TheYeshiva.net - Rabbi YY Jacobson

When I Forget the Language of My Soul

The Baal Shem Tov on Why We Blow the Shofar

45 min

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Class Summary:

This class was presented by Rabbi YY Jacobson on Thursday, Parshas Ki Savo, 18 Elul, 5781, August 26, 2021, live from his home in Monsey, NY.

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SR
Shmuel Rosenfeld -3 years ago
It says היתקע שופר במחנה ןהעם לא יחרדו..the idea I assume being by blowing the shofar that arrouses us ...the shofar was also used for going to battle...the shofar also represents the yom Hadin Hagadol.10 reasons chazal tell us the idea behind the shofar.But now we hear an 11th insight ..it arouses HASEM ..to wake him up(kavayachol) to come close to us...thats a big chiddush.

yasher Koach
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DL
Daniella levy -3 years ago
How I can speak to the Rabay? Is it possible?

thank you and Shabbat shalom

my number is- 516-574-3546
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I
isaac -3 years ago
On the birthday of the Baal Shem Tov, watch his moving lesson on people who forget the language of their soul.

It is a moving explanation and metaphor of the Baal Shem Tov to explain why we blow the shofar.

This text based class is a Maamar of the Rebbe Maharash which quotes and explains this story of the Baal Shem Tov.

The Rebbe would often repeat this explanation and metaphor of the Baal Shem Tov, capturing the struggle of a person trying to discover his or her purity and holiness, eclipsed by years of pain, trauma, fear and anxiety.
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SG
Sarah Goldberg -3 years ago
Hashem does the same mitzvahs He gives us
If so, what does Hashem's blowing of His Shofar sound like?
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Anonymous -3 years ago
How do you help those who do not feel they are lost ans need to return?
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SG
Sarah Goldberg -3 years ago
The prince is sent away to improve himself and the neshoma is
Also sent down to improve itself. So that's a point of commonality.

But there are differences between the sending out of the prince and the descent of the neshoma.

First, whereas the prince is sent out ONLY to improve himself, the soul not only also improves itself by it's descent but ALSO gathers the scattered speaks. I.e. in addition to improving itself the descent of the neshoma ALSO improves the environment.

Second. Although both the prince and the regular imperfect neshoma both come to improve and perfect themselves, there are special already perfected neshomas who descend not for SELFISH self perfection reasons but SELFLESSLY to improve others! In particular this is an explanation why disabled children, presumed to be perfected already, descend. They didn't come down to perfect themselves but to perfect others (imparting patience, tolerance, etc).
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K
Kj -3 years ago
Whose voice is the voice of trauma and addiction...the words of the world.
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K
Kj -3 years ago
GD never calls it addiction -- He calls is more love for that than Him!
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K
Kj -3 years ago
GD never calls it trauma--He calls it His tool to bring His will.
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SG
Sarah Goldberg -3 years ago
The King in the palace recognized the cry of his son
But....we are commanded by the King of Kings to blow Shofar! The moshol and the nimshal don't exactly fit. In one the sin cries out on his own volition and in the other the King commands to blow!
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SG
Sarah Goldberg -3 years ago
Why do we blow Shofar on Rosh Hashana?
The Rebbe Maharash can bring explanations for this mitzvah. He can bring mosholim. No doubt there are, over time, many many explanations for this mitzvah.

Coronation. Recalling the Akeida. Anticipating the redemption which will come with a Shofar. Etc.

But.....ultimately don't we do the mitzvos specified in the Torah just because Hashem said so? And He specifically said to blow Shofar on Rosh Hashana. No reasons given.

Finding reasons for doing what we are supposed to do can be intellectually satisfying. It's more enjoyable to know why we do what we must do.

There's a danger though. Nonjews say, for example, that the reason for kashrus was no refrigeration, etc. Others can attribute a (wrongful) reason for a mitzvah and then derive that that reason no longer applies and then it follows that the mitzvah is obsolete.

Why then do Chazal over the years seek a reason for any mitzvah including Shofar?

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