PARSHA MATH

PATTERNS IN PLACE – ROSH HASHANA

Rosh HaShana is the Head of the Year. Its influence is felt throughout the year. Even
more, the unity of Tishrei is expressed on Rosh HaShana.

SHOFAR – Main Mitzvah of Rosh HaShana

One must hear it nine times, for the Torah uses the word teruah [a shofar sound] three times in
reference to Rosh Hashanah and each teruah sound is preceded and followed by a tekiah sound.
Now, concerning the teruah to which the Torah refers, doubt has arisen, as to which sound is intended:
whether it is a wailing tone, such as women cry among themselves when they lament; or a kind of
sigh, such as one might repeatedly emit in a state of acute sorrow; or if it is a combination of both a
sighing and a wailing tone. For such is the way of one who feels great sorrow and anxiety: he first
sighs, and then laments.
Therefore we sound all three of these shofar tones, and to differentiate between them we call the
wailing sound teruah and the sighing sound shevarim, and the combination of the two, shevarim-
teruah. In order to resolve all doubt as to the original teruah sound, we sound all three possibilities;
each preceded and followed by the straight tekiah.

In order to fulfill the mitzvah from the Torah, one must blow a set of 10 notes to fulfill
the different possibilities:
Tekiah, Shevarim, Teruah, Tekiah
Tekiah, Shevarim, Tekiah
Tekiah, Teruah, Tekiah
Thus, each set has 30 notes. The custom is to repeat the set of 30 three times, plus add
one more set of 10, to make a total of 100 notes to be blown on Rosh HaShana
SUKKAH – Main mitzvah of Sukkos
A Sukkah is an outdoor structure in which we “live” during Sukkos, in the same
way that we live in the house during the rest of the year. The Sukkah has walls,
decorations, etc. The main aspect that defines the Sukkah is the “roof” ‫סכך‬.

The Shofar and the Sukkah share a mathematical connection (unity of Tishrei)
What is that connection?
Hints: Notes of the Shofar: kind and amount
“roof” of the Sukkah

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 PARSHA MATH
NOTES FOR TEACHER OR PARENT
Age group – 10 years and up
Objective of this lesson:
Appreciate math in the Parsha
Introduction to concepts regarding unity of Tishrei

ANSWER SHEET

100 Total Notes Blown on the Shofar

Ten sets of ten notes
Each set of ten notes contains three types of notes: Tekiah, Shevarim, Teruah
Tekiah 6
Shevarim 2
Teruah 2
Within 100 notes:
Tekiah 60 (6 X 10)
Teruah 20 (2 X 10)
Shevarim 20 (2 X 10)

“roof” of the Sukkah - ‫סכך‬

Hebrew letters with numeric values of: 60 = ‫ = כ ס‬20
60 = ‫ס‬
20 = ‫כ‬
20 = ‫ך‬

We might add that Amoleik embodies negation of serving Hashem with joy, as per
the verse, “Asher korcho ba’derech,” (end of parshas Ki Seitzei), which is translated as
“who has cooled you off” (see Rashi). We are influenced by Amoleik when we take the
joy out of our service to Hashem turning it into a burden.
Amoleik ‫ עמלק‬is “OMoL Kuf,” the 100 sounds (Kuf=100), making Shofar a
burden. We negate this tendency by doing this Mitzvah of Shofar very willingly.
May our extreme care in fulfilling this Rosh HaShana the Mitzvah of shofar be a
merit for a “shonoh tovoh umsukoh, shnas geuloh vishu’oh.”

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