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Shofar or Flute: Between Auschwitz and Rosh Hashana 5762 | Israel Today

2021-09-06T07:39:55.413Z


Standing a few years ago among the ruins of the crematoria of the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp, I looked painfully at the "ash ponds" I blew the shofar, even though it was the month of Adar, and we were all excited • Later I wondered, what sets the sound of the shofar apart? • I had a side flute in my pocket - I took it out and tried to simulate the sound of the shofar, but this did not move us at all • The word shofar contains the word "improvement" and it conveys a message that is true for us today


Standing several years ago among the ruins of the crematoria of the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp, I looked with pain at the "ash ponds" in prayer for the souls of the saints who had risen in the heavenly storm by the oppressor.

Next to me stood a Holocaust survivor.

We made the communication between us without words.

The heart cries and tears.

A young officer from one of the participants in the military delegation I attended handed me a shofar from a ram's horn and asked me to stick it in.

We were at the end of the month of Adar and in a public place.

I felt a little embarrassed to blow the shofar without any logical connection - just because someone was asking.

The Holocaust survivor turned to me and urged me to carry out the young man's request, and on the way added a slight sting: "Your Honor, you coward? Why don't you blow the shofar? Get stuck."

And when the Auschwitz survivor makes such a request while standing on the edge of the holy ash ponds, they do not refuse.

I closed my eyes, doubtful of excitement, doubtful of embarrassment, and blew the shofar blows in the order customary in the month of Elul.

When they finished, I opened my eyes and saw my friend, a Holocaust survivor, standing in front of me with red, teary eyes.

With a strangled throat he apologized for his excitement and in simple words shared: "The sound of the shofar brings back memories of my father's house."

Rabbi Dahan and a Torah scroll in the extermination camp, Dotz

What sets the sound of the shofar apart?

I wondered along with him, later.

There was a side flute in my pocket - I took it out and tried to simulate the sound of the shofar in sharp, ascending and descending sounds.

Of course this did not excite at all, but only after we produced from it exciting and evocative sounds and melodies.

In both instruments we produce sounds by air entering from one side of the instrument and exiting from the other side.

Why in one instrument are it the jarring and sharp sounds that evoke the depths of the soul, while in the flute it is precisely deliberate and delicate sounds that strike the depths of the soul?

In the shofar, one hundred percent of the wind and air output comes from the other side.

The sound that is heard is what goes into it.

It's jarring, it's oppressive, it's commenting, but it's you.

In the word shofar lies the word "improvement" - in order to improve we must not give up on ourselves and know our identity, our place, our soul and our voice emanating from the depths of the heart, a kind of self-control and setting goals for the future.

Kind of a mirror image of yourself.

Rabbi Dahan blows the shofar at the extermination camp

The flute, on the other hand, can be likened to a conversation between colleagues.

We let in air on one side, but not all of it comes out on the other.

Its part dissolves in the many perforations.

We plug holes and circle corners, thus directing the delicate sound to the heart of others.

The communication between a person and his friend and his environment must be at the right frequencies.

The other is a tool that picks up sounds.

When the sounds are jarring, the input system shuts down and the messages do not pass.

The father-in-law of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, the former Rebbe of Chabad Chassidim Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersahn, would say that if your rebuke did not work on your friend, do not roll the blame on him. You are guilty of this, because your words did not come from the heart and therefore Entered into the heart.Another statement attributed to the rabbi was made following an incident in which he was vaccinated to prevent infections and inflammation.Before the procedure, the medical staff disinfected the injection site, to prevent a situation where they would enter contaminants that would interfere with the injection and even endanger the body.

Trumpet on the mountain of ashes in Majdanek, Dotz

Hence he would always say that when proving the other, one should make sure that the motive is pure and that there are no further reasons for rebuke which can contaminate the procedure.

New Year's Eve 5722 is an opportunity to examine our discourse culture with our environment, a great opportunity to improve the sounds that come out of us towards others.

The Holocaust survivor later told me that the sound of the shofar on the ruins of the crematoria of the Auschwitz extermination camp brought up a fascinating discourse on the essence of the shofar and the interpersonal communication of us all.

A few months later he passed away, not before asking in his will that I hear the sound of the shofar at his funeral, as well as the message coming out of it.

I played.

Happy New Year and a good writing and signing for the whole house of Israel.

Source: israelhayom

All news articles on 2021-09-06

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