-Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, Moral Grandeur and Spiritual Audacity: Essays
His daughter, Susannah Heschel, remembers the full quote:
“Words, he often wrote, are themselves sacred, God’s tool for creating the universe,
and our tools for bringing holiness — or evil — into the world."
- To fear, to be afraid
- To be awed by, to be in awe of
- To revere
- To honor, to respect
QUESTION:
When you think of the "High Holy Days," do you have a positive association, a negative association, an ambiguous association? Discuss with a partner.
*For encouragement, you could also translate "High Holy Days"/"Yamim Noraim" as:
- Days of Dread
- Days of Awe
- Days of Reverence
- Days of Honor
- Days of Respect
Where do we know this word from?
(יא) מִֽי־כָמֹ֤כָה בָּֽאֵלִם֙ יְהֹוָ֔ה מִ֥י כָּמֹ֖כָה נֶאְדָּ֣ר בַּקֹּ֑דֶשׁ נוֹרָ֥א תְהִלֹּ֖ת עֹ֥שֵׂה פֶֽלֶא׃
(11) Who is like You, יהוה, among the mighty? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in splendor, working wonders!
(ב) אֲדוֹן עוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר מָלַךְ,
(ג) בְּטֶֽרֶם כָּל יְצִיר נִבְרָא:
(ד) לְעֵת נַעֲשָׂה בְחֶפְצוֹ כֹּל,
(ה) אֲזַי מֶֽלֶךְ שְׁמוֹ נִקְרָא:
(ו) וְאַחֲרֵי כִּכְ֒לוֹת הַכֹּל,
(ז) לְבַדּוֹ יִמְלֹךְ נוֹרָא:
(ח) וְהוּא הָיָה וְהוּא הֹוֶה,
(ט) וְהוּא יִהְיֶה בְּתִפְאָרָה:
(2) Master of the Universe who reigned
(3) before any creature / creation was created.
(4) At the time when all was made according to God’s will,
(5) then “Ruler” God’s name was called.
(6) And after all things shall cease to be
(7) the Awesome One will reign alone.
(8) God was, God is,
(9) and God shall be in glory.
(א) וּנְתַנֶּה תֹּקֶף קְדֻשַּׁת הַיּוֹם כִּי הוּא נוֹרָא וְאָיֹם וּבוֹ תִּנָּשֵׂא מַלְכוּתֶךָ וְיִכּוֹן בְּחֶסֶד כִּסְאֶךָ וְתֵשֵׁב עָלָיו בְּאֱמֶת
(1) We lend power to the holiness of this day. For it is awe filled and threatening (or frightening) and on it your kingship will be exalted, your throne will be established in loving-kindness, and you will sit on that throne in truth.
What sources show that "נורא\נרא" can be read as AWESOME?
(כא) לֹ֥א תַעֲרֹ֖ץ מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם כִּֽי־יְהֹוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ בְּקִרְבֶּ֔ךָ אֵ֥ל גָּד֖וֹל וְנוֹרָֽא׃
(21) Do not stand in dread of them, for your God יהוה is in your midst, a great and awesome God.
(לו) נ֤וֹרָ֥א אֱלֹהִ֗ים מִֽמִּקְדָּ֫שֶׁ֥יךָ אֵ֤ל יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל ה֤וּא נֹתֵ֨ן ׀ עֹ֖ז וְתַעֲצֻמ֥וֹת לָעָ֗ם בָּר֥וּךְ אֱלֹהִֽים׃ {פ}
(36) You are awesome, O God, in Your holy places; it is the God of Israel who gives might and power to the people. Blessed is God.
(ט) פְּד֤וּת ׀ שָׁ֘לַ֤ח לְעַמּ֗וֹ צִוָּֽה־לְעוֹלָ֥ם בְּרִית֑וֹ קָד֖וֹשׁ וְנוֹרָ֣א שְׁמֽוֹ׃
(9) He sent redemption to His people; He ordained His covenant for all time; His name is holy and awesome.
What sources show that "נורא\נרא" can be read as AWE-FILED/AWFUL?
(ח) אַתָּ֤ה ׀ נ֥וֹרָא אַ֗תָּה וּמִֽי־יַעֲמֹ֥ד לְפָנֶ֗יךָ מֵאָ֥ז אַפֶּֽךָ׃
(8) O You! You are awesome! Who can withstand You when You are enraged?
