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Opinion & Comment
Is a Shofar Blown in the City and the People are Unafraid?

by HaRav Moshe Man

Part I

From Rosh Chodesh Elul until Erev Rosh Hashanah, according to the Tur Orach Chaim (571) the custom is to blow the shofar every day after davening in order to exhort Am Yisroel to do teshuvoh, as it says, "If a shofar is blown in the city, and the people do not fear" (Amos 3:6). This practice also appears in the Rambam (Hilchos teshuvoh, 3:4) in his discussion of whether tekias shofar is a mitzvah deOraisa on Rosh Hashanah: "Although tekias shofar on Rosh Hashanah is a gezeiras hakosuv, it has a hint or suggestion. In other words, `Wake up from your sleep; rouse yourselves from your torpor. Search yourselves and return to Hashem;, remember your Maker and mend your ways. Let every man abandon his evil ways.' "

Rav Sadiya Gaon wrote that one of the ten reasons for tekias shofar on Rosh Hashanah is to urge us tremble in fear and to subjugate ourselves to the Creator, for the shofar is frightening by nature, as is written, "If a shofar is blown in the city and the people are unafraid."

According to Sefer Hachinuch, "One of the reasons for the mitzvah is the fact that man clings to material goods, and cannot awaken unless there is something to wake him, like a call to battle. When war is declared the call to arms is shouted through the streets and trumpets may even sound, in order to rally the people. The same applies on Rosh Hashanah, the Day of Judgment for all creatures on earth since time immemorial . . . and the sound of the shofar rouses the hearts of all who hear . . . "

The Shloh writes on maseches Rosh Hashanah, "Every man is sure to be roused by the sound of the shofar on Rosh Chodesh Elul . . . He awakens and is reminded of his various sins . . . and every day the shofar sounds, as is written, `If a shofar sounds in the city . . . ' stirring all to do teshuvoh . . . "

In Sefer Hayir'ah Rabbeinu Yonah writes, "From the beginning of Elul until the end of Yom Kippur, one should feel a sense of fear of the approaching judgment." The Ba'al Haturim, on the verse, "Umol Hashem Elokecho es levovecho ve'es levav . . . " (Devorim 30:6) writes, "This verse contains the acronym `Elul,' therefore it is customary to rise early to say selichos starting on Rosh Chodesh Elul. Another source for this custom is the verse, `Lulei he'emanti lir'os betuv Hashem,' for in Hebrew the word `lulei' can be rearranged to spell Elul. From Elul onwards we stand in fear before Hashem."

Sha'arei Hamelech notes, "Therefore the word `Elul' appears backwards [`lulei']: just as a deer looks back as it flees, people run all year without knowing why, and they must look back during Elul to take note of the mistakes they made throughout the year."

This sense of fear can be learned by noting the attitude of the Brisker Rov at this time of year. In Zichron Shmuel, HaRav Shmuel Rozovsky writes that he heard the Brisker Rov say to his son during the month of Elul, "You should know that when I recall that Rosh Hashanah is just two weeks away, I no longer derive pleasure from anything" (p.579). In Part II of Sha'arei Teshuvoh Rabbeinu Yonah writes, "When someone is notified that his case is to be brought before a judge of flesh and blood, he is worried and afraid. So, as the days of judgment approach, he should be full of dread."

As Chazal say, the shofar is supposed to awaken us and to strike fear of yom hadin in the hearts of man. But two years ago, on the very day we stopped blowing the shofar, Erev Rosh Hashanah, a state of fear descended upon us and has hounded us ever since. During the course of the years, gedolei hador issued several calls "to gather and save ourselves from the difficult state of affairs Beis Yisroel is embroiled in, through tefillah, supplication and teshuvoh. Jewish blood is being spilled, various tragedies and horrifying road accidents are taking place, and people are falling sick with grave diseases."

In his article, "Why do You Slumber?" the Chofetz Chaim writes, "Several weeks ago I published an article about the upheaval that took place in our Holy Land, in which I tried to spur Klal Yisroel to do teshuvoh. This upheaval was a warning to the entire world to abandon their evil ways, and to believe in Hashem and that everything comes from Him. And it was no coincidence that all of the terrifying incidents of this year took place . . . Undoubtedly every thinking man will be overcome with fear and trembling over what Hashem has decreed upon us. Yet He is good and gracious to all, and He has rachamim on all of His creatures, and does not even want the rosho to die, but rather wants him to abandon his ways and to live.

