The Shofar is a very simple, yet fascinating instrument.

First of all, the Shofar is not a holy object. It belongs to the category of "Tashmishei Mitzvah", objects that allow us to perform a Mitzvah –in this case to listen to the sound of the Shofar. The Shofar has not any inherent holiness. If broken or damaged, the Shofar, like a Lulav, or a Talit or a Sukkah, can be disposed of without being buried, like a Torah scroll, Tefilin or Mezuzot, that are included in a different category of objects called "Tashmishei Kedushah" – Objects with an inherent holiness.

The Shofar is completely hollow. Nothing makes it sound but the vibration of the air flowing through it. Just blow gently through the Shofar and you will be able to feel the air on the other side of it.

In Hebrew, the same word "Ruach" is used for the word wind and for the word spirit, or soul.

The "Ruach", the gentle wind that vibrates through the Shofar extracts the penetrating sound that has the ability to touch our most inner fibers.

A Shofar without "Ruach", without spirit, is a lifeless object, which has no sanctity by itself. What makes the Shofar special is the spirit we put into it. This special spirit is the one that brings the Shofar to life and allows us to perform this unique Mitzvah of Rosh Hashanah.

People, like the Shofar, were given by God a gift that makes us unique and special. That is our Ruach, our unique soul, our spirit.

This special gift is what makes each of us special.

It is not the color of our skin or our physical features; it is not our economic and social position that makes us unique. It is our "Ruach", the spirit that vibrates within us, that makes us what we are.

As we pray each morning:

"My God, the soul You placed within me is pure. You created it, You fashioned it, You breathed it into me, You safeguard it into me, and eventually You will take it from me, and restore it to me in Time to come. As long as the soul is within me, I gratefully thank You, Hashem, my God and the God of my forefathers, Master of all works, Lord of all souls. Blessed are you Hashem, Who restores souls to lifeless bodies"

Without "Ruach" the Shofar is a lifeless object, and so are we without our soul, our Ruach, our spirit; without our uniqueness.

The Shofar, when sounded, accomplishes a mission: the performance of a Mitzvah, of God’s will.

And, it is the same regarding ourselves.

God gave us His precious gift, our unique soul, and brought us into life, to sanctify His name by doing His will, by improving His world through a life of sanctity and Mitzvot.

May the sound of the Shofar remind us of our mission on earth and bring us to a life of sanctity, of Jewish and social commitment, of goodness and peace.

Amen.