This year Rosh Hashana falls on Shabbos and Sunday. The Shofar is not sounded on the Shabbos because the sages were concerned that in one’s zeal to fulfill the mitzvah he might come to desecrate the Shabbos. The Talmud explains that this rule is hinted at in the Torah where Rosh Hashana is called, “a day of Teruah,” yet, it is also refers to it as “a day of remembrance of the Teruah,” for when Rosh Hashana falls during the week we actually sound the Shofar, however, when it coincides with Shabbos, we do not sound the Shofar. Rather we only remember the Shofar in our prayers.
A question is raised: We know that there is a tremendous power in the Shofar sounds, for it silences the Satan from presenting his prosecution against us. If so, what stands for our defense on Shabbos when the Shofar is not sounded? The answer is, that our observance of the holy Shabbos itself protects us and silences the Satan!
I came across an article written by Rabbi Yaacov Feitman who quotes an illustration given by Rabbi Yaacov Ettlinger o.b.m. to explain how the Shabbos comes to our benefit and protection.
An officer sinned terribly against the king, and he sentenced him to death. None of the officer’s attorneys could calm the angry monarch and convince him to change his dreadful sentence.
In desperation, the wife of the officer tearfully stood before the king and poured her heart out. “Your majesty, my husband did indeed transgress toward you. However, it was a one-time aberration; he is truly loyal to you. Please, I beg you not to execute him and leave me as a widow and my children as orphans.” The king was moved by her honesty and pain and granted clemency.
A few months later, another officer was disloyal to the king and was sentenced to death. The officer asked his wife to speak her heart out to the king because this was effective in the previous incident.
When his wife appeared before the king, he noticed that she was covered with bruises. He ordered an investigation and discovered that it was her husband’s doing. The king maintained the sentence of the officer. When the officer cried that this was unfair, the king answered him, “Your wife did not speak out of her love for you. She spoke because she was afraid of your wrath, and for that there is no clemency.”
Rabbi Ettlinger continues. The Medrash relates to us that the Shabbos is the bride of the Jewish people. We express this as we welcome the Shabbos in our prayers, when we chant, Lecho Dodi Likras Kalla – “Come my beloved toward the (Shabbos) bride.”
Shabbos is our bride and on Rosh Hashana when we are not permitted to sound the Shofar out of concern that one may transgress the Shabbos law of carrying the Shofar in a public domain – our reverence for the sanctity of the Shabbos bride stands in our defense and pleads our case because we have a loving relationship with her.
We give up the Shofar, our most powerful tool to obtain a good year. G-d hears the Shabbos brides’ cries and supplications on our behalf and our King forgives us because of her! A Shofarless Shabbos Rosh Hashana can bring us great blessings!
However, what can be concerning is the flipside. If the Shabbos bride is injured, abused and treated unkindly, Shabbos is unable to make a winning presentation and without the Shofar to protect us, our protection is compromised.
Our Sages teach us that things follow the conclusion. We have this coming Shabbos, the last of the year, which we can treat in the most stunning, sacred and enjoyable way. The way we observe this Shabbos is the way the Shabbos bride will testify to G-d how well she is treated and we will be granted a year filled with blessing!
Many years ago I went to the home of Rabbi Moshe Bick o.b.m. to ask him a Halachic question. We discussed the matter and at one point he took out his Shulchan Oruch – code of Jewish law – and showed me the source of his ruling. He then showed me that concerning this law he had underlined, “When one follows this, a blessing comes upon him.” The Rabbi looked at me with a twinkle in his eye and said in Yiddish – Ir Vilt ah Brocha? – Don’t you want a blessing?
As the Shabbos descends upon us we chant in the Lecha Dodi, Shabbos is Mekor HaBrocha – the source of all blessing.
So let us ask ourselves, “Ir Vilt ah Brocha?” ― Don’t we want a blessing?
