The Silent Small Voice

… and a silent small voice will be heard ..                                    U’Netaneh Tokef

In a real sense, the “silent small voice” is the truest and most authentic voice that exists. In silence, there are no distractions, and the individual is left to listen to his own internal voice, without any interruptions.

My father commented that the shofar serves as a call to our inner selves. Indeed, the phrase in U’Netaneh Tokef which precedes “and a silent small voice will be heard ...” is “and the great shofar will be blown.”

The source of the phrase “a silent small voice”, used by Rabbi Amnon of Mainz (Magence) in his beautiful prayer, which is included in the heart of musaf (both on Rosh haShana and on Yom Kippur) is God’s words to the Prophet Elijah at Mount Horeb:

And He said: “Go forth and stand on the mountain 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; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a silent small voice.                        First Kings 19:11-12

The greatness of the “silent small voice” is that in allowing one to hear his own inner voice, it allows him as well to experience Divine revelation.