The Last Shofar of Elul
A story ofRav Boruch Yehoshua Yerachmiel Rabinowitzהרב ברוך יהושע ירחמיאל בן נתן דוד רבינוביץProfile ›
The Rebbe told of his father-in-law, the Minchas Elazar, who was especially fond of his little grandson Tzvi Natan David and let him sit on his lap during Kabbalas Shabbos.
On Rosh Chodesh Elul, in the last year of his life, the Minchas Elazar took out his shofar to check it. The boy asked for one more blast, and his grandfather agreed. From then on this became a custom every Elul.
On Erev Rosh Hashanah, when the shofar is not blown, the boy began to cry and begged for one more blast. The Rebbe was moved by his tears and blew once more.
Before the shofar blowing of Rosh Hashanah itself, the Minchas Elazar opened the Aron Kodesh and asked forgiveness for having blown on Erev Rosh Hashanah. He wept and said that his heart had melted when he saw his grandson cry. The whole congregation wept together with the Rebbe, and that year the blowing of the shofar was delayed for a long time.