{"id":58009,"date":"2025-08-25T15:23:07","date_gmt":"2025-08-25T15:23:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/holidays\/?p=58009"},"modified":"2025-08-25T15:23:07","modified_gmt":"2025-08-25T15:23:07","slug":"unetaneh-tokef-insights-from-ou-womens-initiative-educator-mrs-sara-malka-winter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/holidays\/unetaneh-tokef-insights-from-ou-womens-initiative-educator-mrs-sara-malka-winter\/","title":{"rendered":"Unetaneh Tokef: Insights from OU Women\u2019s Initiative Educator Mrs. Sara Malka Winter"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">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\u2019s Initiative educator, Mrs. Sara Malka Winter, who shared meaningful insights about this centuries-old Tefillah. The following has been edited for brevity.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>What is meant by the \u201cK<\/b><b><i>ol demama daka<\/i><\/b><b>,\u201d a still, small voice?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Mrs. Winter:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The reference to this terminology from the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u05ea\u05e0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u2019\u2019<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u05da <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(Tanakh) comes from <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u05de\u05dc\u05db\u05d9\u05dd \u05d0 \u05e4\u05e8\u05e7 \u05d9\u05d8 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(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:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">&#8220;\u05dc\u05d0 \u05d1\u05e8\u05d5\u05d7 \u05d4<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u2019 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u05dc\u05d0 \u05d1\u05e8\u05e2\u05e9 \u05d4&#8217;\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u2013 G-d was not in the wind, G-d was not in the earthquake, G-d was not in the fire<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u05f4<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0Only after these terrifying events had passed, there was a <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u05e7\u05d5\u05dc \u05d3\u05de\u05de\u05d4 \u05d3\u05e7\u05d4 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u2013 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 (<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u05d5\u05d9\u05dc\u05d8 \u05e4\u05e0\u05d9\u05d5<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">) with his cloak.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When we experience catastrophic and traumatic events \u2014 like the unbearable pain of these past few years \u2014the 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, \u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u05dc\u05d0 \u05d1\u05e8\u05d5\u05d7 \u05d4<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u2019 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u05dc\u05d0 \u05d1\u05e8\u05e2\u05e9 \u05d4<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">&#8220;. 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 \u2013 this encounter with the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u05e7\u05d5\u05dc \u05d3\u05de\u05de\u05d4 \u05d3\u05e7\u05d4<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, the still small voice, in our relationship with Hashem.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>We read, \u201cV<\/b><b><i>\u2019chol baei olam\u00a0yaavrun l\u2019fanecha kivnei maron<\/i><\/b><b>\u201d; \u201c<\/b><b><i>V\u2019chol baei olam<\/i><\/b><b><i>\u05f4<\/i><\/b><b>\u00a0<\/b><b>is translated as \u201call of mankind\u201d. Is there a belief that everyone, not just members\u00a0<\/b><b>of Am Yisrael, are really being judged on the Yamim Noraim?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Mrs. Winter: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">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 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u05d1\u05e6\u05dc\u05dd \u05d0\u05dc\u05e7\u05d9\u05dd<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u2014 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 \u201cyes\u201d 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:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u05d5\u05b0\u05d9\u05b4\u05d9\u05e8\u05b8\u05d0\u05bd\u05d5\u05bc\u05da\u05b8 \u05db\u05bc\u05b8\u05dc \u05d4\u05b7\u05de\u05bc\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05e9\u05c2\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d5\u05b0\u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05ea\u05b7\u05bc\u05d7\u05b2\u05d5\u05d5\u05bc \u05dc\u05b0\u05e4\u05b8\u05e0\u05b6\u05d9\u05da\u05b8 \u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05dc \u05d4\u05b7\u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05d0\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u05d5\u05b0\u05d9\u05b5\u05e2\u05b8\u05e9\u05c2\u05d5\u05bc \u05db\u05bb\u05dc\u05b8\u05bc\u05dd \u05d0\u05b2\u05d2\u05bb\u05d3\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b6\u05d7\u05b8\u05ea \u05dc\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05e9\u05c2\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea \u05e8\u05b0\u05e6\u05d5\u05b9\u05e0\u05b0\u05da\u05b8 \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05dc\u05b5\u05d1\u05b8\u05d1\u201d \u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05dc\u05b5\u05dd<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">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.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As Jews, as a nation that cherishes Hashem\u2019s honor and strives to uphold the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u05e8\u05e6\u05d5\u05df \u05d4<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u2019 \u2013 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\u2019s world, surrounded by people He created in His image. Just as Jonah experienced in the story of the Teshuva of Nineveh, Hashem\u2019s concern extends to all of humanity. Ultimately, we await the day when <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u05f4\u05d5\u05d4\u05d9\u05d4 \u05d4<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u2019 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u05dc\u05de\u05dc\u05da \u05e2\u05dc \u05db\u05dc \u05d4\u05d0\u05e8\u05e5 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u2013 Hashem will be recognized as the sovereign over the entire earth.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u05f4<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>We also read that Hashem determines who will die \u201cB\u2019kitzo\u201d, in their<\/b> <b>predetermined\u00a0 time. Could you explain this concept? With the loss of so many <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span><b>young people on and since October 7,\u00a0 it\u2019s hard to wrap one\u2019s head around this idea,\u00a0 because it feels as\u00a0 though so many have passed away\u00a0 \u201cprematurely.\u201d How does one reconcile this?