Things you must understand before buying a Shofar

Summary: Shofars are the oldest religious instrument, used still modern times. Hollowed horns of kosher animals are used to make Shofar. In ancient times, Shofars were blown for nationalistic or religious reasons. Today, Shofars are blown during Rosh Hashanah, the starting of Jewish New year.  

Different types of Shofar

There are different types of Shofar and you choose the one according to your heritage. Generally, most of the Sephardic and mainstream Ashkenazi prefer to use slightly curved, short Rams Horn Shofar. Moroccan Jews, on the other hand, consider using straighter and flatter Shofar. However, Yemenite Jews favor spiraled and the impressively large horn of a kudu which is an antelope native to western and southern Africa.

What makes a qualified kosher Shofar?

To be kosher certified, a Shofar needs to go through quite a complicated manufacturing procedure and should not have any holes or cracks that can affect the sound quality. Moreover, some rabbinical authorities consider that Shofar should not be plated or painted, if it is going to be used for religious purposes.

It is a lengthy process

It is a lengthy and extremely difficult process to make kosher Shofar and only a few harvested animal horns can be used to pass the initial quality inspection stage. Horns that are passed to the next stage go through thorough and complex cleaning and preparation procedure, so they can be used for religious purposes.    

Bull’s horn should be used

Generally, most people tend to use either rams horn Shofar or kudu, though Shofar can be made from any type of qualified animal horn, except bull’s horn which is considered a symbolic nod to the Golden Calf’s sin and therefore not acceptable.   

Basic types of animal horns

There are two basic animal horn types 1) Antler, and 2) Bovidae, but only some selected can be used to make Shofar.

Horns of animals including giraffes, deer and rhinos are made of solid bones, called antlers. Though you can hollow out and turn these horns into a musical instrument, it is not permissible to make a Shofar from antlers. On the other hand, Bovidae horns are keratin sheaths (similar stuff as our hair and nails) that cover a solid bone tissue core that can be removed to get the naturally hollow horn.  

Sponsor Ads

• Ad Space Available - Rent it Now!

Report this Page

Created on Jan 13th 2021 23:45. Viewed 253 times.

Share on APSense

Comments