אִם־יִתָּקַ֤ע שׁוֹפָר֙ בְּעִ֔יר וְעָ֖ם לֹ֣א יֶחֱרָ֑דוּ אִם־תִּהְיֶ֤ה רָעָה֙ בְּעִ֔יר וַיהוָ֖ה לֹ֥א עָשָֽׂה׃
Mungkinkah sangkakala ditiup di sebuah kota tanpa membuat rakyat gemetar? Mungkinkah malapetaka menimpa sebuah kota jika Yang Mahakekal tidak menjadikannya?
Ohr Yisrael
Now let us return and see what would be the first cause to have a person be aroused to examine his actions and meditate introspectively during the month of Elul (this matter is relevant to the whole year, in that it touches upon His service, may His name be blessed) - is it not the case that he has no natural desire for this, as [he does] with earthly matters? Our early rabbis - Eden is their rest - trembled about this thing. They relied upon the Pirkei deRabbi Eliezer and instituted the blowing of the shofar in Elul; and it became the first cause for someone to be aroused from his sleep and from the vanities of his slumbers to examine his actions. It is like the statement of the verse (Amos 3:6), "When a ram’s horn is sounded in a town, do the people not tremble?"