Avinu Malkenu

Avinu Malkenu is one of the most beloved melodies in our High Holiday liturgy. In ancient times, Jews in the Land of Israel would fast and recite this prayer during times of drought. The story is told in the Talmud that Rabbi Eliezer came before the ark at a time of drought and prayed 24 prayers, but no rain fell. His student, Rabbi Akiva, prayed after him and recited “Avinu Malkenu”, and it began to rain. The other rabbis wondered why Rabbi Akiva’s prayers were answered but Rabbi Eliezer, his teacher’s, were not. Had Rabbi Akiva surpassed his teacher in holiness? Just then a voice came from heaven. “It is not because Rabbi Akiva is greater than Rabbi Eliezer,” said the Voice, “But rather that Rabbi Akiva overlooks a person’s faults, and Rabbi Eliezer does not overlook a person’s faults”.

Both Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Eliezer were great scholars. But Rabbi Akiva was more forgiving and compassionate than Rabbi Eliezer, and this is why his prayers were accepted and Rabbi Eliezer’s were not. “Do not judge one’s fellow until you stand in his place,” was a saying of Hillel the Elder. Apparently, Rabbi Akiva was a better practitioner of this than was Rabbi Eliezer.

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel once said, “When I was young, I admired clever people, now that I am older, I admire kind people.”

Here is Barbara Streisand singing Avinu Malkenu.

May You Be Sealed in the Book of Life for the Coming Year.

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