http://www.aish.com/holidays/The_High_Holidays/articles/Why_Judgment.asp

God's breath

“The shofar is the sound of man's breath as it is blown into a ram's horn. Man is the sound of God's breath as it was blown into the dust of the earth. On the anniversary of man's formation God wants to see the results of His blast. He tells man to blow back the breath of God and listens carefully to the sound. It should still be reminiscent of God's own breath.”

 

http://www.tfdixie.com/holidays/rosh/002.htm

 

CALL OF THE SHOFAR

The shofar with its pure and piercing sound awakens and reminds us of our origin, responsibility, and destiny. The sound originates from the breath of Man, the life-force infused by Hashem into Adam. On Rosh Hashanah, we approach Hashem with our breath of life and offer it through the shofar as a plea for mercy, asking Hashem to inscribe us in the Book of Life.

The shofar produces the ultimate voice conveying thoughts deeper than any words could produce, and its sound rises above our limited cognitive and vocal faculties. The sound of the shofar is the sound of the soul reaching out to its Creator. It is the sound which relates back to one of Man's greatest moments - the binding of Isaac, representing the supreme test of Abraham's devotion and willingness to follow Hashem's command despite overwhelming emotional and intellectual considerations to the contrary. It is the sound which accompanied the giving of the Torah, and is the great sound which will herald in the coming of the Mashiach (Messiah).

The structure of the shofar sounds are smooth, broken, and smooth again. The first uniform tone reflects the original straight and upright condition of Man. The broken sound represents the altered condition of Man as he stumbles in sin. The third straight tone represents the repaired state, which we hope will come speedily in our days, in which Hashem will return Mankind to its original dignity.

http://www.torah.org/learning/yomtov/elulrosh/vol1no37.html

 

Day of Teru'ah [sounding the shofar]

We find that when the Torah speaks of Rosh HaShana, it tells us "Yom Teru'ah yih'yeh lachem", "a day of teru'ah (sounding the horn) should be to you". Although the verses do not elaborate on what type of horn or instrument is being sounded, our sages have taught us that it refers to the Shofar, which is usually a ram's horn.

Why do we sound the Shofar? … we must understand the nature of "man", human beings. As 'man' is a creature from the physical realm, he is only aroused and inspired to action by something stirring, something that will cause him to snap out of the ordinary routine. We see this concept in practice at a time of war: In order to stir up the troops, trumpets are sounded, in hope that this arouses and motivates the soldiers to action. On Rosh HaShana, we do the same. We "awaken", by means of the Shofar, all who are to be judged on this day. We try to incite all who have sinned to plead with Hashem and request mercy from Him when judging. Hashem is receptive, as he is gracious, compassionate and forgiving, of those who return to Him with a complete heart. If the sounding of the Shofar has its intended effect, Hashem will graciously accept the repentance of all on Rosh HaShana.

The sound that eminates from and the shape of the Shofar are meant to inspire us as well. The Sefer HaChinuch writes that the Shofar is a reminder that man should strive to break the impulses of his heart which are evil with the sinful cravings of the world. How does the sound of the Shofar accomplsih this? The actual sound emitted from the Shofar is broken; it is not one straight note, but a series of staccato blasts. The broken sound reminds us that we have a job of "breaking" to do as well - the breaking of our evil inclination.

The shape of the Shofar is not straight like a trumpet. Rather, the end of the Shofar is curved and bent. This bent shape is to remind us that we should bend our hearts in subservience to Hashem.

 

http://jubileeinstruments.messianic-webhosting.com/shofar.htm

 

What is a Shofar?

A Shofar is long Rams horn used to proclaim Jewish ceremonial events. It is hollowed out and blown on one end similar to a trumpet. The Ibex is one the most popular rams horns. They usually appear conical with a spiral appearance.

According to the Talmud, a Shofar that is legal for ceremonial events must be at least three handbreadths long.

There are small Shofars that people sometimes use which are not really Shofars by Talmudic definition. To be accurate so you can use the generic term "Keren", which means "horn" in hebrew.

