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SEND US YOUR MIRACLE STORY
AND WIN A GIFT FROM TAPPER'S
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We've all experienced those moments when a seem-
ingly random event also seemed strangely meaning-
ful, even miraculous. Small miracles happen every
day; it is up to us to open ourselves to receiving them
and understanding their meaning.
As we approach Chanukah, we commemorate the
miracle of the-light that endured for eight days, and
we are asking you to share your personal miracle, or
epiphany or extraordinary coincidence, whatever
you choose to call one of life's inexplicable events. In
250 words or less, tell your story. Some of the sto-
ries will be published in the November issue of
Platinum. Tapper's Fine Jewelry in West Bloomfield
will donate two $500 gift certificates to the winning
male and female essay.
You must be 18 or over to enter. Please send your
personal miracle essay to:
Carla Schwartz, Platinum Miracle Contest
29200 Northwestern Hwy. Suite 110
Southfield, MI 48034
Or via e-mail with the subject line "Miracle"
to cschwartz@oaklandstyle.com
Deadline: October 1st
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The Shofar Story
The ram's horn connection to the Liberty Bell,
and other amazing facts.
ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM
AppleTree Editor
I
f not for the shofar, the greeting-
card industry would have quite a
struggle.
Rosh Hashanah means big business
for places like Hallmark Inc.; and
more often than not, those cards fea-
ture an elderly bearded rabbi (because,
of course, no rabbis are young or with-
out facial hair) blowing the shofar.
The shofar is an integral part of
Rosh Hashanah, sounded to awaken
our souls and usher in the new year.
But there's a lot more to the shofar
than just a ram's horn.
Here are some aspects of
the shofar you may not
have known:
• The Torah recounts
how Abraham began to fol-
low God's commandment
to sacrifice his son, Isaac.
God substituted a ram for
the boy, and Abraham sac-
rificed the ram.
According to a midrash,
one of the ram's horns was
larger than the other. The
smaller of the horns was
the shofar heard when the
Jews received the Torah at
Mount Sinai (Exodus
19:16). The larger shofar
will be blown when the
arrival of the Messiah is
announced.
• Blowing the shofar
100 times each day of Rosh
Hashanah is a tradition
observed by all Orthodox
and many other congrega-
tions. It's based on a rabbinic opinion
that one should say 100 blessings every
day, and hearing the shofar is, accord-
ing to Psalms 89:16, a "blessing."
• Can you imagine a connection
between the shofar and the Liberty
Bell?
The bell, the famous symbol of
American independence, bears the
words, "Proclaim liberty throughout
the land." This phrase was first found
in reference to blowing the shofar to
announce the Jubilee Year, in Leviticus
25:9 10.
• Before the shofar is blown on
Rosh Hashanah, it is heard throughout
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the month of Elul as a way to wake us
up — sometimes literally, as it is
blown in the morning — but especial-
ly spiritually, helping us to wake up
and prepare us for the Days of Awe
ahead. The tradition of blowing the
shofar throughout Elul began during
the Middle Ages.
• The shofar is one of the two earli-
est known instruments (the other
being the reed). It was first used by
Jews in the Beit HaMikdash, the Holy
Temple.
• Tradition states that Moses
received the second set of the Ten
Commandments on the first day of
Elul. (It was his second trip, of course,
because the original tablets had been
smashed after Moses returned to find
the Jews building the golden calf).
Moses was said to have blown the
shofar this time as a reminder to the
Jews not only that they should never
again create a golden calf, but that
they must worship God and heed his
commandments.
• The shofar is mentioned 69 times
in the Torah.
• For many years, the shofar was
sounded to announce the arrival of a
new Jewish month. Usually this
SHOFAR STORY on page 85