The Benefit of the Shofar
Hearing the Shofar is not a commandment for Noahides, but it is recommended because we do benefit from it.
The sound of the Shofar:
Awakens souls that have fallen asleep to take up their life task. The soul wakes up to the sound because it is reminded of the prophets who called people to return to G-d. Think of the prophet Jonah, who went to Nineveh and called for repentance:
“Jonah went at once to Nineveh in accordance with the L-RD’s command. Nineveh was an enormously large city—three days’ walk across.
Jonah started out and made his way into the city the distance of one day’s walk, and proclaimed: “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”
The people of Nineveh believed G-d. They proclaimed a fast, and great and small alike put on sackcloth. When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his robe, put on sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
And he had the word cried through Nineveh: “By decree of the king and his nobles: No man or beast—of flock or herd—shall taste anything! They shall not graze, and they shall not drink water!
They shall be covered with sackcloth—man and beast—and shall cry mightily to G-d. Let everyone turn back from his evil ways and from the injustice of which he is guilty.
Who knows but that G-d may turn and relent? He may turn back from His wrath, so that we do not perish.”
G-d saw what they did, how they were turning back from their evil ways. And God renounced the punishment He had planned to bring upon them, and did not carry it out.”
So it goes with our soul—it realizes that it must improve its ways and return to G-d, recognizing that G-d is Great and Almighty. This leads to a sense of Awe before G-d and makes us humble and small. It makes us recognize and acknowledge Him as King of the World and thus confirm His Kingship.
The moment our souls awaken, we realize that, prior to our living without the Seven Noahide Laws, we were dead. Knowing that with the acceptance of these God-given commandments, we have the promise to rise from the dead and have a share in the World to Come.
A World that is filled with Awe for the glory of the Lord and all the land of Israel, which shall be filled with devotion to the Lord as waters covers the sea (Hab. 2:14, Isa. 11:9). The sound of the Shofar that sounded until the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed will be the sound of the Temple that will be visible among us.
Brought By Angelique Sijbolts
Angelique Sijbolts is one of the main writers for the Noahide Academy. She has been an observant Noahide for many years. She studies Torah with Rabbi Perets every week. Angelique invests much of her time in editing video-lectures for the Rabbis of the Academy and contributes in administrating the Academy's website in English and Dutch. She lives in the north of the Netherlands. Married and mother of two sons. She works as a teacher in a school with students with special needs. And is a Hebrew Teacher for the levels beginners and intermediate. She likes to walk, to read and play the piano.
Sources
Chabad Article: Shofar
With thanks to rabbi Reuven Weinreb
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