The Shofar goes back far into biblical history. It is believed that the Shofar commemorates the Ram caught in the thicket by its horn (Hebrew: Keren). …

In the absence of the temple today, the Shofar is used instead of the Chotzotzerah to proclaim the Jewish high holy days. The holy day, "Rosh HaShannah" or New Year is also called Yom HaTeruah.

In many translations, this is referred to as the feast of the trumpets.

"Yom" means "Day", "Teruah" means to blow the trumpet or sound alarm.

According to tradition: The entire month (Elul) before Rosh HaShannah is reserved to blowing the Shofar (except for the last day. Think of it as a whole month of practice! The shofar is blown each morning. The month of Elul is also the time that people prepare themselves inwardly for the high holy days.

The day long fast of Yom Kippur is also ended at sundown with the Tekiah G'dollah [the long blast] shofar call. 

Note: In playing many wind instruments, there is a technique known as "Circular Breathing" where a person who is playing replenishes their lung supply by using their mouth cavity as a temporary supply like bagpipe does.

This technique takes many years to learn well. It is not permitted by Rabbinic or Talmudic Law to do "Circular Breathing" but there is no mention of it in scripture..

 

 

 

http://scheinerman.net/judaism/synagogue/objects2.html

SHOFAR

A shofar is an instrument made from the horn of a ram or other kosher animal. It was used in ancient Israel to announce the New Moon (Rosh Chodesh) and call people together. It was also blown on Rosh Hashanah, marking the beginning of the New Year, signifying both need to wake up to the call to repentance, and in connection with the portion read on the second day of Rosh Hashanah, the Binding of Isaac (Genesis, chapter 22) in which Abraham sacrifices a ram in place of his son, Isaac.

Today, the shofar is featured most prominently in the Rosh Hashanah morning services. It is considered a commandment to hear the shofar blown.

There is a great deal of symbolism tied in with the legal requirements for what constitutes a proper shofar. The shofar of Rosh Hashanah, whose purpose it is to rouse the Divine in the listener, may not be constructed of an artificial instrument. It must be an instrument in its natural form and naturally hollow, through whom sound is produced by human breath, which God breathes into human beings. This pure, and natural sound, symbolizes the lives it calls Jews to lead. What is more, the most desirable shofar is the bent horn of a ram. The ram reminds one of Abraham's willing sacrifice of that which was most precious to him. The curve in the horn mirrors the contrition of the one who repents.

 

http://judaism.about.com/library/3_holidays/higholidays/bl_rh_shofar.htm

 

What the Shofar means

Hearing the blowing of the Shofar is the special mitzvah of Rosh HaShana. Shofar, a ram's horn, is the oldest wind instrument. And the sounding of the Shofar is the most ancient rite in the Rosh HaShana observances. The primitive and simple sound of the Shofar spiritually touches us on this day of soul-searching, repentance and judgment.

Sa'adiah Gaon gives ten reasons for sounding the Shofar on Rosh HaShana. 

1. Acknowledges God as Our King
2. Stirs Our Conscience
3. Reminds us of God's revelation at Sinai
4. Reminds us of the Prophets' warnings
5. Reminds us of the destruction of the Temple
6. Reminds us the ram offered by Abraham in place of his son Isaac
7. Reminds us to feel humble before God
8. Reminds us of the Day of Final Judgment
9. Foreshadows proclamation of freedom when exiled will return to Israel
10. Foreshadows inauguration of Gods reign of righteousness throughout the world 

It is customary to blow the Shofar during the daytime in the same place that the Torah is read. The person blowing the Shofar (Ba'al Teki'ah) and all those listening should be instructed to have intention to fulfill the mitzvah of hearing the Shofar. 

Two blessings are recited before the Shofar is blown.

Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha'Olam, asher kidishanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu leshoma kol shofar. Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has blessed us in his commandments and commanded us to hear the sound of the Shofar. Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha'Olam, shehechiyanu v'kiyimanu v'higianu la'zman ha'zeh. Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this season.

