Jewish

The Cry of the Shofar and the Nonverbal Child

Rosh Hashanah, The Jewish New Year is considered one of the holiest days of the year. It is a day where most of the time is spent at a shul (synagogue) in prayer. There is plenty of reading and many prayers are said. Looking at the pages with all of the various prayers in a siddur (prayer book) can be pretty overwhelming. The truth of the matter is, that while prayer on Rosh Hashanah is important the main feature of Rosh Hashanah is the Shofar.

The Cry of the Shofar

A shofar is a horn of a kosher animal. On the Jewish New Year a minimum of 30 notes are blown using a shofar. So what is the significance of the shofar? This story will explain. A Parable is told of a King who had an only son, the apple of his eye. The King wanted his son to master different fields of knowledge and to experience various cultures, so he sent him to a far-off country, supplied with a generous quantity of silver and gold. Far away from home, the son squandered all the money until he was left completely destitute. In his distress he resolved to return to his father's house and after much difficulty, he managed to arrive at the gate of the courtyard to his father's palace. In the passage of time, he had actually forgotten the language of his native country, and he was unable to identify himself to the guards. In utter despair he began to cry out in a loud voice, and the King, who recognized the voice of his son, went out to him and brought him into the house, kissing him and hugging him.

The Meaning

The meaning of the parable: The King is G-d. The prince is the Jewish people, who are called "Children of G-d". The King sends a soul down to this world with a mission for it to fulfill. However, the soul becomes very distant and forgets everything to which it was accustomed to above, and in the long exile it forgets even its own "language." So it utters a simple cry to its Father in Heaven. This is the blowing of the shofar, a cry from deep within, expressing sadness on how distant it is from its creator. This cry elicits G-d’s mercies, and He demonstrates His abiding affection for His child and brings him close.

The Power of the Nonverbal Child

We see how the power of the shofar and this simple unarticulated, wordless cry can elicit mercy from above. The same power applies to children with special needs who are not verbal. Children who are verbal and articulate can use words to connect with their parents because they can carry on a conversation.
Children who are nonverbal cannot communicate with their parents in the same way. What they can convey to their parents is a wordless cry and it bonds them to their parents in a much deeper way than just using words ever could.

The Lesson

On Rosh Hashanah when the world is being judged we need to touch and connect with G-d in a most deep way. In shul we say the prayers of the day and read all these beautiful words in the siddur but ultimately the most powerful and significant prayer is the simple cry of the shofar. *For an explanation on why we do not spell out G-ds name read: Why Don't You Spell Out G-d's Name?