King Juan Carlos of Spain had invited me several years ago to a commemoration of the 800th anniversary of the passing of the illustrious codifier, philosopher and physician Maimonides (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon), who was originally from Cordoba, Spain.

At the ceremony, I presented the King with a beautifully polished, long and winding shofar.

King Juan Carlos examined it carefully and inquired about its origin.

“Does this come from Africa?” he asked.

“No, your honor,” I replied. “It is from the Land of Israel.”

The King thought that perhaps it was used to play torero, a Spanish sport that pursues bulls through the streets, but I explained that Judaism forbids the useless harming of an animal.

“So what is the meaning of this animal horn?” the King inquired.

The King’s inquiry gave me an opportunity to share an interesting chapter of Spanish history.

“Dear King,” I began, “this unique gift helps us close a very interesting historic circle.

Five hundred years ago, the Golden era of Spanish Jewry came to an end when your great-great-grandfather King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella expelled my ancestors at the urging of the infamous Grand Inquisitor Torquemada. Yet many Jews remained in Spain by becoming Marranos, secret crypto-Jews who behaved outwardly as Christians, yet remained Jews privately. They observed Jewish traditions secretly, lighting their Shabbat candles where no one could see.

These tormented Marranos would gather secretly in basements and cellars to pray on the Jewish holidays. Indeed the haunting notes of our most solemn Kol Nidray prayer recited at the opening of Yom Kippur came from these Marranos who thereby nullified and voided their forced declarations to the church.

The hidden Marranos prayed very intensely, but very, very quietly, so they should not be discovered, G-d forbid, by the dreaded inquisition who would torture and later burn them publicly at stake.

But, they faced a dilemma on Rosh Hashanah: They could whisper their prayers quietly to avoid detection, but how could they blow the shofar?

One year, a Marrano who happened to be the conductor of the Royal orchestra, approached the King and offered to arrange a public free concert. Fond of music, the King approved this special concert. The conductor chose a specific day in September that happened to be Rosh Hashanah.

At the concert, the King, the Queen, the royal princes, and the honorable ministers sat in the front rows, and behind them among the concertgoers sat many Marranos.

Various tunes and melodies were presented, and at one point the conductor introduced the shofar as an ancient wind instrument, and blew a series of notes from it.

The King and Queen thought of it as a mere curiosity, but the Marranos in attendance quietly recited the shofar blessings: “Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, King of the Universe, who sanctified us and commanded us to hear the sound of the shofar,” and “Blessed is G-d Who has granted us life, sustained us and enabled us to reach this time.”

Today, dear King, we meet 500 years later, under better circumstances. As Chief Rabbi of Israel I am very happy to come back here to Spain and present you with this shofar. Now thank G-d, I can do so overtly, not covertly, because you are now blessed with a democracy. Now in Spain everyone can pray, and certainly blow the shofar without fear.”

Holding up the shofar, the King said, “Dear Rabbi, you see I have many gifts and trophies here from around the world. But this gift carries great historic significance, and I am most grateful to you for sharing with me the shofar and the story."