shofar, for he did not accept the Shofar blowing of a man who did not have the knowledge of blowing according to the meditation on the secret meaning of blowing.

303. We have learned that Rabbi Yesa Saba discussed the order of the Shofar blowings: The first ORDER comprises all of them; NAMELY, INCLUDING SHEVARIM AND T'RUAH IN THIS ORDER: T'KIAH, SHEVARIM, T'RUAH, T'KIAH. The second ORDER COMPRISES one T'KIAH duly IN THE BEGINNING, one T'KIAH PEAL duly IN THE END, a great Gvurah, NAMELY SHEVARIM in between. THE ORDER IS T'KIAH, SHEVARIM, T'KIAH. The third ORDER IS one T'KIAH on the one side, IN THE BEGINNING, AND one T'KIAH on that side, IN THE END, AND A PLAIN Gvurah, WHICH IS T'RUAH in between. The Shevarim rises up TO THE PEAL OF GVURAH, and the T'ruah sound goes down TO MALCHUT. The one sound is harsh JUDGMENT, NAMELY SHEVARIM, and the other is mild JUDGMENT, NAMELY T'RUAH. This has already been explained. There are ten sounds: T'KIAH, SHEVARIM, T'RUAH, T'KIAH; T'KIAH, SHEVARIM, T'KIAH; T'KIAH, T'RUAH, T'KIAH. Yet they are only nine sounds, SINCE one IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIRST ORDER, SHEVARIM T'RUAH, IS NOT TWO SOUNDS, BUT is inclusive; NAMELY, ONE SOUND THAT INCLUDES TWO. THERE ARE THEREFORE NO MORE THAN NINE SOUNDS.

304. On that day, Isaac, WHO IS GVURAH AND THE LEFT COLUMN, is adorned to be at the head of the patriarchs. On that day, it is written, "The sinners in Zion are afraid" (Yeshayah 33:14) on the day Isaac was bound and bound everything. Sarah wails and the peal of the Shofar grows very strong. Happy is the portion of he who passes between them and escapes them. Rabbi Aba said, The reason we read the portion OF THE BINDING of Isaac on that day is that the day Isaac was bound below, he was also tied to the one above. When was he tied? At the time that it is written, "And he bound Isaac his son..." (Beresheet 22:9).

305. Rabbi Elazar said, On that day ISAAC WAS BOUND, Isaac crowned Abraham WITH THE MOCHIN OF THE FIRST THREE SFIROT THAT ARE CALLED CROWN, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MEANING OF THE VERSE: "WITH THE CROWN WITH WHICH HIS MOTHER CROWNED HIM" (SHIR HASHIRIM 3:11). It is written, "That Elohim did test (Heb. nisa) Abraham" (Ibid. 1). What is "nisa?" It has the same meaning as in the verse: "And set up my standard (Heb. nisi) to the peoples" (Yeshayah 49:22) and "called the name of it Adonai Nisi (lit. 'Hashem is my banner')" (Shemot 17:16). IT IS THE LANGUAGE OF ELEVATION AND EXALTATION, NOT OF TESTING, FOR IN THE BINDING OF ISAAC, HE RAISED AND ELEVATED ABRAHAM. HE ASKS, What does that teach us? HE ANSWERS, IT TEACHES US that the right was constructed and perfected BY BINDING THE LEFT. Hence, it is written "Elohim did test Abraham." It is accurate to use 'Elohim,' being the fear of Isaac, THAT IS, THE ATTRIBUTE OF GVURAH, THE LEFT COLUMN.

306. Rabbi Aba said that it is written, "But Elohim is the judge: He puts one down, and lifts up another" (Tehilim 75:8). "But Elohim is the judge:" ELOHIM IS GVURAH AND THE JUDGE IS TIFERET CALLED JUSTICE. THE MEANING OF THIS IS THAT if the Judgment of Isaac, THE SECRET OF GVURAH AND THE LEFT COLUMN, were removed from where Jacob dwelt, WHO IS THE SECRET OF TIFERET AND THE CENTRAL COLUMN, and were mitigated there, woe to the world who meets ITS JUDGMENT. This is the secret of the words: "For by fire will Hashem execute Judgment" (Yeshayah 66:16). THE FIRE ON THE LEFT IS JUDGED BY YUD HEI VAV HEI, THE CENTRAL COLUMN, WHICH JOINS IT WITH THE RIGHT. This is how the world is perfumed.

