[Avodah] Avodah Digest, Vol 31, Issue 159

[Ezra Chwat]

08 Sep 2013 15:30:25 -0500
From: Lisa Liel <lisa at starways.net>

On 9/8/Eli Turkel wrote:
> In spite of the popular legend attributing Unesane Tokef to Rav Amnon ... from the Cairo Genizah that in fact it is much older going back to Yannai.
Yannai?  How do we know this?

1. Unitane Tokef appears in Genizah Fragment Cambridge T-S H8.6, available at http://www.genizah.org. There, it functions as the Siluq,  (the third section of the Krovah, introducing the Kedushah- hence: "Unitaneh Tokef Kedushat Hayom").
2. Yosef Yahalom, 'Piyut umitziut' 1999 p. 237 suggests, that the author may be Yannai, due to its context in the Genizah fragment. A. Frankel (Zion, 2002, p. 125-138 n. 6), sees the lack of proper rhyme as a sign that it's too primitive for Yannai, and suggests Yose b. Yose. But both of these are at best, educated guesses.
3. The eretz Israeli Siluq- Unitaneh Toqef, is known in Europe at the time of Rashi, who's bet midrash produced commentaries on numerous piyutim, including this one. (E. Hollender, Clavis Comentariorum, 2005 p. 605 lists 46 manuscripts with perushim to Unitane Tokef). 
4. The early  Ashkenazic mahzorim, from the times of the Rishonim, use the Kallirian Krovah, titled "Opad me'Az leShpot Hayom" which originally had its own Siluq, titled "Mi Lo Yirakha". Unitaneh Tokef is inserted in its place. The legend of R. Amnon may have something to do with this.


Ezra Chwat
The Department of Manuscripts/
The National Library of Israel
blog: Giluy Milta B'Alma: http: http://imhm.blogspot.com/