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There is a hidden gem in Shacharit of Yom Kippur. Blink and you miss it. It's found shorty before Kedusha, and is often overshadowed by the more famous piyyutim by which it is flanked. But it is so worth our notice.
The piyyut is known, to the extent that it is known, by its opening words אשר אמץ (Asher Ometz), which are actually the opening words of stanzas 1, 3, and 5 of this short piyyut. These stanzas sound a familiar theme, referencing the other-worldly exalted and majestic praises of God that are daily pronounced in the celestial court. "Your praise is rendered by heavenly nobles, darting angels, Cherubim of glory, and flaming legions". What's different in this piyyut though, is that these stanzas are merely setting up the unexpected - and unexpectedly powerful - punch line in stanzas 2, 4, and 6.
These latter stanzas begin with the words ורצית שבח, "And You desire the praise of...". Whose praise does God desire? Those who "are of limited days, whose souls have known anguish. Who rush through the doors of the synagogue, and who pour out their hearts in entreaty." Not only that, but as each of these stanzas concludes, והיא כבודיך, "and this - this desire for and interest in human beings and the contents of their hearts - is Your glory".
The ubiquitous references in the Yamim Noraim davening to God's majesty and power are definitely a double-edged sword. They generate the image of the Divine palace and, unwittingly, render the prospect of entry therein rather daunting. For "who can ascend God's mountain?" And this is why this hidden gem of a piyyut is such a difference-maker. God has already opened the door, with desire and with interest.
"And this is Your glory."
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