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There is a Torah obligation to hear the shofar on Rosh Ha-shana, and therefore the holiday is referred to as “The Day of Sound-Blast” (Yom Teru’a). Teru’a refers to broken, cut-off sounds which express apprehension and a broken heart. The teru’a is preceded and followed by the teki’a, which is a long, unbroken sound. Having the teru’a followed by the teki’a represents the breakdown of an existing structure in preparation for what comes next. On Rosh Ha-shana we are commanded to hear three sets of shofar blasts – teki’a, teru’a, teki’a – for a total of nine blasts.
There are three possibilities for how the teru’a expressed brokenness and sorrow: medium-length sounds (which are now called shevarim), reminiscent of someone sighing; shorter blasts (which are now called teru’a), like someone heaving with sobs; or both types of blasts (which are now called shevarim-teru’a), like a person in pain who starts with sighing and continues with crying. Since each of these has something special to contribute, the Sages established blowing all three types.
We begin with three sets of teki’a, shevarim-teru’a, teki’a. We follow this with three sets of teki’a, shevarim, teki’a. We conclude with three sets of teki’a, teru’a, tekia, for a total of thirty blasts (12+9+9).
