Rabbi Roodyn

‘ו) בַּחֲצֹצְרוֹת וְקוֹל שׁוֹפָר הָרִיעוּ לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ ה

With trumpets and the sound of a shofar, raise your voices before the King, Hashem.

Rav Hirsch continues with his explanation and says that the terms קול זמרה, כנור, זמר, רנן denote the expression of emotions through song and music. They refer to non- specific emotions without definable content. Rav Hirsch claims that this corresponds to the concept of ‘devotion’, the vague mood that the non Jewish ideologies regard as worship. Should these emotions be given verbal expression, taking the form of ‘prayer’ then such a prayer is mainly a ‘request’ for G-d’s help, assistance or comfort.

Judaism teaches a wholly different message about prayer namely בחצצרות וקול שופר הריעו לפני המלך ה’, always link the call of the shofar to the cry of the chatzotzros before Hashem. If G-d is to hear our cry, then we must first heed His own call. If we are to presume to pray to Him for help in our earthly concerns, then we must first resolve to shape all our own lives in accordance with His Will as proclaimed to us by the call of the shofar. If we expect Him to be our helper, then we must first accept Him as our King.