Once the blessings have been made, no one should speak until the end of the Shofar blasts.

 

The Shofar is blown immediately after the Haftorah is read (thirty blasts). During the Cantor's repetition of the Amidah of Musaf, an additional thirty blasts of the Shofar are sounded. At the conclusion of the prayer service, forty extra blasts are sounded to make a total of one hundred Shofar blasts. It is customary for the final blast to be prolonged (Tekia Gedola). When Rosh HaShana falls on Shabbat, the Shofar is not sounded. 

All those old enough to be educated regarding the mitzvah of hearing the Shofar are obligated to hear the Shofar on Rosh HaShana. To fulfill the mitzvah, women may sound the Shofar and say the blessing. 

 

 

 

 

http://www.aish.com/holidays/The_High_Holidays/articles/Symbolism_of_the_Shofar.asp

 

During the blowing of the shofar on Rosh Hashana,  there are three distinct types of Shofar blasts (Tekiot):

 

1. Tekiah -- one long, straight blast [unbroken sound].   
2. Shevarim -- three medium, wailing sounds [three broken sounds].  
3. Teruah -- 9 quick blasts [short, quick sounds] in short succession.  

THE TEKIAH SOUND

Rosh Hashana is the day of appreciating who God is. …God is King of the Universe.

The object of Rosh Hashana is to crown God as our King. Tekiah -- the long, straight shofar blast -- is the sound of the King's coronation.

It isn't enough that God is MY King alone. If ALL humanity doesn't recognize God as King, then there is something lacking in my own relationship with God. Part of my love for the Almighty is to help guide all people to an appreciation of Him.

THE SHEVARIM SOUND

When we think about the year gone by, we know deep down that we've failed to live up to our full potential. …Shevarim -- three medium, wailing blasts -- is the sobbing cry of a Jewish heart -- yearning to connect, to grow, to achieve.

THE TERUAH SOUND

 

 

http://www.aish.com/holidays/The_High_Holidays/articles/ABCs_of_Rosh_Hashana.asp

 

 

THE SHOFAR

The essential mitzvah of Rosh Hashana is to hear the sounding of the shofar. The shofar blasts after the Torah Reading are called "Tekiot M'yushav."

The minimum Torah obligation is to hear nine blasts. However, there is a doubt whether the sound of the shofar should be a groaning type of cry (Shevarim), or a sobbing weep (Teruah), or a combination (Shevarim-Teruah). Therefore, we perform all three sounds, each preceded and followed by an unbroken blast, Tekiah. Three of each set results in 30 blasts total, which are necessary to remove all doubt that the Torah precept has been fulfilled.

It is customary to blow shofar in the same place that the Torah is read, so that the merit of the Torah will support us. The shofar should be blown during the daytime. In ancient times, when the Romans persecuted the Jews, the rabbis instituted blowing the shofar before Musaf, since the Romans had guards in the synagogues during the early morning.

The person who blows the shofar must stand. He should be instructed immediately before blowing to have intention to fulfill the obligation for all those listening. Similarly, all those listening should be reminded to have intention that their obligation is being fulfilled.

Before blowing, two blessings are recited: "to hear the sound of the shofar," and She'hechianu. Once the blessings have been made, one may not speak until the end of the shofar blowing.

Women may sound the shofar and say the blessing to accomplish the mitzvah. A child who is old enough to be educated regarding mitzvot is required to hear the shofar.

The shofar is not blown when Rosh Hashana falls on Shabbat.

The shofar used on Rosh Hashana should be a curved ram's horn, and longer than four inches. It is permitted to use the shofar of an animal not ritually slaughtered. After the fact, any shofar is acceptable except the horn of a cow, ox or an unkosher species of animal.

In the "Amidah" prayer of Musaf, there are three special blessings: Malchiot (praises to God the King), Zichronot (asking God to remember the merits of our Ancestors), and Shofrot (the significance of the shofar). During the chazan's repetition, we blow an additional 30 blasts in the various combinations.

It is the custom to blow 40 extra blasts at the end of services, bringing the total to 100. It is customary to prolong the final blast, which is called a Tekiah Gedolah.

