(א) בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (ב) וְהָאָ֗רֶץ הָיְתָ֥ה תֹ֙הוּ֙ וָבֹ֔הוּ וְחֹ֖שֶׁךְ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י תְה֑וֹם וְר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֔ים מְרַחֶ֖פֶת עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַמָּֽיִם׃ (ג) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֖ים יְהִ֣י א֑וֹר וַֽיְהִי־אֽוֹר׃
(1) In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (2) Now the earth was unformed and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters. (3) And God said: ‘Let there be light.’ And there was light.
(יא) וַיֹּ֗אמֶר צֵ֣א וְעָמַדְתָּ֣ בָהָר֮ לִפְנֵ֣י ה' וְהִנֵּ֧ה ה' עֹבֵ֗ר וְר֣וּחַ גְּדוֹלָ֡ה וְחָזָ֞ק מְפָרֵק֩ הָרִ֨ים וּמְשַׁבֵּ֤ר סְלָעִים֙ לִפְנֵ֣י ה' לֹ֥א בָר֖וּחַ ה' וְאַחַ֤ר הָר֨וּחַ רַ֔עַשׁ לֹ֥א בָרַ֖עַשׁ ה' (יב) וְאַחַ֤ר הָרַ֙עַשׁ֙ אֵ֔שׁ לֹ֥א בָאֵ֖שׁ ה' וְאַחַ֣ר הָאֵ֔שׁ ק֖וֹל דְּמָמָ֥ה דַקָּֽה׃ (יג) וַיְהִ֣י ׀ כִּשְׁמֹ֣עַ אֵלִיָּ֗הוּ וַיָּ֤לֶט פָּנָיו֙ בְּאַדַּרְתּ֔וֹ וַיֵּצֵ֕א וַֽיַּעֲמֹ֖ד פֶּ֣תַח הַמְּעָרָ֑ה וְהִנֵּ֤ה אֵלָיו֙ ק֔וֹל וַיֹּ֕אמֶר מַה־לְּךָ֥ פֹ֖ה אֵלִיָּֽהוּ׃
(11) And He said: ‘Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD.’ And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake; (12) and after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. (13) And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entrance of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said: ‘What doest thou here, Elijah?’
(א) אש . ( תרגום : ) משרית מלאכי אשתא : (ב) קול דממה דקה . ( תרגום : ) קל דמשבחין בחשאי , אבל בנביאי אומות העולם אומר ( איוב ד טז ) : (ג) דממה וקול אשמע , דממה היתה לשבח . ואני שמעתי קול הבא מתוך הדממה , דטינטישמנ''ט בלע''ז , ואין שומעין הקול ממש :
(י) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר ה׳ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה֙ לֵ֣ךְ אֶל־הָעָ֔ם וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ֥ם הַיּ֖וֹם וּמָחָ֑ר וְכִבְּס֖וּ שִׂמְלֹתָֽם׃ (יא) וְהָי֥וּ נְכֹנִ֖ים לַיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֑י כִּ֣י ׀ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֗י יֵרֵ֧ד ה׳ לְעֵינֵ֥י כָל־הָעָ֖ם עַל־הַ֥ר סִינָֽי׃
אמר רבי אבהו, בשם ר' יוחנן: כשנתן הקב"ה את התורה, צפור לא צווח, עוף לא פרח, שור לא געה, אופנים לא עפו, שרפים לא אמרו קדוש קדוש, הים לא נזדעזע, הבריות לא דברו. אלא העולם שותק ומחריש. ויצא הקול: אנכי ה׳ אלהיך. וכן הוא אומר (דברים ה): את הדברים האלה דבר ה׳ אל כל קהלכם קול גדול ולא יסף.
