Listening to the Shofar is the most important Mitsva of Rosh haShana.
“Shofar” is the word used by the Tora to define an animal’s horn when used to emit sounds. For similar instruments made of metal, like trumpets, the Tora uses a different name: “hatsotsrot”.
The question we will analyze today is: being that there are many animals with horns, and almost all those horns can be used to emit sounds, which one should we use for the Mitsva of the Shofar in Rosh haShana? Can any animal horn be used as long as it produces a sound, or does it have to be the horn of a specific animal?
For centuries, the typical Shofar used in Rosh HaShana is the ram’s horn (the ram is the male of the sheep), or qeren hakebasim..
Let’s see what our Sages discussed 2000 years ago. While in principle they prescribed the use of the ram’s horn for the Shofar, our Sages also evaluated the use of other horns to comply with this Mitsva. All rabbis agreed to ban the use of an ox or bull horn (the male of the cow, qeren shel para) for the Mitsva of Shofar. Beyond certain technicalities (eg, the stuffing of the bull’s horn is integrated into the horn, whereas the ram’s horn’s stuffing is separated from the horn) the bulls’ horn would be associated with the sin of the “golden calf” (the calf is a young bull), precisely during the day we ask God that our transgressions be “forgotten.”
The ram’s horn, on the other hand, brings a very positive memory: ‘aqedat Itshaq, the sacrifice of Itshaq Abinu. After our patriarch Abraham successfully passed his test and demonstrated that he was willing to sacrifice what he most loved in the world to do the will of HaShem, he found “a ram whose horns were caught in a thicket” and offered it to HaShem as a sacrifice instead of Itshaq. The ram’s horn, then, recalls the event that marked the last and most difficult of the tests that Abraham Abinu passed, after which he was blessed with a special berakha. Bereshit (Genesis 22: 17,18) “I will bless you and multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand of the sea … and because you have obeyed Me, all the nations of the world will be blessed through your descendants.”
The ram’s horn, therefore, not only emits a beautiful sound but also brings to mind the blessing of HaShem to Abraham and the merit of our first patriarch. Something very appropriate for the day on which our merits are evaluated.
In our days, the antelope Shofar, also known as the ‘grand kudu” or “Yemenite Shofar, has become very popular. Its size is 3 or 4 times longer than the Shofar of ram, easier to blow and it produces a very deep sound.
Now that we understand the importance of the ram’s Shofar we should ask ourselves: can we use the antelope horn or another Shofar in Rosh Hashana, or are we obliged to use exclusively a ram’s Shofar?
Antelope Shofar can be used without problems for Selichot during the month of Elul by those – Sepharadim or Ashkenazim – who use the Shofar during Elul.
In Rosh Hashana, however, the use of antelope Shofar is a controversial issue.
According to Maimonides’ opinion (MT Hilchot Shofar 1: 1), the only Shofar that can be used in Rosh Hashana is the ram’s Shofar. All other Shofarot are not appropriate for Rosh haShana.
In the opinion of the Shulhan Aruch (OJ 586: 1), in Rosh Hashana we should use in principle the ram’s Shofar. Only when there is no a ram’s Shofar available, the antelope’s Shofar could be used.