 

 

 

http://www.aish.com/holidays/The_High_Holidays/articles/Creating_Your_World_Anew.asp

 

Day of Judgement & birthday of mankind

Many of us approach Rosh Hashana -- the "Day of Judgement" -- with subconscious negativity: "Oh no! I'm getting judged by the King. If I don't say and do all the right things, I'll be punished!"

The truth is, Rosh Hashana is one of the most beautiful and inspiring days of the year. To understand the essence of Rosh Hashana, let's start with the most basic of all questions: Why did God create the world in the first place?

The answer is that God created the world in order to give human beings pleasure. "Pleasure" you say?! They didn't teach us that in Hebrew School!

Consider the following, based on Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto's 17th century classic, "The Way of God":

God created the world in order to give to us. As such, He wants us to have every good in the world. But there is a catch. The greatest gift is to give someone independence. So God created us with "free will" -- the ability to independently choose reality or deny it. If we choose properly, then we merit to receive the greatest pleasure available -- being close with God.

The day of Rosh Hashana is the birthday of mankind. On the Sixth Day of Creation (the first of Tishrei), Adam and Eve were created. Every year the process repeats itself as God recreates mankind anew. In effect, every year we must re-earn the "right to exist." To do so, God asks us to choose reality. To choose life.

This is the meaning of "The Day of Judgement." If we choose reality, God grants us a year of life. If we choose to be asleep, God grants us a year of death -- i.e. numbness to the meaning of life and truth. This is not because God wants to punish us; He very much wants us to succeed. But we must choose it on our own.

The main reason to choose God on Rosh Hashana is not for Him. It is for us. It is so we can benefit from the pleasure of His goodness. It is so we can experience the great things that His world has to offer. When the day of Rosh Hashana comes, it is as if God is saying, "Hello! I created the world and I want to give you every pleasure possible. Please do the things that allow Me to give to you."

All God wants to do is to give, and it pains Him to not be able to give to us in the way He wants to. God is begging us to shape up so we can become worthy to receive His abundant blessings. We must choose God to allow Him to give to us. Without Him, our ability to succeed is impossible.

Rosh Hashana is the birthday of free will. It is the birthday of ultimate choice. Do you decide to be recreated as a soul? Or do you decide to roam the world asleep all year long?

 

http://www.aish.com/holidays/The_High_Holidays/articles/Taking_Responsibility.asp

 

God our King

A major theme of Rosh Hashana is Malkiyut -- making God our King. This entails recognition of and submission to a higher authority. The whole season engenders a feeling that "I can't just do what I feel like, because there's Someone Who runs this place."

What is it that we're submitting to? And what does this submission demand of us?

The Torah quotes God as saying "I've put before you today life and good, death and evil; choose life." Amazingly, God tells us that the choice of life is up to us!

 

http://www.aish.com/holidays/The_High_Holidays/articles/Why_Judgment.asp

 

DAY OF JUDGMENT

Jewish tradition teaches us that Rosh Hashana is the Day of Judgment. The fact that we need tradition to inform us of this fact is already indicative of the uniqueness of this holiday. In the case of all other Jewish holidays, the Torah itself clearly explains the background and purpose of each one, sometimes at length, and in some cases several times. In the case of Rosh Hashana, only the merest hint is offered by the Torah as to the intent and purpose of the holiday.

In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, there shall be a rest day for you, a remembrance with shofar blasts, a holy convocation. (Leviticus 23:23)

It is only thanks to the rabbis and the Oral Tradition of Torah that we know that this verse serves as a cryptic reference to a day of judgment. …

 

ANNIVERSARY OF ADAM'S CREATION

Rosh Hashana is the anniversary of the day Adam was created. A lot of divine energy and planning was invested in man. The entire universe, its myriad galaxies and stars, all its intricate life forms, whether spiritual or physical, was created especially to provide a suitable environment for his development and spiritual growth, and ultimately for his reward. Great investments require periodic review and evaluation. When the anniversary of the birth of man reoccurs annually, God sits with His heavenly court and sets the investment policy for the coming year.