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Mrs. Winter: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is such a painful question and a reminder of our devastating losses these past few years.\u00a0 How many precious lives were crushed in their prime.\u00a0 As we look at picture after heartbreaking picture of young men and women, children so cruelly massacred, we are overwhelmed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Indeed it is beyond our comprehension. Certainly beyond our reconciliation.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">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\u2019s wonderful personality and kindness, saying, \u201cMy son lived a beautiful life and lived it beautifully. His life was no less valuable because it was short.\u201d I think it\u2019s so imperative to learn about and from the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u05e7\u05d3\u05d5\u05e9\u05d9\u05dd<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, the martyrs, we lost.\u00a0 And live our lives more beautifully because of them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><i>The \u201cRoa hag\u2019zeira\u201d can be removed through Teshuva, Tefilla and Tzedaka. What are the guidelines around giving tzedakah in this context, in terms of quantity and beneficiaries?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Mrs. Winter:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Let\u2019s understand the context in which one\u2019s Tzedaka can help during this time.\u00a0Seeing charity as a form of pacification and protection against divine wrath can be problematic, possibly paganistic, and actually unhelpful in understanding its true meaning.\u00a0 As the prophet Isaiah cries out in the haftora of Yom Kippur:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u05f4\u05d4\u05b2\u05dc\u05a8\u05d5\u05b9\u05d0 \u05e4\u05b8\u05e8\u05b9\u05a4\u05e1 \u05dc\u05b8\u05e8\u05b8\u05e2\u05b5\u05d1\u0599 \u05dc\u05b7\u05d7\u05b0\u05de\u05b6\u0594\u05da\u05b8 \u05d5\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9\u05bc\u05b4\u05a5\u05d9\u05dd \u05de\u05b0\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05d3\u05b4\u0596\u05d9\u05dd \u05ea\u05bc\u05b8\u05a3\u05d1\u05b4\u05d9\u05d0 \u05d1\u05b8\u0591\u05d9\u05b4\u05ea \u05db\u05bc\u05b4\u05bd\u05d9\u05be\u05ea\u05b4\u05e8\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05a4\u05d4 \u05e2\u05b8\u05e8\u05b9\u05dd\u0599 \u05d5\u05b0\u05db\u05b4\u05e1\u05bc\u05b4\u05d9\u05ea\u0594\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d5\u05bc\u05de\u05b4\u05d1\u05bc\u05b0\u05e9\u05c2\u05b8\u05e8\u05b0\u05da\u05b8\u0596 \u05dc\u05b9\u05a5\u05d0 \u05ea\u05b4\u05ea\u05b0\u05e2\u05b7\u05dc\u05bc\u05b8\u05bd\u05dd\u05c3<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It is to share your bread with the hungry, And to take the wretched poor into your home;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When you see the naked, to clothe them, And not to ignore your own kin.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u05f4<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hashem loves His children and wants us to be generous, humanistic, empathetic and truly loving to them.\u00a0 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. \u00a0Thus transformed, we will no longer need the threat of <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gezeiros<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to artificially and externally motivate us. And again in the beautiful words of Isaiah:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u05d0\u05b8\u05a3\u05d6 \u05d9\u05b4\u05d1\u05bc\u05b8\u05e7\u05b7\u05a4\u05e2 \u05db\u05bc\u05b7\u05e9\u05c1\u05bc\u05b7\u0599\u05d7\u05b7\u05e8\u0599 \u05d0\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8\u05b6\u0594\u05da\u05b8 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d0\u05b2\u05e8\u05bb\u05bd\u05db\u05b8\u05ea\u05b0\u05da\u05b8\u0596 \u05de\u05b0\u05d4\u05b5\u05e8\u05b8\u05a3\u05d4 \u05ea\u05b4\u05e6\u05b0\u05de\u05b8\u0591\u05d7 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b8\u05dc\u05b7\u05a4\u05da\u05b0 \u05dc\u05b0\u05e4\u05b8\u05e0\u05b6\u0599\u05d9\u05da\u05b8\u0599 \u05e6\u05b4\u05d3\u05b0\u05e7\u05b6\u0594\u05da\u05b8 \u05db\u05bc\u05b0\u05d1\u05a5\u05d5\u05b9\u05d3 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05b9\u05d5\u05b8\u0596\u05d4 \u05d9\u05b7\u05bd\u05d0\u05b7\u05e1\u05b0\u05e4\u05b6\u05bd\u05da\u05b8\u05c3<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">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.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There is no prescription or guidelines. It\u2019s about becoming a kind, generous, connected member of Hashem\u2019s nation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">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\u2019s Division.\u00a0 At the OU Women\u2019s Initiative, Sara Malka taught\u00a0Sefer Beraishis, Sefer Melachim and\u00a0Sefer Tehillim 53-62 and 120-134,\u00a0and, most recently, Haftarot.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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\u2019s 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 \u201cKol demama [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":730,"featured_media":58021,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[337],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-58009","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rosh-hashanah"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Unetaneh Tokef: Insights from OU Women\u2019s Initiative Educator Mrs. Sara Malka Winter - Jewish Holidays<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/holidays\/unetaneh-tokef-insights-from-ou-womens-initiative-educator-mrs-sara-malka-winter\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Unetaneh Tokef: Insights from OU Women\u2019s Initiative Educator Mrs. Sara Malka Winter - Jewish Holidays\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"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\u2019s 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 \u201cKol demama [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/holidays\/unetaneh-tokef-insights-from-ou-womens-initiative-educator-mrs-sara-malka-winter\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Jewish Holidays\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/OrthodoxUnion\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-08-25T15:23:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/holidays\/files\/AdobeStock_875180645-scaled.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1435\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"OU Staff\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"OU Staff\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/holidays\/unetaneh-tokef-insights-from-ou-womens-initiative-educator-mrs-sara-malka-winter\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/holidays\/unetaneh-tokef-insights-from-ou-womens-initiative-educator-mrs-sara-malka-winter\/\",\"name\":\"Unetaneh Tokef: Insights from OU Women\u2019s Initiative Educator Mrs. Sara Malka Winter - 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