"But the thinking man will realize that HaKodosh Boruch Hu is spurring us to do teshuvoh, and is showing everyone that He has to power to do anything He chooses. And certainly if we had Heaven-sent prophets, they would rise up and exhort Yisroel to return to our Father in Heaven. But due to our many sins we do not have prophets and messengers today, therefore He prods His children through other messengers, as is written, "Oseh mal'ochov ruchos, meshoresov eish loheit . . . "

"Brothers and friends, we have seen how middas hadin has taken on greater dimensions in the world. Not a single day goes by without hearing terrible, shocking news . . . We must acknowledge that this is a warning from HaKodosh Boruch Hu exhorting us to do teshuvoh, and who knows what tomorrow holds in store? The longer we wait to do teshuvoh, the more His wrath will increase chas vesholom, and everyone who has yiras Hashem in his heart has an obligation to do teshuvoh. Perhaps Hashem's wrath will subside" (Igros Uma'amorim 12).

Even without the sound of the shofar, whose nature is to rouse people, the current situation, with all of the recent events and frightful tragedies that have taken place over the years -- this alone should be enough to scare us and to waken us to do teshuvoh.

*

Hearing the sound of the shofar is not enough to fulfill the mitzvah. The primary requirement is to examine one's deeds, to mend one's ways and to do teshuvoh, as is illustrated in the following parable by the Maggid of Dubno: A farmer comes to the city and a fire breaks out. He sees the people standing around blowing shofars and trumpets. Later people run by carrying buckets of water. Now the farmer was quite puzzled. When the fire broke out the inhabitants of the city arrange to have musical instruments played in the street. What is the point of these festivities?

The drums and trumpets, the people explain, are to put out the fire. Curious about this new technique, the farmer bought a trumpet and drum and brought them home. The next time a fire broke out in the village, all of the local residents ran to put out the flames, until the farmer explained to them that there was no need to run around with buckets of water, for he had brought a special device designed to handle fires. He took out the drum and proceeded to pound away with all his might. He drummed harder, but the harder he drummed, the higher the flames licked. Eventually the crowd turned against him, saying, "Pounding on a drum is not enough to drive back a fire." The drum is only intended to summon other people, and notify them that there is a fire so that they arrive to extinguish it.

The same is true of the shofar. Its function is to notify people that there is a fire. As Yom Hadin approaches, they must wake up from their slumber and make themselves worthy.

During Elul, Rav Yitzchok Waldschein would recount an event that once took place in his city. In the middle of the night a fire broke out in one of the houses. Everyone woke up and ran out of the house. Then suddenly the mother remembered that one girl was left in the house sleeping. She ran back to the house, but the flames were too high and she could not go in. The mother stood beneath her daughter's window and yelled, "Get up! Wake up! Jump out of the window. Save yourself! The fire is out of control!"

And over the sound of the crackling flames the girl's sleepy voice could be heard: "Leave me alone, Mother. I want to sleep some more."

"Wake up!" screamed the mother with the last of her strength. "Hurry. Save yourself before it's too late. You can sleep later."

And the sleepy girl replied, "No, Mother, I want to sleep now."

The fire raged on and the girl perished.

During Elul, concluded Rav Waldschein, the shofar calls us to wake up. But some people answer, "Leave me alone, I want to keep sleeping." Then along comes Rosh Hashanah and they are left sleeping, and do not do teshuvoh.

The entire month of Elul is an auspicious time to do teshuvoh. In his sefer, Ponim Yofos, the Haflo'oh writes, "Call to Him while He is near" refers to the month of Elul. Only the beginning of the verse, "Seek Hashem and you shall find Him" refers to aseres yamei teshuvoh (Chapter Acharei . . . ).

*

The question of why people do not awaken and fear does, in fact, need to be addressed. Rav Salanter, in Igeres 12, writes that people fail to think because of the holiday. In Igeres 7 he writes, "Even the tekios shofar in Elul do not rouse us, for we are mired in our worldly concerns. Our hearts are numb and hard as rock."

In Sha'arei Teshuvoh Rabbeinu Yonah writes that some people are so caught up in worldly affairs that they do not take the time to consider what will happen after their days on earth are finished (Responsum 82).

In Sichos Mussar 5731, Essay 32, he explains why people do not do teshuvoh as they should. He writes that it is tragic how people adjust to their present state and accept it, without worrying that it is in decline. What is responsible for this? Force of habit.

In Or Yechezkel HaRav Y. Levinstein writes, "We are in a somnolent state of foolishness and `timahon leivov' (a term Rashi interprets in Parshas Ki Sovo as a `closed heart') . . . Sin stems from a slumbering soul, which resembles general anesthesia. The soul is in such a deep state of hibernation that parts of it can be cut out without the person noticing. Therefore slight his'orerus is not enough. A real upheaval is needed: total his'orerus and fundamental change. This is what the shofar is supposed to bring about, striking fear in the hearts of men, saying, `Arouse from your slumber.' "

Therefore teshuvoh is not enough if it is done as mitzvos anoshim melumodoh, just like last year, beating one's chest, saying selichos, etc., just to fulfill the obligation.

