A shofar is a curved, polished horn with top and bottom openings. It is usually made from the horn of a ram. It can never be made from a cow or calf’s horn, as this is associated with the worship of the Golden Calf, which is forbidden in the Torah. Because the instrument is primarily used in Jewish religious ceremonies, it cannot be made from any animal that is not considered kosher.
A shofar blower can be any practicing Jew. He or she is known as the Tokea, which means “Blaster” in English. Blowing the shofar on certain days of observance can be a difficult task. A good Tokea, on the other hand, understands that blowing the shofar is similar to blowing a trumpet or bugle. Placing the Shofar to one side of the mouth and vibrating the lips requires less effort.
On Rosh Hashanah, for example, the shofar is blown 100 times to mark the New Year. It is also blown at the conclusion of Yom Kippur to signal the end of the day of repentance and remembrance.
On Sabbath, the shofar is not used because the Tokea might accidentally carry it from place to place. This is considered work and is therefore prohibited on the Sabbath. Any day that falls on the Sabbath is exempt from shofar blasts, even in the days following Rosh Hashanah. When Rosh Hashanah falls on a Sabbath, the religious observance takes place the following day.
The shofar’s sounds are intended to awaken and inspire the Jew, or they can be used as a signal that one is being summoned to consider spiritual matters. The shofar can make three different sounds to accomplish this. The tekiah is a single short blast. Shever is the name given to three short notes played consecutively, and teru’ah is the name given to nine quick notes played one after the other.
The shofar must be handled with care to avoid damage. A shofar that has been damaged will not produce sound properly, especially if the horn has any holes other than the two main ones. The horn may become slightly warped after several years of use due to the moisture it encounters whenever it is blown.