307. Since Isaac, THE LEFT COLUMN, enters the place of Jacob, THE CENTRAL COLUMN, and Jacob holds on to him, the fire is appeased and its coals cool, NAMELY THE JUDGMENTS OF THE LEFT COLUMN. THIS IS LIKE a man who put on arms in his anger and went out to kill people. A wise man stood by his door, seized him AND DID NOT LET HIM GO OUT. THE ANGRY MAN said to him: Were it not for you who held me and opposed me, there would be killing in the world. As they were arguing with each other and seizing each other, his anger cooled off with his desire to kill. THE WISE MAN thus proved who endures the anger and the harshness of that man's rage; namely, whoever stands by the door TO DETAIN HIM FROM COMING OUT.

308. Thus spoke the Holy One, blessed be He, THE SECRET OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN, to Yisrael: My children, do not be afraid OF THE JUDGMENTS OF THE LEFT COLUMN, for I stand by the door TO DETAIN THE JUDGMENTS FROM COMING OUT. Cheer up on this day and give me strength. With what? With the Shofar. If the sound of the Shofar is found worthy and people meditate on it below, the sound rises AND JOINS THE RIGHT AND LEFT by which the fathers are crowned. ABRAHAM AND ISAAC are in Jacob's abode, BECAUSE HE BRINGS ABOUT THIS UNISON. One should therefore be careful with the Shofar, to know that sound and meditate on it.

309. There is no sound of the Shofar which does not ascend to a certain firmament, and all the crowd in that firmament gives room to this sound. They say: "And Hashem utters His voice before His army..." (Yoel 2:11). That sound stands in that firmament until another sound comes and they assemble and rise, joined to another firmament. We therefore learned that there is a sound that raises a sound. What is it? It is the sound of Yisrael blowing below.

310. When the sounds below are joined, they rise to the highest firmament in which the Holy King, THE CENTRAL COLUMN, abides. They are all adorned before the King. Then the thrones OF JUDGMENT are overthrown and another throne of Jacob, THE CENTRAL COLUMN, is fixed and prepared.

311. I have found that Rav Hamnuna Saba said in his book in the section of the prayers of Rosh Hashanah about the prayer and the sound of the Shofar a righteous man makes with the Shofar, that comes out from his spirit and soul, that that sound rises up. On that day, prosecutors stand ready above. But when the sound of the Shofar rises, they are all pushed aside by it and cannot prevail. Happy is the portion of the righteous who know how to concentrate their will before their Master, and who know how to mend the world on that day by the sound of the Shofar. It is therefore written, "Happy is the people that know the joyful note (Heb. T'ruah)" (Tehilim 89:16). It is written, "know" not 'blow.'

312. On that day, the people should see that a man who is perfect in every way, who knows the ways of the Holy King and the glory of the King, says the prayer for them on that day and introduces the sound of the Shofar to every world with the meditation of the heart, wisdom, will and perfection. With his help, Judgment will be removed from the world. Woe to those whose messenger is found unworthy, for the sins of the world will be remembered because of him. Hence, "if the priest that is anointed do sin," the messenger of all of Yisrael, it is for the "guiltiness of the people" (Vayikra 4:3), because Judgment rests on the people.

313. When the cantor is worthy, happy are the people, for all Judgments are removed from them by him. All the more so for the priest, for whose sake the upper and lower beings are blessed. Rabbi Elazar said, A priest and a Levite should therefore be examined before they begin their service, to search their ways and actions. Otherwise, they may not rise to start their service. Also in the Sanhedrin, in relation to judging, NO MAN IS ACCEPTED TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE SANHEDRIN BEFORE HE IS CHECKED TO SEE WHETHER HE IS WORTHY OF IT.

314. If THE PRIEST OR THE LEVITE is found worthy, a restrictive measure due to the greater import of the Temple is put on him, but if not, he does not start his service. Hence, it says, "And of Levi he said, Let your Tummim and your Urim be with your pious one" (Devarim 33:8). Wherefore is he worthy of the Urim and Tummim and of performing service? We conclude this from: "Whom you did prove at Massa" (Ibid.), BECAUSE YOU TESTED HIM BEFORE AND FOUND HIM WORTHY. "Who said of his father and of his mother, I have not seen him..." (Ibid. 9). When he is in these grades, then "they shall teach Jacob Your Judgments...they shall put incense" (Ibid. 10). THEY SHALL PUT INCENSE so that anger will be soothed and peace invited. "and whole burnt sacrifice upon Your altar" (Ibid.) so that everything will be perfumed and blessings will prevail in all the worlds. Then, "bless, Hashem, his substance..." (Ibid. 11).