The Sounds of the Shofar
from “It’s a Sad and Beautiful World”
Tekiah — sustained note of the shofar
Original unity, before all exiles
Tekiah
Tekiah — the universal, metaphysical and musical
Against the tekiah sounds the teruah
The relative
Tekiah — the universal in the ensemble
The drone the tonic
Against which the relative shudders with melody
Shofar begins and ends in Tekiah
Original unity
Where we come from, where we return
Teruah –the sound is separated
Exiled into teruah
Crying, longing to return
Three yevavot three wavering crying blasts*
Trembling quivering yearning to return
When we lose our way, the roads go into mourning
Teruah — crying weeping longing yearning for return
Tekiah the universal
Teruah the relative
It is a sad and beautiful world
Sad so far away
Beautiful so hungry are we to return
End always with Tekiah G’dolah
The Great Tekiah
The sustained universal tekiah
We yearn for it
Hunger for it
Believe it
*(Mishnah RH 4:9)