Rosh Hashanah is the "Day of Remembrance". On this special day, we remember and are remembered. We remember here on earth, and we are remembered On High. We remember that G-d is King and His kingdom is sovereign over all. We remember on this day that the Master of the Universe, who sees down through the generations in advance, chose us, took us out of Egypt and gave us His Torah, and He orchestrates our existence in this generation, in this land, and in Jerusalem.



"We recall that the core of Israel's unique spiritual essence is their constantly remembering the content of life and its eternal, enduring spiritual foundation, which embraces the entire universe and enriches it." (Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Kook, I>L'Netivot Yisrael) Not only do we remember, but G-d remembers, as well; as it says, "You will then be remembered before the L-rd your G-d, and will be delivered from your enemies," (Numbers 10:9) and, "The L-rd will not cast off His people, neither will He forsake His inheritance." (Psalms 94:14)



Today, when we hear the wondrous sound of the shofar, we must remember the thought and the purpose inherent to those shofar blasts, the tekiah, teruah and tekiah, which recall for us the way G-d treats us.



It is well known that the tekiah is the simple blast, which alludes to the fact that G-d's good will is simple and is found within everything, as it says, "The L-rd is good to all, and His mercy is over all His works." (Psalms 145:9)



The teruah consists of staccato blasts, rather than a single, simple blast. The teruah is the sound of weeping, of sighing and wailing, and it carries an allusion to our own complex world, beset by hardships and complications. Our task is to improve this world with truth and faith, and with enormous patience, as it says, "We must perfect the world under the reign of the Almighty." (from the Aleinu prayer)



After the teruah comes another tekiah, once more, a simple blast. By way of our perfecting ourselves and our world, we will be privileged to see G-d's goodness.



At the end of all the shofar blasts comes the tekiah gedolah, the great blast that alludes to the redemption of Israel and of the world, as it says, "On that day, a great shofar shall be blown." (Isaiah 27:13) Then, it shall be revealed for all to see that the L-rd, G-d of Israel, is King and He is sovereign over all.