|
THE SHOFAR
"….A
memorial of 'teruah'
(A blast of the ram's horn)"
.jpg) By
way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Kabbala], teruah
is that which has stood by our fathers and us, as it is said, Happy is
the people that know the teruah, similar in meaning to that which it is
written, teruah, (the alarm of) ear; for The Eternal is a man of war.
If so, it shall be a day of teruah unto you means that the day that is
set aside for teruah [i.e., when the world is judged according to the
attribute of justice], will be to our succor [for we will be remembered
in mercy]. Similarly, a memorial of teruah, 'a holy convocation' means
that there will be a remembrance [of mercy] in the teruah [the quavering
sound which alludes to the attribute of justice], and therefore it is
a holy convocation.
It was
not necessary for Scripture to mention the shofar [i.e., that "it
shall be a day of shofar unto you"], for the shofar is already alluded
to in the word "day," (since the word shofar [the ram's horn]
is symbolic of mercy, it is already hinted at in the word "day"
which likewise symbolizes mercy) and the teruah is on [that "day"],
and thus it is a day of judgment in mercy, not a teruah (alarm) of war.
It is for
this reason that Scripture mentioned only the teruah [but did not mention
the tekiot, the accompanying plain sounds], because it is already
a tradition received by our Rabbis which all Israel have seen [done] as
far back as Moses our teacher, that each teruah (quavering sound) has
one plain accompanying sound before it and one after it. And why should
Scripture mention the teruah, and not mention the tekiot at all, neither
in connection with the New Year nor the Day of Atonement [of the Jubilee
year]? But it is because the tekiah [the plain accompanying sound] is
the memorial, and it is the shofar [all alluding to the attribute of mercy],
and the teruah is as its name indicates [i.e., a reference to the attribute
of judgment]. And because it [the teruah] is wholly surrounded by mercy
- an accompanying plain sound before it and one after it - therefore He
said of those who know the teruah that through righteousness they will
be exalted, for You are the glory of their strength.
Thus it
is clear that everything depends upon repentance, but on the New Year
He is concerned entirely with the attribute of justice and conducts His
world [by that attribute], and on the Day of Atonement He is concerned
entirely with the attribute of mercy. It is this that is expressed in
the saying of the Rabbis [with reference to these solemn days]: "The
King sits upon the throne of judgment etc." Thus the New Year is
a day of judgment in mercy, and the Day of Atonement is a day of mercy
in judgment.
(This
passage is adapted from the 13th century classic by the illustrious scholar,
philosopher and defender of the faith, Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman--known
as 'Ramban' or 'Nachmanides', a master kabbalist in his own right and
a major link in the transmission of Jewish mysticism--based on the excellent
annotated English translation by Rabbi Dr. Charles B. Chavel)
|