(יא) נוֹרָ֤א יְהֹוָה֙ עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם כִּ֣י רָזָ֔ה אֵ֖ת כׇּל־אֱלֹהֵ֣י הָאָ֑רֶץ וְיִשְׁתַּֽחֲווּ־לוֹ֙ אִ֣ישׁ מִמְּקוֹמ֔וֹ כֹּ֖ל אִיֵּ֥י הַגּוֹיִֽם׃
(11) GOD will appear terrible against them, Causing all the gods on earth to shrivel; And all the coastlands of the nations shall bow in homage—everyone in their own home.
(א) כִּקְדֹ֧חַ אֵ֣שׁ הֲמָסִ֗ים מַ֚יִם תִּבְעֶה־אֵ֔שׁ לְהוֹדִ֥יעַ שִׁמְךָ֖ לְצָרֶ֑יךָ מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ גּוֹיִ֥ם יִרְגָּֽזוּ׃ (ב) בַּעֲשׂוֹתְךָ֥ נוֹרָא֖וֹת לֹ֣א נְקַוֶּ֑ה יָרַ֕דְתָּ מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ הָרִ֥ים נָזֹֽלּוּ׃ {ס}
(1) As when fire kindles brushwood, and fire makes water boil—to make Your name known to Your adversaries so that nations will tremble at Your Presence, (2) When You did wonders we dared not hope for, You came down and mountains quaked before You.
What sources show that "נורא\נרא" can be read as AWE-AMBIGUOUS?
(טז) וַיִּיקַ֣ץ יַעֲקֹב֮ מִשְּׁנָתוֹ֒ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אָכֵן֙ יֵ֣שׁ יְהֹוָ֔ה בַּמָּק֖וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וְאָנֹכִ֖י לֹ֥א יָדָֽעְתִּי׃ (יז) וַיִּירָא֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר מַה־נּוֹרָ֖א הַמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה אֵ֣ין זֶ֗ה כִּ֚י אִם־בֵּ֣ית אֱלֹהִ֔ים וְזֶ֖ה שַׁ֥עַר הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃
(16) Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely יהוה is present in this place, and I did not know it!” (17) Shaken, he said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the abode of God, and that is the gateway to heaven.”
(ו) וַתָּבֹ֣א הָאִשָּׁ֗ה וַתֹּ֣אמֶר לְאִישָׁהּ֮ לֵאמֹר֒ אִ֤ישׁ הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ בָּ֣א אֵלַ֔י וּמַרְאֵ֕הוּ כְּמַרְאֵ֛ה מַלְאַ֥ךְ הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים נוֹרָ֣א מְאֹ֑ד וְלֹ֤א שְׁאִלְתִּ֙יהוּ֙ אֵֽי־מִזֶּ֣ה ה֔וּא וְאֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ לֹא־הִגִּ֥יד לִֽי׃
(6) The woman went and told her husband, “An agent of God came to me; he looked like an angel of God, very frightening. I did not ask him where he was from, nor did he tell me his name.
(ז) כִּ֤י מִ֣י בַ֭שַּׁחַק יַעֲרֹ֣ךְ לַיהֹוָ֑ה יִדְמֶ֥ה לַ֝יהֹוָ֗ה בִּבְנֵ֥י אֵלִֽים׃ (ח) אֵ֣ל נַ֭עֲרָץ בְּסוֹד־קְדֹשִׁ֣ים רַבָּ֑ה וְ֝נוֹרָ֗א עַל־כׇּל־סְבִיבָֽיו׃ (ט) יְהֹוָ֤ה ׀ אֱלֹ֘הֵ֤י צְבָא֗וֹת מִֽי־כָמ֖וֹךָֽ חֲסִ֥ין ׀ יָ֑הּ וֶ֝אֱמ֥וּנָתְךָ֗ סְבִיבוֹתֶֽיךָ׃
(7) For who in the skies can equal the LORD, can compare with the LORD among the divine beings, (8) a God greatly dreaded in the council of holy beings, held in awe by all around Him? (9) O LORD, God of hosts, who is mighty like You, O LORD? Your faithfulness surrounds You;
The word "" or "" emphasizes the world in which we find ourselves. Do we find ourselves in the Yamim Noraim in a positive place--receptive to transformational change and internal shift? Do we find that opportunity awesome? Or do we enter the Yamim Noraim from a place of doubt and dread--that we have not lived up to our potential, that we have so much longer to go? In that case, is this time of year awe-filled or awful?
The ambiguity (and loveliness) of the Hebrew language is in how we come to it in person--and how we choose to use the words that create our worlds moving forward into the new year. We are beginning anew--and new beginnings always have ample opportunity for awe, dread, honor, and reverence.