When listening to the sounds of the Shofar, we are hearing the processes of birth, disintegration, teshuva,

and repair that is part of my responsibility – to repair the damage of my soul and reconnect to God.

“Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch explains that the Shofar’s sound is a remez (a hint) to the human soul. Blowing the Shofar, recreates, so to speak, the moments of the 6th day of Creation, (which Rosh Hashana commemorates), when God blew His breath into us, giving us of His life force.

The three sounds of the shofar represent the journey of the neshama (the soul).

The TEKIA, which is straight, pure, and unbroken, represents the initial neshama that God breathed into us. It was holy, pure, and good.

SHEVARIM, three elongated sounds, represents the havoc we created with our aveirot (sins). By not honouring and not taking care of our neshama, we damage it.

The nine staccato sounds of the TERUAH represent the Ba’al Teshuva’s process: He sins but then cries to come back to God, returning to Him and to the fulfillment of His commandments.

And what do you always blow after a Teruah? Another Tekia, because that illustrates that you have repaired the damage. You are able to be reunited with God once again.”