Ah! Elul! Shofar! Every Shul, every Yeshiva! Even a daily household experience for countless Ba’alei Tokai’ah families throughout the entire Jewish universe.
Malchios, Zichronos and Shofros. Three Holy sounds directly affecting the cosmos as they transverse all of creation- directly unto God’s Holy Throne. Can we, do we actually envision this unbelievable, super-natural-ability empowered within us. Ooroo Yeshanim Me’Sheenaschem. WAKE UP!
It behooves me to think that this very sound Hashem Himself celebrates, is the very same sound our sages teach is declared unto awakening little me.
Imagine L’Havdil: Queen Elizabeth II ob’m personal bagpiper. Fifeing his fife to awaken her majesty daily while the queen vacationed at her “beloved” Balmoral Estate. Imagine this bagpiper sent out to awaken specific individuals throughout the U.K.? Or better yet, imagine the Queen’s huge Buckingham Palace band, playing daily on your front lawn.
The nuisance you’d say. Very shortly the police would be called. Rightfully so; you’d declare a huge difference between that band or even a singular bagpiper, and Kol Shofar. One as honorable as it seems, it surely doesn’t sound. Shofar you’d conclude is a Mitzvah.
Of course Shofar’s sound stirs our hearts, our very essence as its Holy sound engulfs our Neshomos.
The dichotomy of how the shrill sound of Shofar can so empower and uplift, yet the regal Queen’s sound of royal music offend, has me wondering.
During August, I biked about Lakewood and environs. I noticed the more than subtle ease of noise; specifically from the horn tooting cars. Of course many people were away on vacation. Less congestion, less honking. No traffic, no trigger.
Or, I wondered, is it possible the more aggressive horn tooting people are all away on vacation. The calmer Lakewood Lo Yitzlachs’ left to wander bare roads without an enraged aggressor with whom to wage a honking war.
According to a psychological study featured in the August 2016 Scientific-American Magazine, regarding the nature of those who tend to utilize their car horn beyond an emergency honk. Drs. Jerry Deffenbacher, and Christine Wickens report people behave overly less aggressively in public due to social cues and norms.
They report however, that while sitting in “MY” car, listening to “MY” music, a person becomes territorial. Acting like “This is my turf.” Even though they’re actually very much in public. In such an environment, aggressors display aggression.
This is a public insight into the private nature of a rabid honker. How do they behave in the privacy of their home? Towards their family? Remarks online when altogether masked? It’s embarrassing to recognize just who is honking at me.
Boruch Hashem, as B’nei Torah with completely different DNA and psych, we are not subjects of, nor partial to the psychological studies and statistics which guides psychology. We are an Am L’vodov Yishkon. Our direct 3,000+ history has evolved us differently.
Time is our spiritual treasure. Shabbos is coming, Mincha is soon, and C”V to miss a pick-up. We are not honking at each other. Rather, honking at the frustration of time wasted.
That I believe correlates my observations about Shofar, Royal Music and street honking.
Shofar is a holy reminder to wake up. Time is of the essence. It is Hashem’s selected sound and so yes, does inspire, uplift and otherwise cut through straight to the Neshama. Uniquely Klal Yisroel.
Royal music barring its own environment really has no meaning. Perhaps a momentary royal rush, but yes, annoying when out of context.
A honking car horn however, announces an opportunity to a Torah Jew and Ba’al Aliya. Specifically, how to commensurate with another’s frustrations, and how misplaced honkage runs contrary to who we are as a people.
Let us internalize that car horn as a wake up call as well. Perhaps when hearing someone else pierce the peace, we can awaken within ourselves and reinforce our own self-control; self-control over frustrations and quasi triggered aggression.
Can we recall that as God’s chosen people we intrinsically have that inert obligation to honor others as we bring further honor to ourselves and ultimately to Hashem Yisborach. To recognize that each honk grants an opportunity to grow and strengthen our Midos Tovos, our Bain Odom L’Chavairo; especially during this time of year.
This holy time of year when the sound we must hear and respond to is the one calling out to our Neshomos to better ourselves.
בברכת כתיבה וחתימה טובה.
