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The shofar used on Rosh Ha-shana is hollowed out from the horn of a kosher animal. The blasts exit the shofar from the wider part of the horn, the part that had been attached to the animal. This symbolizes discarding our animalistic side, allowing us and inspiring us to repent.
Ideally, the shofar should be a ram’s horn. This is to remind us of the binding of Isaac (when Abraham offered a ram in place of his son). The horn should be bent or curved, which symbolizes the need for us to bend or humble our hearts before God. The sounds of a shofar are acceptable whether they are very high-pitched, low-pitched, or rough. A shortened shofar is still kosher as long as a tefaĥ (about 8 centimeters or 3.15 inches) remains.