This explains an apparent anomaly concerning the prayers we recite on Rosh Hashana.

These prayers were authored for us to recite by the members of the Great Assembly who surely understood what the day is about. If we are truly facing a life or death judgment why is there so little mention of this fact in the Shemoneh Esrei we recite on Rosh Hashana. We should theoretically spend the day pleading for our lives to be spared. Instead we mainly talk about the establishment of the Kingdom of Heaven. What does this have to do with the judgment we are facing?

The answer is very clear if we understand it as an evaluation of the return on God's investment. The best way to prepare for such a review is to demonstrate a clear understanding of what the investment was for and show the investor that we are totally dedicated and focused on reaching His goals. The greater competence and dedication we are able to demonstrate, the more likely the Great Investor, God, is likely to reinvest in us, and the greater will be the size of His reinvestment.

Let us try to bring the concept of establishing the Kingdom of Heaven down to earth. The way most of us understand the idea of serving God, there is no need for God to be our King at all, He might just as well be our employer. After all, He gave us the commandments to perform; if we do a good job, He will reward us, if we perform poorly we might be downgraded or fired altogether. If this is the paradigm of serving God, there is no need to regard God as a King at all.

The truth is that we do not work for God. We represent Him. We are the embodiment of His Divine Glory. God created us in His image. When someone regards us, he is supposed to obtain some idea of what God Himself is like! We embody his character traits. When we carry out the commandments set forth by the Torah, we demonstrate the quality of divine interests and divine actions. We are not employees who only represent their company in the context of their assigned job. We are courtiers in the King's palace, and the prestige and glory of our Monarch is dependant on our very beings!

We are finally ready to uncover the hint to the essence of Rosh Hashana in the verse in the Torah, "a remembrance with shofar blasts."

The creation of man is described in the Book of Genesis (2:7):

And the Lord God formed the man of dust from the earth, and He blew into him the soul of life; and man became a living being.

The shofar is the sound of man's breath as it is blown into a ram's horn. Man is the sound of God's breath as it was blown into the dust of the earth. On the anniversary of man's formation God wants to see the results of His blast. He tells man to blow back the breath of God and listens carefully to the sound. It should still be reminiscent of God's own breath.

 

http://ohr.edu/yhiy/article.php/1191

 

The Meaning of the Shofar

10 reasons for the mitzvah of blowing the shofar, based on Rav Saadiah Gaon

 

1. Rosh Hashanah is the day that commemorates the creation of the world and it is described as the "coronation" of Hashem (G-d). As it is customary to sound a trumpet at a king's coronation so we blow the shofer on Rosh Hashanah. By blowing the shofar we recognize the "purpose" of the creation.
2. The shofar blast marks the beginning of a period of amnesty which is known as The Ten Days of Repentance. Repentance is based on the fact that since humanity has been given free-will, and our actions are not pre-determined, we must take responsiblity for our actions. The ability to repent teaches us that our future is not bound by our past and that by changing our behaviour we have the ability to change our past.
3. When the Jews accepted the Torah at Mount Sinai, the sound of the shofar is described as "continuously increased and was very great" (Exodus 19:19). The shofar serves to remind us of the revelation at Mt. Sinai and therefore to renew our commitment to Hashem and to accept that Torah morality is absolute and G-d given - not relative, nor does it depend on human understanding.
4. The prophets called out to the Jewish People and aroused them to improve their ways. The shofar reminds us of the admonitions of the prophets and their calls to repentance. We should be aware of the fact that Hashem communicated with us, via the prophets, and displayed through them His desire to perfect us and not to punish us.
5. The shofar reminds us to pray for the rebuilding of the Temple where trumpets and shofars were sounded. Just as Hashem manifests His presence in the world in specific places like the Temple in Jerusalem. He also manifests His presence at special times, such as the Ten Days of Repentance.
6. The ram's horn reminds us of the Binding of Isaac when Abraham demonstrated his absolute faith in Hashem by being prepared to sacrifice his son. Hashem demonstrated His absolute love for Abraham by having him sacrifice a ram in his place.
7. The sound of the shofar is supposed to inspire fear in the hearts of those who hear it. It allows one to dwell upon fear of punishment, to progress from there to fear of doing evil and then to fear of G-d. Finally one arrives at the feeling of awe of G-d.
8. The shofar reminds us of the day of judgment in the future. And inspires us to pray for the perfection of world, all of mankind and the Messianic era.
9. The sound inspires us to yearn for the ingathering of the Exiles, that will be heralded by the sound of a shofar. There will be absolute unity amongst the Jewish People and our connection to Land of Israel will again be absolute.
10. The shofar recalls the resurrection of the dead which will be accompanied by the sound of a shofar. As G-d is the source of all life and the creator of all existence so He has complete control over death.

