[Avodah] tunes on YK

[Akiva Miller]

R' Eli Turkel asked:

> RYBS points out that selichot stress the unworthiness of man
> while piyut stresses the grandeur on man. On YK both these
> elements are displayed. However, RYBS states that on kol
> nidre night the emphasis is on selichot and not piyut. One
> example he brings is "ke-hinei ke-chomer beyad hatozer". The
> idea is that G-d fashions everything and we are just the
> object of G-d's maniuplations.
>
> Nevertheless, in all the shuls I have attended this is sung
> with a happy tune which seems to be the opposite of the intent
> of the selicha that we are lowly beings.

Far be it from me to dispute Rav Soloveitchik. If I saw his words inside, I'd probably respond differently. But I don't see "unworthiness of man" and "lowly beings" as equivalent.

Unworthiness is when my requests excess what I deserve. Lowly simply describes how I was created. "Ki hinay kachomer" surely does describe how we were created, and it is nothing to be ashamed of. One could even say that we are honored to have the privilege of being HaShem's puppets (a metaphor not found in my edition of that selicha, but could just as well have been there, in light of the ones which do appear there).

The refrain is, perhaps, even more telling: "Labris habet! -- We made a deal! You promised!" The tune of that refrain with might be described as "expectantly triumphant", which I think fits nicely.

For more about this poem, I suggest the just-published machzor of British Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks (ISBN 9789653013452), who spends almost four pages (lx to lxiii) on it in his Introduction.

Akiva Miller

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