In order to achieve real his'orerus and to do teshuvoh for all of one's deeds, one must contemplate all of his actions and examine all of the cracks and crevices to verify whether his conduct was fitting or not.

Commenting on the verse, "Vehasheivoso el levovecho . . . veshavto ad Hashem Elokecho" (Devorim 30:1) the Sforno writes "vehasheivoso" means to examine the hidden places and to return them to your heart in order to discern truth from falsehood.

The Derech Etz Hachaim writes, "The first step is to examine the goal one is expected to reach, and the second step is to consider one's conduct."

As it says in the introduction to Mesillas Yeshorim, "Everyone agrees that [learning to serve Hashem properly] is of central importance, but people rarely contemplate it, since such matters are seemingly so simple and familiar that we assume there is no need to dwell on them." The same applies in terms of the ways of doing teshuvoh. Because it appears to be so simple and familiar, people assume that there is no need to dwell on them.

In Chapter One of Even Sheleimoh the Gra writes that our primary task in life is to constantly work on conquering our middos, for otherwise why should we be given life? If we want to change our evil ways, we must evaluate our middos honestly. From the outset we must consider our bad middos and acknowledge them.

In Toras Habayis the Chofetz Chaim writes, "Everyone is well aware of the requirements of teshuvoh, yet the yetzer hora still manages to prevail. By distracting people with numerous worries it prevents them from contemplating their ways (Chapter 13)."

Similarly in Sha'arei Teshuvoh Rabbeinu Yonah writes that many people will not reach the light of teshuvoh because they consider themselves to be pure and innocent, and do not realize the need to mend their ways, for they do not detect their own faults, though they sin against Hashem exceedingly." (Chapter 2, V) Thus it is not enough to simply reflect, for then one may think that he is irreproachable. Instead one must contemplate carefully and examine his deeds in depth to see whether they have been rectified or not.

*

The real challenge in examining oneself and doing teshuvoh also stems from the fact that when an aveira is repeated over and over again, it takes on the appearance of a heter. In maseches Yoma 86b Rav Huna says that when someone repeats an aveiroh until the point where it resembles a heter, he fails to realize that he must do teshuvoh, for he no longer considers this act to be a sin. The Gra writes that people commit aveiros because they do not see them as sin, after having repeated them time after time (Even Sheleimoh Chapter 4).

In Sha'arei Teshuvoh Rabbeinu Yonah writes that the yetzer has control over the easy aveiros, which is why one does them constantly, for the constant repetition renders it a heter and even if he frees himself from it, he is still not safe completely(301).

Even a small aveiroh can turn into a big aveiroh if one repeats it constantly, as it says in Ma'alos Hamidos, "A chochom said there are no minor transgressions if they are constantly repeated. And there are no transgressions that are beyond forgiveness. Even if someone transgressed the smallest of aveiros, but he repeated it, the act is no longer considered a minor transgression but a major one, and even if someone transgresses the most serious of aveiros and asks for forgiveness with all his heart and regrets it and sincerely repents, it is not considered a major transgression, but rather a minor transgression, and HaKodosh Boruch Hu forgives him for it." (Chapter Ma'alas Hateshuvah)

In Hilchos Teshuvoh the Rambam writes "Do not say that teshuvoh only applies to aveiros that involve a discernible act, such as stealing, but just as one must do teshuvoh for such misdeeds, he must also examine his corrupt ways, and return from anger and other misconduct . . . and such misdeeds are harder to rectify than those that involve a physical act. For when someone has sunk into these ways, it is difficult to set them aside, as is written, `Veya'azov rosho darko'" (Chapter 7, Halochoh 3).

In fact, there is an essential difference between someone who ate on Yom Kippur or ate forbidden foods, chas vesholom, and someone else who harmed his fellow man, for the kedushah of Yom Kippur can never be desecrated. In his heart he has not extinguished the sense of the severity of the sin, whereas regarding other aveiros, such as bein odom lechavero which he has repeated over and over again, the sense of sinning has already vanished from his heart.

People often allow their mouths and their will to have free reign, not bothering to hold their tongue or to contain their ta'avos. Perhaps this is why the Gra wrote in his famous letter, "Until the day of his death, one must torment oneself, not through fasts and asceticism, but rather by reining in his tongue and his ta'avos, and this is the essence of teshuvoh."

End of Part I

HaRav Moshe Man is rosh yeshivas Be'er Yitzchok.


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