Quotation על תהילים 47:11

To the Chief Musician, A psalm of the sons of Korach. All peoples, clap hands!¹According to Rashi, this psalm urges the nations of the world to join hands in recognizing the sovereignty of the Almighty. shout to God with the voice of joyous song.²The words הָרִיעוּ לֵאלֹהִים may also be translated, “sound blasts of the horn unto Hashem.” The Malbim notes that it is customary to sound trumpets during a royal coronation ceremony. This is what the nations will do when they proclaim Hashem as their King. (See Rav Saadiah Gaon’s first reason for the shofar on Rosh Hashana.) For Adonoy is Most High, awesome; a great King [is He] over all the earth. He subdues peoples under us, and nations under our feet. He chose for us our inheritance, the pride of Yaakov³The pride of Yaakov refers to the Holy Temple which is our inheritance, and wherein Hashem’s spirit resides in glorious splendor. which He loves forever. God has ascended with a blast— Adonoy, with the sound of the shofar.⁴According to Midrash this verse alludes to the blast of the Shofar on Rosh Hashana, and specifically to the sound of תְּרוּעָה, teruah, the broken blast which symbolizes the harsh, shattering punishment of Elokim, He Who rules with strict justice. When the Jew hears the broken notes of the teruah, he realizes that he deserves shattering punishment for his transgressions and is inspired to teshuvah, true repentance. His sins are forgiven and this forgiveness is symbolized in the ascendance of Hashem from His Throne of Strict Justice (Elokim) to sit on His Throne of Mercy. Thus Hashem ascends because of the teruah sound of the shofar. Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. For King of all the earth is God, sing praises [you who are] skillful.⁵Even ordinary people are urged to clap hands and call out to Hashem with joyous song (verse 2), but the art of singing praises to Hashem is reserved for the מַשְׂכִּיל, one who is skillful and of superior intelligence. God has reigned over all nations, God is seated upon His holy throne. The nobles of the nations gathered⁶Rabbeinu Yonah says that the נְדִיבֵי עַמִים refers to the heads of the twelve tribes of Yisrael, for the twelve tribes are called nations (see Devarim 33:19). the nation of the God of Avraham; for God has the power to shield the earth,⁷Hashem has the power to shield those who trust in Him (Rashi). He is greatly exalted.

2 Before one blows one makes the blessing "to hear the sound of the shofar" and makes the blessing "shehecheyanu." Rema: And there is no distinction between blessing for oneself or if one has already fulfilled [the obligation of blessing] and blesses to fulfill the obligation of others. Either way, the one blowing makes the two aforementioned blessings (based on Beit Yosef and Trumat HaDeshen). And one blows Tekiyah Shevarim Truah Tekiyah three times; and Tekiyah Shevarim Tekiyah three times; and Tekiyah Truah Tekiyah three times. Rema: And it's best to blow on the right side if possible to blow this way (Minhagim). And also to direct the shofar upwards as it is said "Raise up G-d with the shofar" (Rokeach and Maharil).

And we sound [the shofar] etc. The reason of the Author regarding this sounding [of the shofar] is because it is a sign to send off the Shechina upwards, as it is said, "God ascends with Truah."