The stirring tefillah of Unetaneh Tokef is among the most moving and awe-inspiring piyutim recited on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. We chatted with esteemed OU Women’s Initiative educator, Mrs. Sara Malka Winter, who shared meaningful insights about this centuries-old Tefillah. The following has been edited for brevity.
What is meant by the “Kol demama daka,” a still, small voice?
Mrs. Winter: The reference to this terminology from the תנ’’ך (Tanakh) comes from מלכים א פרק יט (Kings 1,19). After the great miracle Eliyahu experienced at Mt. Carmel and his battle against the false prophets of Baal, Eliyahu found himself in a cave at Mt. Sinai, where he encountered a profound revelation of G-d. However, this revelation did not occur immediately. It was preceded by a wind that split mountains and shattered rocks, followed by an earthquake, and then a fire. Each time, the verse states:
“לא ברוח ה’ לא ברעש ה’
– G-d was not in the wind, G-d was not in the earthquake, G-d was not in the fire״
Only after these terrifying events had passed, there was a קול דממה דקה – a still small voice. And that was Hashem. This thin, small voice was so intense and holy that the great Eliyahu felt compelled to shield his face (וילט פניו) with his cloak.
When we experience catastrophic and traumatic events — like the unbearable pain of these past few years —the earthquake, the fire, and the wind, it awakens us. These events frighten us, draw us closer to each other, and must draw us to Hashem. But that is not the end of the story. Ultimately, “לא ברוח ה’ לא ברעש ה“. The deepest relationship with Hashem will come not from fear and tragedy, but from the calm and crystal-clear deep knowledge of the Oneness of Hashem, His profound love for us, and the totality of His Truth. This is the encounter we strive to touch during the High Holy Days – this encounter with the קול דממה דקה, the still small voice, in our relationship with Hashem.
We read, “V’chol baei olam yaavrun l’fanecha kivnei maron”; “V’chol baei olam״ is translated as “all of mankind”. Is there a belief that everyone, not just members of Am Yisrael, are really being judged on the Yamim Noraim?
Mrs. Winter: The notion that it is not solely Am Yisroel being judged during the Yamim Noraim necessitates a broader context and a deeper comprehension of what it means to be judged. We believe that as members of the human race, we are all created בצלם אלקים— in the Image of Hashem. This is both our reality and our mandate: to live in this world as representatives of Hashem, emulating Him and forging a connection with Him. We are to harness our abilities and our lives to be a force for good, to elevate those around us, and to connect the world to Hashem. This is our identity. For millennia, this mission has been entrusted to us, the nation of Yisroel, as the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and as the people who affirmed “yes” at Sinai. However, the ultimate aim was never for just a small fraction of humanity to live by these intended goals. As we recite in our Yamim Noraim liturgy:
וְיִירָאֽוּךָ כָּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים וְיִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לְפָנֶיךָ כָּל הַבְּרוּאִים. וְיֵעָשׂוּ כֻלָּם אֲגֻדָּה אֶחָת לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹנְךָ בְּלֵבָב” שָׁלֵם”
And [then] all [Your] works will fear You, and all [Your] created beings will prostrate before You. And may they all form a single band to do Your will with a perfect heart.”
Each year during the Yamim Noraim, Hashem surveys His masterpiece, this world that He designed for this purpose. And indeed, we, as His ambassadors, are scrutinized most closely. Yet, our mission was never intended to conclude with us alone.
As Jews, as a nation that cherishes Hashem’s honor and strives to uphold the רצון ה’ – the divine objectives for this world, we cannot exist in isolation without caring for and praying for the rest of the world. We inhabit Hashem’s world, surrounded by people He created in His image. Just as Jonah experienced in the story of the Teshuva of Nineveh, Hashem’s concern extends to all of humanity. Ultimately, we await the day when ״והיה ה’ למלך על כל הארץ – Hashem will be recognized as the sovereign over the entire earth.״
We also read that Hashem determines who will die “B’kitzo”, in their predetermined time. Could you explain this concept? With the loss of so many young people on and since October 7, it’s hard to wrap one’s head around this idea, because it feels as though so many have passed away “prematurely.” How does one reconcile this?
Mrs. Winter: This is such a painful question and a reminder of our devastating losses these past few years. How many precious lives were crushed in their prime. As we look at picture after heartbreaking picture of young men and women, children so cruelly massacred, we are overwhelmed.
Indeed it is beyond our comprehension. Certainly beyond our reconciliation.
During this time of year, we often examine our lives and behaviors, pondering the essence and meaning of life. In the grand scheme of eternity, our lives may seem minuscule, but the impact we can make on the world can endure far beyond our time.
I recall the poignant words of Mrs. Racheli Fraenkel, whose 16-year-old son was brutally murdered by Hamas a decade ago along with two other teens. She spoke of her son’s wonderful personality and kindness, saying, “My son lived a beautiful life and lived it beautifully. His life was no less valuable because it was short.” I think it’s so imperative to learn about and from the קדושים, the martyrs, we lost. And live our lives more beautifully because of them.
The “Roa hag’zeira” can be removed through Teshuva, Tefilla and Tzedaka. What are the guidelines around giving tzedakah in this context, in terms of quantity and beneficiaries?
Mrs. Winter: Let’s understand the context in which one’s Tzedaka can help during this time. Seeing charity as a form of pacification and protection against divine wrath can be problematic, possibly paganistic, and actually unhelpful in understanding its true meaning. As the prophet Isaiah cries out in the haftora of Yom Kippur:
״הֲל֨וֹא פָרֹ֤ס לָרָעֵב֙ לַחְמֶ֔ךָ וַעֲנִיִּ֥ים מְרוּדִ֖ים תָּ֣בִיא בָ֑יִת כִּֽי־תִרְאֶ֤ה עָרֹם֙ וְכִסִּית֔וֹ וּמִבְּשָׂרְךָ֖ לֹ֥א תִתְעַלָּֽם׃
It is to share your bread with the hungry, And to take the wretched poor into your home;
When you see the naked, to clothe them, And not to ignore your own kin.״
Hashem loves His children and wants us to be generous, humanistic, empathetic and truly loving to them. And He wants us as His holy nation to become people who are less selfish whose hearts are softened and sensitive to the pain of others. Thus transformed, we will no longer need the threat of Gezeiros to artificially and externally motivate us. And again in the beautiful words of Isaiah:
“אָ֣ז יִבָּקַ֤ע כַּשַּׁ֙חַר֙ אוֹרֶ֔ךָ וַאֲרֻֽכָתְךָ֖ מְהֵרָ֣ה תִצְמָ֑ח וְהָלַ֤ךְ לְפָנֶ֙יךָ֙ צִדְקֶ֔ךָ כְּב֥וֹד יְהֹוָ֖ה יַֽאַסְפֶֽךָ׃
Then shall your light burst through like the dawn, And your healing spring up quickly; Your righteousness shall march before you, The Presence of GOD shall be your rear guard.”
There is no prescription or guidelines. It’s about becoming a kind, generous, connected member of Hashem’s nation.
Sara Malka Winter is the limudei Kodesh assistant principal of Yeshiva of Greater Washington, and a senior lecturer for the Greater Washington Community Kollel Women’s Division. At the OU Women’s Initiative, Sara Malka taught Sefer Beraishis, Sefer Melachim and Sefer Tehillim 53-62 and 120-134, and, most recently, Haftarot.