Unetaneh Tokef: A Timeless Liturgy


Unetaneh Tokef: A Timeless Liturgy
The High Holy Day liturgy holds many highlights, but if there is one that could be considered “first among peers”, it is likely Unetaneh Tokef. "Who by plague...who by sword..." these words of Unetaneh Tokef resonate differently this year as the ravages of ebola claims lives throughout West Africa, and has no arrived to the shores of the United States. Similarly, the man-made scourge of the Islamic State has found its most dire expression in its massacre of Yazidi, Kurds, and Syriac Christians, and by beheading Western captives, notably journalists and aid workers.

Unetaneh Tokef:  The Theological Challenge
The High Holy Day liturgy holds many highlights, but if there is one that could be considered “first among peers”, it is likely Unetaneh Tokef. This ancient liturgical poem pulls no punches; it lays bare the inescapable reality of human mortality in the starkest possible terms. The words are evocative of our worst fears: a life that fails to reach its potential for longevity, a death that is denied comfort. Its content is perhaps the most challenging section of the entire Holy Day liturgy. At the same time, the refrain of these ancient words also offers a response to the challenges of life by reaching beyond ourselves through acts of repentance, prayer, and general righteousness. This response does not suggest that these actions allow us to bypass life’s vicissitudes or tribulation. Despite commonly found translations, it does not even suggest that it mitigates the severity of life’s decrees. The Hebrew is best understood that these acts of reaching beyond ourselves give us the perspective to pass through the decrees, to get to the other side of them albeit not necessarily unscathed or unchanged.

Unetaneh Tokef:  Understanding its Meaning and History
Unetaneh Tokefis traditionally connected by a gory legend with a rabbi from 11thcentury Germany. In the course of the tale, Rabbi Amnon of Mainz refused to accept Catholicism, and his recalcitrance resulted in punitive amputations leaving him limbless. The legend maintains that with his dying breath he uttered the words that were preserved as Unetaneh Tokef. The devastating experiences of the Crusades were likely the motivation for this association; it is telling there is no reference to this sainted rabbi in any real primary historical documents. More compellingly, fragments of this liturgical poem have been found which date to at least 300 years before the time-frame suggested by the legend of Amnon.
Modern scholarship has found that there is a parallel to this liturgy found in the Byzantine church. The Hymn of Romanus upon Christ’s Reappearance dates from the 6-8th century and Romanus himself was had a Jewish lineage. Parallels abound between both pieces: angels tremble, divine judgment books are open, trumpets sound, the metaphor of God as a caring shepherd is affirmed, and the efficaciousness of personal piety are common claims.

Unetaneh Tokef:  What a Difference a Word Makes!
One of the challenges of the poem is the imagery of people passing before God “kivnei maron”, like sheep being counted by the shepherd. While it fits with some of the other imagery of the poem, this image is based on a corruption of a Greek loan-word known already centuries earlier from the Mishnhah.
The original language of the poem suggests that people pass before God kivnumeron, the way soldiers pass in review before their commanding officer in advance of battle.
The kivnumeronimage is far more compelling than the shepherd image.  A shepherd may indeed come back with the entire flock intact. A general watching the troops pass in review before heading out to battle knows without doubt that not all will return. Perhaps my prior Navy enlisted and officer service has me empathetic not just for the troops but for the Commanding Officer, e.g. God:  what does it mean for God knowing that we won't all be back next year? What will my "battlefield ethics" be; i.e. how do I live so that in case of my death, God can find solace from my deeds instead of despair for unrealized potential or even worse, willful personal misconduct?

Unetaneh Tokef: Applying it in Our Own Lives
The refrain of the prayer suggests that “repentance, prayer, and righteousness help us pass through the severe decree.” Here are three contemporary stories that exemplify how we might apply that wisdom in our own lives.

Unetaneh Tokef: Teshuvah/Repentance
Nelson Mandela: Self Transformation and Changing the World
Nelson Mandela leaves a complex legacy, but three truths cannot be denied: 1. He showed the possibility and power of personal transformation. 2. His vision for national healing through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission process was realized in an unimaginable success. 3. He is the only national leader to envision and realize nuclear disarmament and put the nuke genie back in the bottle. Ultimately he helped make the world a more just and safer place. RIP President Mandela.

Unetaneh Tokef: Tefillah/Prayer
Isaiah Austin, “I’m Going to Dream Again”
Marfan syndrome will force Isaiah to give up his dream of turning NBA pro.  He was called up as an honorary draftee by the NBA. The NBA honored former Baylor star Isaiah Austin with an honorary pick during Thursday's 2014 NBA draft. 

Austin, who was diagnosed with Marfan Syndrome and forced to prematurely give up his dream of professional basketball, was called up to the stage by commissioner Adam Silver while the crowd gave him a standing ovation.
Ever since receiving the devastating news that would keep him from the NBA, he has handled himself with unbelievable poise. Others might fall apart in a similar position, but Austin has revealed his fantastic character by being so open and positive.
Our prayers often are the expression of our dreams.  When we face challenges and even reversals, we too can allow ourselves to dream again.

Unetaneh Tokef:  Tzedakah/Righteousness
The Kindness We Extend To Others
A friend of mine recently lost her neighbor, a mother with four children, and has become an unofficial surrogate mother for the kids. She posted on Facebook the story that recently, one of the kids was watching the movie Charlotte’s Web at her house. At a certain point, the child turns to my friend and says. “Hey, you are kind of like Wilbur.” My friend remained silent, uncertain of what to say with the realization that Wilbur is the fat pig. The kid continued, “After my mom died, you came along and took care of us and you love us.” My friend shared with a grin that she guesses there are good things about being a fat pig.

Among the many lessons this exchange might inspire, one comes to the forefront for me: the kindness we extend to others opens up their own larger perspective on the world. One of these days this child will be a parent, and a grandparent, and I’m willing to wager that whenever he encounters the story of Charlotte’s Web with his children and grandchildren, he will tell them about the “Wilbur” showed him love and care after his own mother died.

So, remember this profound lesson from a young child’s wisdom: The kindness we extend to others has the power to change lives, helping a soul travel through the severity of life’s harsh decrees as they occur.


Postingan Populer