The Sounds That Awaken Us

Rabbi’s Reflections on Elul: The Sounds That Awaken Us

By Rabbi Jon Hanish (9/15/24)

A storm raged outside our classroom. As fourth graders, we attempted to ignore the chaos, no matter how much it frightened us. Mrs. Ryan continued teaching, acting as if the only thing that mattered was the placement of a noun before a verb when learning proper sentence structure. There we sat in straight rows of chairs, six across and six deep, attempting to focus, attempting to be in control of ourselves, attempting to ignore everything but the lesson at hand.

A sudden staccato ringing of the school bell destroyed the illusion of control. That sound told us that a tornado was approaching. It diminished our belief that the chaos outside our room wouldn’t touch us, that we could continue on as we did on so many prior days. The sound opened our hearts to the reality of the situation.

So, we lined up – scared but pretending to be brave – and we marched into the hallway where we huddled on the floor in an area where tornadoes supposedly couldn’t harm us. The noise outside grew louder and louder, touching our souls, scaring us, making us aware of the power of nature. Just as some of us began to cry, a teacher started to sing a song we all knew, and we joined in. Through music, we found a comforting unity in the midst of the storm.

Growing up in Kentucky, I spent time in hallways, bathrooms, and in basements with bells and sirens announcing on-coming tornadoes while storms raged outside. During these moments, our facade of safety was broken, leaving us exposed physically and spiritually, forcing us to reflect on our inner-lives and what it means to be human.

Loud noises can’t be ignored – the sounds of a storm or a siren or a bell or a shofar. They startle us, causing us to react. Often, they shatter our sense of control, forcing our thoughts to turn away from the mundane in order to focus on bigger questions and to create connections with others, connections that were not previously present.

During the month of Elul, we are taught to blow a shofar every day. The goal of the shofar blast is to startle us out of our self-centered world and to think about the power of nature and the ways we can do and be better. But, even as the sound startles us, it also reminds us that on Rosh HaShanah we will gather together, pray together, sing together, and give one another comfort. While the shofar startles us into self-reflection, it also unifies us as a community.

Have you heard the shofar this Elul? At Kol Tikvah we sound the shofar every Friday night. If you’d like to learn how to sound a shofar at our High Holy Day services, contact the office and ask “How do I join the Shofar Ensemble?” No experience required.

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SUMMARY OF KI TAVO FROM URJ

The Israelites are instructed to express their gratitude to God for their bountiful harvests and freedom from slavery by tithing ten percent of their crops for the Levite, the stranger, the orphan, and the widow. (26)
The people are told to display on large stones God’s commandments for all to see. (27:1-8)
The Levites are to proclaim curses upon those who violate God’s commandments. (27:15-26)
The Israelites are told that if they obey God’s mitzvot faithfully, they will receive every blessing imaginable. They are also told that if they do not fulfill their brit with God, many curses will descend upon them. (28:1-69)
Moses reminds the Israelites of the miracles they witnessed in the wilderness and commands them to observe the terms of the covenant so that they may succeed in all that they undertake. (29:1-8)

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