Additional reasons from other sources:

• The shofar ushers in the Divine court session and shows our trust in Hashem's judgement. By showing our eagerness to be judged by Hashem we thus confuse the heavenly prosecutor, the Satan.
• Shofar blasts were sounded preceding a war - to rally the troops for action and to call the people together for prayer and repentance. The shofar is therefore like an air raid siren that alerts us to danger, and summons us to action.

 

 

http://jubileeinstruments.messianic-webhosting.com/shofar.htm

 

Shofar Playing Techniques

In order to play a Shofar properly, please observe the following steps:

1. Look at the mouthpiece. Shofar mouthpieces are usually irregular. Rotate the Shofar if possible so that the

thickest part of the mouthpiece is in the most upright position. This will make playing easier.

2. Place the mouthpiece against your lips. Do not use the very center of your lips, use the fleshy part to the left

or to the right. Whichever side feels more comfortable.

3. Take a deep breath, tighten and buzz your lips. (It's similar to a trumpet but requires a looser embouchure)

Once you have produced a note, try to see what other notes that you can obtain. If you will push your air-stream in an upward direction, it will help you produce high notes easier. Tighten your lips to get a higher note.

To get a long sustained blast, you must learn to breath deeply. Tighten up your abdomen muscles when playing. Wind Instrument players use parts of their lungs that average people never learn to use. Good posture makes a great difference also!

Note: In playing many wind instruments, there is a technique known as "Circular Breathing" where a person who is playing replenishes their lung supply by using their mouth cavity as a temporary supply like bagpipe does.

This technique takes many years to learn well. It is not permitted by Rabbinic or Talmudic Law to do "Circular Breathing" but there is no mention of it in scripture..

 

Shofar Care

Shofars should be kept in a comfortable temperature environment. Don't leave it the car, the extreme heat or cold will damage it. Shofars can deform in shape if exposed to hot humid conditions. Sunlight will affect its appearance. Things that are used to protect fingernails can be applied but remember, it's not growing.

 

Cracked Shofar or repairs

A cracked Shofar can be repair using cyanoacrylate glue (Super Glue). The Gel type is preferable. Be careful to wait for it to dry. Fingernail repair kits can be useful in strengthening weak areas and applying repairs to Shofars.

 

Shofar Odors

Shofars do emit certain unpleasing odors. Allow an instrument to remain in an open air space after playing. Febreze is useful for deodorizing Shofars. Hydrogen peroxide could be applied in severe cases and it cleans the bell opening nicely. Be warned it could dissolve the material in the mouthpiece area and hurt its performance. There are some Shofars available today that have been deodorized, I have no independent reviews on them at this time. http://jubileeinstruments.messianic-webhosting.com/shofar.htm

CLEANING AND ANOINTING THE SHOFAR

 

Cleaning the inside of a horn would essentially remove all traces of the animal from which it was taken. We choose to simply anoint the mouthpiece, occasionally, with olive oil. This eliminates some of the offensive smell, while not obliterating the presence of the animal from which the horn was taken. It is only through the grace and life of this powerful animal, that we are blessed to magnify the voice of our breath, in honor and praise of Yahweh the almighty breath-giver.  Thanks be to Yahweh for the shofar. [Norbert H. Kox, nhkox@yahoo.com ]

 

 

http://www.shofars.org/cleaning_the_shofar.htm

 

 

INSTRUCTIONS: FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO CLEAN THEIR SHOFARS

   [The reason that most shofars smell bad is that when they are cleaned at the factory they do not remove all residues from the inside.  This residue is clinging in crevices and the smell is it decaying.]

