Lawrence A. Hoffman 
Who By Fire, Who By Water 
Un’taneh Tokef

Acknowledgments ix
Prayers of Awe, Intuitions of Wonder 1
Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, Ph D
Un’taneh Tokef as Poetry and Legend 13
Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, Ph D
The Legend of Rabbi Amnon 26
Translated by Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, Ph D
Un’taneh Tokef : Translation 29
Dr. Joel M. Hoffman
Un’taneh Tokef : Behind the Translation 33
Dr. Joel M. Hoffman

PART I THE MORAL CHALLENGE OF UN’TANEH TOKEF:
CAN THE PRAYER EVEN BE SALVAGED?
1. The Exodus and the Elephant 51
Rabbi Tony Bayfield, DD
2. Awe-full Thoughts on Words a Melody Cannot Save 55
Rabbi Andrew Goldstein, Ph D
3. Is Un’taneh Tokef Palatable? 60
Rabbi Delphine Horvilleur
4. From Text to Life to Text: The Un’taneh Tokef
Feedback Loop 63
Rabbi Noa Kushner
5. A Rationalist’s View 67
Rabbi Charles H. Middleburgh, Ph D
6. Universalism versus Martyrdom: Un’taneh Tokef
and Its Frame Narrative 72
Rabbi Marc Saperstein, Ph D
7. Somehow Linked to God 77
Rabbi Daniel G. Zemel

PART II REINTERPRETING UN’TANEH TOKEF
FOR OUR TIME
8. A Biblical Perspective 83
Dr. Marc Brettler
9. God as the Ultimate Writer 88
Dr. Erica Brown
10. ‘How Was Your Flight?’ 93
Dr. Joel M. Hoffman
11. Passing before God: The Literary Theme
of Un’taneh Tokef 98
Rabbi Elie Kaunfer
12. The Poetics of Prayer: How Un’taneh Tokef Means
What It Means 103
Dr. Reuven Kimelman
13. Death without Dying 109
Rabbi Lawrence Kushner
14. Laminated in the Book of Life? 113
Rabbi Ruth Langer, Ph D
15. Un’taneh Tokef through Israeli Eyes 117
Rabbi Dalia Marx, Ph D
16. The Litmus Test of Belief 122
Rabbi Rachel Nussbaum
17. Meditations on the Poetry of Un’taneh Tokef 126
Rabbi Margaret Moers Wenig, DD
18. Who by Fire: Contemporary Personal
and Literary Reflections 131
Dr. Wendy Zierler

PART III UN’TANEH TOKEF AND THE LIMITATIONS
OF THE HUMAN CONDITION
19. Stark and Inescapable 139
Merri Lovinger Arian
20. At the Edge of the Abyss 142
Rabbi Sharon Brous
21. The Answer Is ‘Me!’ 145
Rabbi Edward Feinstein
22. The Dance between Fate and Destiny 151
Rabbi Karyn D. Kedar
23. Empowering Human Beings to Challenge Fate 155
Rabbi Asher Lopatin
24. Who by Common Trial 160
Catherine Madsen
25. A Text in Context 164
Rabbi Jonathan Magonet, Ph D
26. The Power of Vulnerability 169
Rabbi Or N. Rose
27. Mortal Matters: The Faith of Un’taneh Tokef 172
Rabbi David Stern
28. Turning Fate into Destiny 177
Rabbi Avraham Weiss
29. Death Rehearsal 182
Rabbi David J. Wolpe

PART IV UN’TANEH TOKEF AND ITS CALL FOR SANCTITY,
TRANSFORMATION, AND RENEWAL
30. The Power of the Thin Whisper of Silence 187
Rabbi Ruth Durchslag, Psy D
31. Evoking Fear, Prescribing Hope:
From Suffering to Service 191
Rabbi Elyse D. Frishman
32. The Four Holinesses of Un’taneh Tokef :
A Halakhic Understanding 196
Rabbi Daniel Landes
33. Trembling with Angels: The Power of Rehearsal 201
Liz Lerman
34. The Eternal and the Ephemeral:
The Stark Contrasts of Un’taneh Tokef 206
Rabbi Aaron Panken, Ph D
35. Theology or Anthropology? 211
Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso
36. ‘How Awesome and Dreadful:
God Is Enthroned and Rules with Love’ 216
Rabbi Jonathan P. Slater, DMin
37. God’s Hands 221
Rabbi Brent Chaim Spodek and Ruth Messinger
38. The Call to Turn Inward 225
Rabbi David A. Teutsch, Ph D
39. Shattered Pottery—Unshattered Hope 229
Rabbi Gordon Tucker, Ph D
40. Everything Has Consequences 232
Dr. Ellen M. Umansky
41. The Seven Questions You’re Asked in Heaven 235
Dr. Ron Wolfson
Notes 240
Glossary 247