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The Short Vort- -“History in the Making” (8/17/10)
The Short Vort
Good Morning!
Today is Tuesday the 7th of Elul 5770 and August 17, 2010
History in the Making
Today- August 17- is the anniversary of a movement which ultimately changed and affected the lived of millions of people.
Today, exactly fifty years ago, the musical group The Beatles made their public debut at the Indra Club in Hamburg, Germany.
Any reader of the Short Vort, who is above 40 years old and has not grown up in an insular community, has no doubt heard of The Beatles.
From that modest beginning in Hamburg on August 17, 1960, the group would go on to sell more than 500 million albums.
They were voted collectively to the group of 100 most influential people of the twentieth century by Time Magazine.
The group- notwithstanding the fact that they never performed live after 1966 and ceased to exist as a group after 1970- continues to be popular among music listeners.
Why is that?
What caused four young Englishmen from Liverpool to achieve such success and influence in the world at large?
There are many reasons for their success; however, one thing is for sure; The Beatles’ music resonated with the masses.
The music, lyrics and presentation were extremely desirable to the public at large.
Today- as we have done in the month of Elul for much more than 50 years- we have the opportunity to listen to a different musical instrument.
This instrument is non-electronic, has no strings attached and its sound is propelled by the breath of one’s lungs.
The instrument has only three separate sounds: a straight blow, a three blast blow and a nine blast blow.
I highly doubt that recordings of this instrument have ever generated anywhere close to one million albums!
Its sounds are not the type which people are obsessed with.
However, one thing is for sure, the effect of the Shofar on your soul must be much greater and longer lasting than any song of The Beatles.
Listen to the Shofar and allow it to change you.