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Blowing the Shofar

If you want some instruction on how to blow the Shofar, take a look at this page that we put together over on the main site.  You will find a few videos that show different aspects of how to blow the Shofar.  One focuses very much on technique while another one shows the entire order of Shofar blowing for Rosh Hashanah.  Take a look.

Ram's Horn Shofar

It depends on what you want it for. We have both Jewish and Gentile customers from all over the world. For our Jewish customers who want their Shofar for performing the Mitzvah on Rosh Hashanah, the main concern is which type of Shofar is preferable according to Halacha (Jewish Law). For others it is just a matter of personal preference. Both types are perfectly authentic, Kosher Shofars.   But Halacha does give preference to the Ram’s horn Shofar for performing the Mitzvah. This is mainly because of an interesting tradition.

We know that when Abraham was about to sacrifice his son Isaac, God sent an angel to stop him and provided a ram for sacrifice in Isaac’s place. According to the Jewish Oral Tradition, two Shofars were made from the horns of that ram. The shorter one was used at the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. The longer one will be blown at the arrival of the final redemption. This is what the prophet Isaiah meant when he spoke of ’sounding the great (meaning large) Shofar’.

Yemenite Shofar

According to this tradition, the ram’s horn is preferable for performing the Mitzvah on Rosh Hashanah, because it reminds God of the merit of our father Abraham at this important time when we ask God to forgive our sins.

The kudu or Yemenite Shofar is Kosher and can be used to perform the Mitzvah where a ram’s horn is not available, but preference is given to the horn of a ram.

There is a fascinating article from Rabbi Nathan Slifkin that discusses these issues and more at length. You can read it in PDF format here.

That being said, there are things you can do the reduce the smell quite a bit. Here is what we suggest:

1. The Peroxide Method.

The cause of the strongest smell in the Shofar is little pieces of marrow that cling to the inside. The first step in getting them out is to soften them up. We find that peroxide works quite well for this purpose.

Plug up the small end of your shofar with a swimmers ear plug. Pour in peroxide. You don’t have to fill it up, you are going to shake it around. Plug the large end with a soft ball (Nerf for example) or use a tight rubber band and a torn balloon. Now shake the Shofar and turn it upside down and back again for a few minutes. Dump out the peroxide and you will see a lot of smelly pieces come out. Repeat this as many times as necessary until almost nothing comes out.

2. The Gravel Method

If you feel that the peroxide alone is not getting out the pieces enough, use a cup or so of gravel. Don’t use sand or coarse gravel. You want something about the consistency of what you put in a fish tank. Put the gravel together with the peroxide and follow the same instructions as in the first method. When you are done you can use the garden hose to flush out the gravel. This method will clean out a Shofar that has a lot of marrow inside.

3. Ozone Method

We have never actually tried this but we have heard people swear by it. If you have one of those fancy ozone air purifiers you can use it to remove the smell from your Shofar. Just put the wide mouth of the Shofar up against the machine and leave it there for for a few hours. Better yet, leave it overnight. We are told that this will remove most of the smell.

Dry your Shofar and oil it.

Whichever method you use, don’t leave your Shofar wet for too long. Liquid left in a Shofar will cause it to become brittle and eventually split or crack. To remove the liquid, use a coat hanger and a small piece of cloth and try to get in as deep as possible.

After your Shofar is cleaned you should apply some oil to the inside and outside. Olive oil works very well for this. You also may want to use a fragrant oil that will give it a nice smell.

Summary

The techniques described above will remove most of the smell from your Shofar for some time. Eventually the smell is likely to return. You can of course repeat one of the methods above. In the long run though, just remember that this is what a Shofar is. Somehow I don’t think Joshua had an ozone purifier when he caused the walls of Jericho to crumble.