    1.The simplest method is to brush out whatever residue can be seen (and smelled!) in the shofar.  Pour enough hydrogen peroxide to fill half the horn with the mouthpiece plugged [caution: above reference says it could dissolve the material in the mouthpiece and ruin the horn].  Swirl it back and forth until the residue is bubbled out (like disinfecting a wound).  Pour out the liquid and repeat.
    Eventually no more residue will come out.  At this point, swab out the horn with a rag tied to a piece of wire, like coat hanger.   

     2.Another method: Step 1.  Buy a “nerf” ball (soft and pliable), an ear plug (the squeeze and insert type available at most drug stores), some fish tank gravel (not sand and not very big) and some alcohol.
Step 2. Plug the mouthpiece with the earplug.  Pour in enough gravel that it can be shaken easily.  Plug the bell end with the nerf ball.
Step 3.  Play the “moraca” (shake it hard!) for about 15 minutes.
Step 4.  Pull out the nerf ball and empty out the gravel.  Pour about a cup of alcohol in and replace the ball [WARNING: do not do this near fire or flame].  Shake for about a minute.
Step 5.  Pull out the ball.  Pour out the alcohol.  Remove the earplug.  Let it dry.

    The alcohol should dry quickly.  It should eliminate the smell and disinfect the horn.
DO NOT let any liquid stay in too long.  If necessary use a mild bleach solution but realize it will take a few days for the chlorine smell to dissipate.  You could also use witch hazel with spearmint but use it sparingly.
    Stubborn smells can also be eliminated with odor neutralizers.
 
    When the horn is clean, anoint the bell end with some anointing oil that has frankincense and myrrh. Put some up the mouthpiece channel with a trumpet valve brush (purchased at a music store).  It will be the soft bone of the neck part of the horn that will begin to stink again as you blow moisture back into it as you sound the horn.   The myrrh will seal the bone and stop the odor.  Remember, myrrh is what they anointed dead bodies with!   It doesn’t hurt to ask [YaHWeH] to bless the horn and your efforts to glorify Him at the same time.

    3.  Another great method that has worked well is to use "Oxi-clean" or a similar product. 
    Fill the horn half full of hot, but not boiling water.  (use some boiling water and create a volcano!)  Put in the scoop of product and then
 shake the horn with both ends plugged or capped (corks; or, Nerf Ball/ear plug method, mentioned above) for a while.  Fill it all the way with water and let
 sit for an hour.
    When you pour out the water you will notice all sorts of discolored junk pouring out.  Take a cloth on a wire hanger and swab the inside out of all loosened material.   Rinse with boiling water and let dry.  You may have to repeat the process.

 

    4. Finally, if you have access to an ozone producing machine, you can put the horn with the bell up against the outlet and let it deodorize overnight.  Some commercial models will do it in an hour.

APOCALYPSE HOUSE

SHOFAR [ram’s horn] RESEARCH PAGE

For printable version of above text: http://www.anycities.com/user1/nhk45/AHShofarPrint.htm

 

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Norbert H. Kox
APOCALYPSE HOUSE

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Disclaimer: Apocalypse House and Norbert H. Kox are not responsible for the accuracy of content within links or advertisements placed on this website. Many of these venues use the erroneous names Jehovah and Jesus in reference to God and Saviour, rather than the true names Yahweh and Yesu (yay-soo). We take no stand on doctrinal issues emanating from these sources. As the researcher, you must judge the validity and importance of each reference placed before you. Weigh the evidence and discern for yourself. (If anyone has placed offensive or obscene ads/links here, or if you find broken links, please notify us. Thank you.)

 

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