Definition

Noun: 1. An ancient ceremonial trumpet: A shophar is a wind instrument crafted from a ram's horn. It is historically significant in Judaism, originally used in ancient Israel for signaling, such as issuing warnings, summons to battle, or proclamations. In contemporary practice, it is blown in synagogues during specific high holy days and solemn ceremonies.

Examples of Usage

• The sound of the shophar echoed across the mountains, calling the people to assembly.
• During Rosh Hashanah services, the rabbi blows the shophar one hundred times.
• The ancient shophar, made from a simple ram's horn, produces a raw and powerful blast.

Advanced Usage

• "To blow/to sound the shophar": This is the standard phrase for playing the instrument.
  • It is a commandment to sound the shophar on the Jewish New Year.

Variants and Related Words

• Shofar: This is the more common modern English spelling of the word. Both "shophar" and "shofar" refer to the same instrument.
• Ram's horn: The literal description of the material from which a shophar is made.

Synonyms

• Horn: (in this specific, ceremonial context) A general term for a wind instrument made from an animal horn.
• Trumpet: (in a functional, not instrumental, sense) A device used to produce a loud, penetrating sound for signaling.

Notes on Meaning

The shophar is not a musical instrument in the conventional sense used for melody. Its primary functions are ritualistic and symbolic, marking sacred time, calling for repentance, and commemorating historical events. The distinct, non-musical blasts (such as tekiah, shevarim, and teruah) are central to its use.

Noun

1. an ancient musical horn made from the horn of a ram; used in ancient times by the Israelites to sound a warning or a summons; used in synagogues today on solemn occasions