A sound that spans the centuries
At the origin of the Biblical JubileeIn its most ancient and profound form, there is a sound that cannot be forgotten. A rough, primordial sound, capable of shaking the soul more than the noise of the world: it is the sound of the shofarthe trumpet made from a ram's horn.
A sound without words, yet full of meaning.
It is he who opens a new time:
a time of liberation, justice, return and mercy.
What is the shofar?
Lo shofar is a Jewish ritual instrument used to announce sacred events, particularly the beginning of the jubilee year. It is derived from the keren, the ram's horn, and to be suitable for the rite it must be:
- intact, without cracks or visible defects;
- drilled only in the narrowest part;
- completely emptied, but not broken.
As if to say that even matter, in order to become the voice of the sacred, must allow itself to be transformed.
The Jubilee: a time of restitution
In the Bible, the shofar announces an extraordinary time: the yovelfrom which the word Jubilee.
A time that comes every 50 years, in which:
- the earth rests,
- slaves are freed,
- debts are forgiven,
- every family can start afresh, regaining the lost balance.
It is not just a social or economic idea.
It is a powerful spiritual vision: the earth belongs to God, not man. And man is also not master of his brother.
Everything is a gift.
Everything is grace.
Everything is to be lived with the awareness of being hosts and guardians of creation.
The spiritual call of the shofar today
Even in the Christian tradition, the Jubilee has remained a living time.
A call to freedomnot as a conquest but as gift to be received.
At the heart of every Jubilee is an announcement that requires deep listening.
As the prophet Isaiah says:
"Here, I'm about to do something new: it's about to sprout... don't you recognise it?"
The real risk today is not sin, but not to notice of God's passage in our lives.
Silence is needed.
Space is needed.
It takes a heart that is ready to let itself be crossed by a sound that comes from afar, but still opens up new horizons.
There is a shofar that still rings today,
in the folds of the everyday,
in the cracks of tiredness,
in forgotten promises.
Be reconciled with God, with others, with yourself.
And then you leave.
With a lighter heart, and hands ready to sow life.
