The Lesson of the Inverted Shofar

The    Lesson    of    the    Inverted    Shofar

In an unusual comment for one of the nosei keilim (main
commentaries) on the Shulchan Aruch the Magen Avraham (Orach
Chayim
585:11) records not a halachah but a story.

One Rosh HaShanah the baal tokei’a couldn’t manage to get a sound
out of the shofar. He turned the shofar to the wide opening and recited the pasukVihi
no’am
Hashem Elokeinu aleinu u’maaseh yadeinu konenah aleinu u’maaseh yadeinu
koneneihu
— May the pleasantness of Hashem our G-d be upon us; our
handiwork establish for us; our handiwork establish it” (Tehillim
90:17). Suddenly they were able to blow the shofar properly.

This comment is difficult to understand on several accounts.

First of all the Magen Avraham wrote many of his comments in almost
cryptic shorthand partly due to the fact that he was destitute and sometimes had
to write on the walls of his house because he did not have paper. This story is
either a maaseh nissim (miracle) or a segulah. Why did the Magen
Avraham deem this story worthy of being recorded on paper?

Second why the pasukVihi noam Hashem Elokeinu” — a pasuk that was originally recited
during the inauguration of the Mishkan — which seems entirely unrelated to Rosh
HaShanah? Since the problem was with the shofar why not recite something to
the effect of “Alah Elokim bisruah Hashem b’kol shofar — G-d has
ascended with the blast; Hashem with the sound of the shofar” (Tehillim 47:6)?

Continue reading with Mishpacha.

Create a free account to keep reading.

Everything you need to stay close to Mishpacha.