(כו) יַעֲל֣וּ שָׁ֭מַיִם יֵרְד֣וּ תְהוֹמ֑וֹת נַ֝פְשָׁ֗ם בְּרָעָ֥ה תִתְמוֹגָֽג׃ (כז) יָח֣וֹגּוּ וְ֭יָנוּעוּ כַּשִּׁכּ֑וֹר וְכָל־חָ֝כְמָתָ֗ם תִּתְבַּלָּֽע׃ (כח) וַיִּצְעֲק֣וּ אֶל־יְ֭הוָה בַּצַּ֣ר לָהֶ֑ם וּֽ֝מִמְּצֽוּקֹתֵיהֶ֗ם יוֹצִיאֵֽם׃ (כט) יָקֵ֣ם סְ֭עָרָה לִדְמָמָ֑ה וַ֝יֶּחֱשׁ֗וּ גַּלֵּיהֶֽם׃ (ל) וַיִּשְׂמְח֥וּ כִֽי־יִשְׁתֹּ֑קוּ וַ֝יַּנְחֵ֗ם אֶל־מְח֥וֹז חֶפְצָֽם׃ (לא) יוֹד֣וּ לַיהוָ֣ה חַסְדּ֑וֹ וְ֝נִפְלְאוֹתָ֗יו לִבְנֵ֥י אָדָֽם׃ (לב) וִֽ֭ירֹמְמוּהוּ בִּקְהַל־עָ֑ם וּבְמוֹשַׁ֖ב זְקֵנִ֣ים יְהַלְלֽוּהוּ׃
(26) They mounted up to the heaven, they went down to the deeps; Their soul melted away because of trouble; (27) They reeled to and fro, and staggered like a drunken man, And all their wisdom was swallowed up— (28) They cried unto the LORD in their trouble, And He brought them out of their distresses. (29) He made the storm a calm, So that the waves thereof were still. (30) Then were they glad because they were quiet, And He led them unto their desired haven. (31) Let them give thanks unto the LORD for His mercy, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! (32) Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people, And praise Him in the seat of the elders.
(1) For the Leader; for Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. (2) Only for God doth my soul wait in stillness; From Him cometh my salvation. (3) He only is my rock and my salvation, My high tower, I shall not be greatly moved.
(17) Shimon, his son, says: All my days I grew up among the Sages, and I did not find anything good for a body but silence. And the exposition [of Torah] is not what is essential, but the action. And whoever increases words brings sin.
...I prefer to follow Rashi (ad loc) and Abraham Joshua Heschel's literal rendering of qol dmamah, "a voice of silence." [11] Precedent for such a reading can be found in the book of Genesis, where God says to Cain, "the voice of your brother's blood calls out to me" (Gen. 4:10). Here qol is a silent voice rather than an audible sound. And that, I believe, is precisely what Elijah hears: a voice without sound. I propose, then, a metaphorical but grammatically strict translation. Qol dmamah daqah: the "voice of fragile silence." [12]
The idea of a "fragile" silence may seem strange to one sitting in an urban library, especially since daqah means "fine" or "thin." [13]
...
Not all silences are alike. Put in earplugs or enter a soundproof room and the silence is muggy and oppressive. Silence in a forested, mountain wilderness is rare. The wind howls, leaves rustle, birds chirp, insects buzz, creeks "sing." True silence, perhaps on a peak when the wind stops, is actually quite rare. It hits suddenly, with dramatic impact.
In Israel's deserts and the Sinai, where the wind is usually still for at least half the day, the silence is vastly different. If you are in the desert now, close your eyes and wait for the wind to stop. This silence is total, yet light and natural - even embracing.
And precious. The smallest movement of an insect or the slightest breeze registers audibly. You hear the ruffling of your sleeve, or the call of a raven miles away. This is desert silence. Easily disturbed. A fragile silence.
...What is for you here, Elijah, in the desert?... And what is here for you on Mt. Sinai, Elijah, when the wind, earthquake and fire bring no revelation? When you are left befuddled in desert silence - expecting to see God's glory, hearing a silent voice; waiting for an affirming answer, getting a shattering question.
If I were to translate ma lekha po as an expression - in accord with the context of the desert - I would write, "Who are you, here, Elijah?"
Who are you in the desert, where your previous understanding of how God communicates with you no longer applies; where your past experience misleads you; where your great accomplishments will not help you?
Who are you Elijah, here, in the desert?
***
If we stop to listen in the stillness, [15] this is a question any of us can hear, anytime we walk the desert.
Who am I, when my achievements, titles and bank account are left behind? When all that really matters is whether I can find shade and shelter. When the more possessions I carry on my back, the less chance I have of finding water. Who am I, when the person I have become is a burden I can no longer carry, and the self-image and personality habits I have worked so hard to cultivate in the past, are precisely what might lead me to my death now? When everything nonessential has been shed like a snake's skin, who am I?"