THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 15, 1996 TAG: 9609120047
SECTION: REAL LIFE PAGE: K1 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: MY JOB
SOURCE: BY WENDY GROSSMAN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 73 lines
BACK ARCHED, brows furrowed and cheeks red, Ben Brand stands beneath the trees in his back yard blowing on a curved shofar he clenches in his fists. Practicing.
Practicing for the big moment today at Temple Emanuel in Virginia Beach when the 16-year-old makes his debut as the Baal Tokea, the person who blows the shofar 100 blasts during Rosh Hashana services.
The shofar, a ram's horn, is blown to remember the day centuries ago when God ordered Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. Abraham bound his son for the sacrifice - the Akedah - but the Lord said that Abraham had demonstrated his devotion and told him not to slay his son. Instead, Abraham offered God a ram that was caught in the thicket by its horns.
The Torah commands Jews to remember this story of the Akedah by blowing a ram's horn on the first day of the seventh month of the Jewish year. Rosh Hashana, known as Yom Teruah, ``the day of blasts,'' is the traditional anniversary of the event. The shofar was also blown in biblical times as an alarm during wartime and to announce the Sabbath and important events.
Ben, who attends Cape Henry Collegiate School, is ready for his big assignment. He blew his first shofar when he was only 6. And he recently returned from a trip to Israel where shofars are sounded every Friday afternoon as the Sabbath approaches.
``He was blowing every shofar for sale in the city of Jerusalem,'' says his mom, Bonnie Brand. ``I knew where my son was by the shofars being tested.''
The blowing of the shofar has always been the part of the service that Ben looked forward to. It was different. And it was loud.
There weren't any tryouts for the honor of blowing the shofar this Rosh Hashana. Ben was just the first one to ask. As the rabbi was walking out the door after Yom Kippur services last year, Ben asked him if he could blow the shofar next year.
The two started practicing two weeks ago.
But Ben's been tooting away on the antique shofar at his Grandma's house since he was 6.
``A lot of times when we were there for shabbat dinner I'd go upstairs and blow on it,'' he says. ``It was really loud. I was obnoxious, but it was the only way I could get anyone to notice me - I was this little runt sitting at the table, and if I wanted attention I'd go upstairs and blow the shofar.''
A lot of trumpet players take to the horn naturally - but Ben has never played a musical instrument.
The trick to the shofar is to keep your lips together and create vibrations by blowing very hard.
``The rabbi told me to put it on the side of my mouth and jam it up inside of where my gums met my teeth,'' Ben says. ``But I just couldn't get a sound out of it.''
For Ben, holding it like a trumpet works pretty well.
The shofar is the classic instrument used for awakening. But you don't blast reveille on this bugle.
Ben's been practicing the four shofar calls for 30 minutes a day.
Tekiyah - a straight unbroken sound.
Shevarim - three sets of low-high notes.
Teruah - nine fast, staccato notes.
Shevarim-teruah - a combination of the second and third blasts.
The shofar blowing service ends with one long blast, tekiyah gedolah, the great tekiyah. Usually the player blows until his cheeks turn red, then purple, then darker purple. And blows some more, until his eyes close, cheeks swell, and beads of sweat run down his face.
More than 400 people will be listening in Temple Emanuel. And thousands at temples all over the world will be hearing shofars.
Ben's ready.
``I'm not nervous that I'll mess up - I'm just nervous about being in front of so many people,'' he says. ``It'll be tough.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
WENDY GROSSMAN
Ben Brand practices blowing the shofar in his back yard. by CNB