What are the criteria for a kosher shofar?
Your question is a good one for sure. In order to be fit, the shofar must be a ram’s horn. Theoretically, the horn of any kosher animal except a cow or an ox may be used, but the accepted practice is to use a ram’s horn because of its association with the story of the binding of Isaac, read on Rosh Hashanah as the Torah reading. The shofar should be bent or curved in shape to symbolize the bent and humbled spirit appropriate on Rosh Hashanah. The shofar must never be painted, but may be decorated with carved designs. However, the outside of the shofar may, according to the Code of Jewish Law, be covered with gold, provided that the natural tone of the shofar is not changed and if the mouthpiece is not covered with gold. The shofar must not be used if it is cracked along its length unless enough space is left between the crack and the mouthpiece to fulfil the minimum requirement for the size of the shofar (i.e. about six inches). It is interesting that there is no prescription pertainin
