[Avodah] tunes on YK

[Eli Turkel]

<<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. >>

There are 70 ways to learn and so different approaches.
Instead of my imprecise explanations, let me quote some phrases from Noraot
haRav vol 13, p107

"In my humble opinion the service on Yom Kippur night revolves around the
motif of man as a guilty and worthless creature. Thus the central selicha
on Yom Kippur night
(again he had previously discussed the difference between piyut and
selicha) is that of - Ki Hine ke-chomer be-yad ha-yotzer - We are as a
formless matter in the hands
of the artisan. This conveys man's complete dependence on G-d his weakness
and helplessness. On Yom Kippur night we also recite - Re-eh amidatenu
dalim ve-rekim - we also recite
selichot of - Umnum ashmotenu rabu - and - ata mavin ta-alumot lev - both
of which contain a complete condemnation of man. The piyut - Shomeah Tefila
- recited at
the commencement of each selichot sets the tone that man is a worthless
being. ... On Yom Kippur night we do not recite any piyutim that describe
man's preeminent position.

In Neilah we have both morifs
Me anu me chayenu ... ha-lo kol ha-giborim ke-ayin le-fanecha ... u-motar
ha-adam min ha-behemah ayin ki ha-kol havel
this is one of the most pessimistic statements about the philosophy of man
However we then proclaim
Ata hivdalta enosh me-rosh ve-takirehu la-amod le-fanecha ...
So in YK we fluctuate between the two motifs

-- 
Eli Turkel
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