The origin of the Piyut U’netaneh Tokef is anonymous, as is its author. Some relate it to Rabbi Kelonimus Ben Meshulam - a lyricist, and others to Rabbi Amnon from Meinz – a wealthy scholar from Ashkenaz, both of whom lived in the 11th century. The content of the piyut might point to a correlation between the first Crusade, in 1096, during which the communities of Shpeir, Meinz and Worms were destroyed, and its attribution to Rabbi Amnon.

The Piyut is chanted twice: the first time in the Mussaf of Rosh Ha’shana and the second in the Mussaf of Yom Kippur. In both cases it comes during the Amida, just prior to the Kedusha, which carries as its central theme the crowning of Elohim in our lifetime and teaching the people to follow His commandments. The Piyut U’Netane Tokef prepares the praying congregant to the peak of the prayer after passing through a process in which: he declares loyalty to the Creator of the world, praises him for his deeds, declares his loyalty to the one and only God, sanctifies and blesses his name and reads from the holy Torah. On Yom Kippur, the congregant asks also for forgiveness, mercy and absolution, while confessing his or her sins, betrayals and rebellion.

The Piyut Unetaneh Tokef deals with “The Day of Judgment”. This concept can be understood as a specific and Personal Day of Judgment for each individual who stands before the Almighty awaiting the verdict, but can also be understood as an era in the time to come when the Almighty will Judge all the nations worldwide, and as a result of this process they will recognize Elohim and will crown Him as well.

The piyut expresses a perception that is both universal and particularistic. According to the universal perception

We human beings are mere mortals: “We are but flesh and blood”We are subject to our urges and desires: “You have created us and know what we are we are but flesh and blood.”

We were created from the most simple of substances: “Our origin is dust, and dust is our end”,

We break easily: “Each of us is a shattered urn”,

We are impermanent: “Grass that must wither, a flower that will fade, a shadow moving on, a cloud passing by, a particle of dust floating on the wind, a dream soon forgotten”.

According to the universalistic conception:

Our goal is to crown Elohim King upon the Earth: “Let us proclaim the sacred power of this day.”

The day which we refer to is Rosh Ha’shana when we are written for life or for death, and Yom Kippur, when our verdict is sealed.

We declare the trueness of God: “There in truth You reign. In truth You are Judge and Arbiter, Counsel and Witness”.

From the above, we could understand that the text reflects a deterministic approach, but in fact, this is not the approach of Judaism. In Judaism, the individual, as well as the people, has the option of changing the verdict through: Repentance, Prayer and Charity.

The Text of the Piyut describes a parallel scene: a heavenly and earthly world. In heaven, God is sitting on His throne and “the angels gripped by fear and trembling” are waiting to be judged by Him. And then, the scene turns to earth: “As all who dwell on earth stand arrayed before You”. The text uses the metaphor of God as a shepherd who numbers and considers his flock and decrees its destiny. God, the spiritual shepherd, is sitting with the book of names, and in heaven, decreeing the destiny of both the angels and human beings. The piyut traces three kinds of verdicts:

The Verdict of Death, which is final: “Who shall perish by fire and who by water, who by sword and who by beast…who by earthquake and who by plague”

The Verdict regarding emotional and psychological quality of life: “Who shall be secure and who shall be driven, who shall be tranquil and who shall be troubled”

The Verdict regarding social and economical status: “Who shall be poor and who shall be rich? Who shall be humbled? and who exalted?”

Again, we might think that the text illustrates a deterministic approach as expressed in the words: “On Rosh Ha’shana it is written, on Yom Kippur it is sealed”, but the Human being has the option again to change the verdict through: Repentance, Prayer, and Charity. We have here the belief that Divine supervision and free choice exist in parallel. The approach that emanates from the Piyut teaches us that making justice may overturn the verdict. Our behavior toward fellow human beings, that is right and just has the power to change a decision taken in heaven.

As we can see, Jewish tradition has given us tools to deal with existential questions. The human being, in his or her essence hasn’t changed since Antiquity until today. We remain temporal and limited creatures, facing life circumstances and events that are beyond our comprehension and control, searching for answers. We may look to new approaches for answers, but ultimately come back and hold the ancient and familiar schemas from our collective past.

The Zionist Movement tried to create “The new Jews”, and partially succeeded in this objective, but, didn’t manage to cut them off from the symbiotic link with the tradition of their forefathers and mothers. In times of crisis and despair, we revisit the ancient texts; renew them, giving them a new and up-dated significance. This is how the Piyut U’netaneh Tokef makes its journey through Jewish History and Jewish consciousness with an enduring relevance to our generation of unprecedented freedom for Jews. On this Yom Kippur I wish us all khatima Tova, may we be sealed for good life.

Recent Articles by Rabbi Nava Hefetz

• Rabbi Nava Hefetz - September 29th, 2006
• Unetaneh Tokef - September 29th, 2006

Categories: Yom Kippur
Tags: Bo, human rights, ISM, judge, palestinians, settlers, tranquil, truth