In the machzor, there is liturgy unique to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. This week Rabbi Woznica will select a few prayers and readings and share his insights.
Uv’shofar gadol yitaka… “The Great Shofar is sounded, the still small voice is heard; The angels, quaking with fear and trembling, declare: The Day of Judgement is here…”
Included in the Unetaneh Tokef, these words, repeated on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, set the tone for the High High Holy Days. They reflect the contrast between the loud, jarring blast of the shofar and the “still small voice” — our quiet inner voice.
The shofar should stir us to the magnitude of the day. It is the Day of Judgement. We are on trial. The shofar, however, is external. To achieve repentance, the external sound of the shofar should stir the internal sound of our inner voice—helping us to recognize who we are and what might we become.
— Rabbi David Woznica
To join Rabbi Woznica’s “Favorite Moments in the Torah” class on Mondays at 10:15 a.m., register here.