Parsha Halacha

Parsha Halacha – Parshat Nitzavim

Avinu Malkeinu: History and Meanings

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This week’s Torah portion, Nitzavim, is always read before Rosh HaShana while the Torah portion of Vayelech is sometimes joined with Nitzavim and read before Rosh Hashanah and sometimes read separately on the Shabbat after Rosh HaShana, known as Shabbat Teshuvah.^[1]

This article will focus on the prayer of Avinu Malkeinu which is recited during the Ten Days of Repentance.

The Talmud recounts^[2] that Rabbi Eliezer once led the congregation in prayer on a fast day that was decreed because of a drought. Even after he prayed the 24 blessings of the special Amidah for this type of fast day,^[3] there was no rain. Then Rabbi Akiva got up and prayed with the words, “״אָבִינוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ אֵין לָנוּ מֶלֶךְ אֶלָּא אָתָּה. אָבִינוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ, לְמַעַנְךָ רַחֵם עָלֵינוּ – “Our Father, our King, we have no king other than You. Our Father, our King, have mercy on us for Your sake.” At that point it began to rain. The people began to speak about this matter (that the teacher, Rabbi Eliezer, wasn’t answered whereas his student, Rabbi Akiva, was). A voice from Heaven emerged and announced “It’s not because one is greater than the other, but rather because one is more forgiving than the other (מַעֲבִיר עַל מִידּוֹתָיו).”^[4]

Measure for Measure

The Chida explains that every sin weighs down the “wings of the Shechinah” (i.e., prevents the complete revelation of the Divine presence in this world). As such, when one forgives someone who slighted them, they are freeing the Shechinah of the “weight” of that sin. G-d treats them in a corresponding manner and forgives their sins more easily so that those sins don’t weigh down the Shechinah. This in turn allows his prayers to reach G-d and be answered more readily. 

Why not Greater?

The commentaries question why the Talmud says that Rabbi Akiva wasn’t greater than Rabbi Eliezer although he was more forgiving. If he was more forgiving, why wasn’t he considered greater? They offer several explanations:

●      Different Perspectives on Forgiveness 

Rabbi Eliezer had a good reason for not being so forgiving as he felt that whoever insulted a Torah scholar (like himself) needed to be taught a lesson as to how to respect Torah. Nevertheless, since Rabbi Akiva showed people greater mercy by forgiving them immediately, he was granted Divine mercy. As the Talmud says,^[5] “One who shows mercy to G-d’s creations is granted mercy from Heaven.”^[6]

●      Going Against his Nature

According to Rabbi Moshe Di Trani^,[7] the meaning of מַעֲבִיר עַל מִידּוֹתָיו in this context is not that he forgave people, but that he went against his natural tendencies. Although both Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Akiva served G-d on the highest level, the difference between them lay in the fact that Rabbi Eliezer had good lineage as a descendant of Moshe Rabeinu^[8] and was predisposed to a G-dly lifestyle. Rabbi Akiva, on the other hand, was a descendant of converts^[9] and was predisposed to lead a more hedonistic lifestyle. He therefore deserved more credit for battling his own nature to achieve his level of Divine service.^[10]

The Prayer of Avinu Malkeinu

The prayer of Avinu Malkeinu, which we say during the 10 Days of Repentance (and on public fast days), is based on the prayer of Rabbi Akiva. It is first found in the Siddur of Rav Amram Gaon. In the words of the Kol Bo^,[11] “After Shacharit and Mincha (of Rosh HaShanah), we say ‘Avinu Malkeinu Chatanu Lefanecha’^[12] because we have learned (see above) that once a fast was decreed on the community, and they weren’t answered, and Rabbi Akiva went down to lead the prayers and said ‘Avinu Malkeinu Chatanu Lefanecha, Avinu Malkein Ein Lanu Melech Ela Attah’ and was immediately answered. When that generation saw that he was answered with that prayer, they added other requests to it and established it as a prayer for the Ten Days of Repentance. In some places it’s (also) said today on Mondays and Thursdays before Tachanun.”

Corresponds to the Amidah

The commentaries say^[13] that many parts of the Avinu Malkeinu prayer correspond to the middle 13 blessings of the Amidah. Specifically, 

●      “Avinu Malkeinu Choneinu Va’aneinu/ חננו ועננו – Be gracious to us and answer us” corresponds to “Chonen Hada’at/ חונן הדעת- Who graciously grants knowledge.”

●      “Avinu Malkeinu Hachazireinu BeTeshuvah/ החזירנו בתשובה – Bring us back in repentance” corresponds to “Harotzeh BiTeshuvah/ הרוצה בתשובה – Who desires penitence.”

●      “Avinu Malkeinu Selach UMechal/ סלח ומחל – Pardon and forgive” corresponds to “Selach Lanu/ סלח לנו – Pardon us.”

●      “Avinu Malkeinu Kotveinu BiSefer Ge’ulah/ כתבנו בספר גאולה- Inscribe us in the book of redemption” corresponds to “Go’el Yisrael/ גואל ישראל – Redeemer of Israel.”

●      “Avinu Malkeinu Shelach Refu’ah Shleima/ שלח רפואה – Send a complete healing” corresponds to “Refa’einu/ רפאנו – Heal us.”

●      “Avinu Malkeinu Chadesh Aleinu Shana Tova/ חדש עלינו שנה טובה – Renew for us a good year” corresponds to “Barech Aleinu/ ברך עלינו – “Bless this year for us.”

●      “Avinu Malkeinu Hareim Keren Yisrael / הרם קרן ישראל – Exalt the glory (Literally ‘horn’) of Israel” corresponds to “Teka BeShofar/ תקע בשופר – Sound the great shofar.”

●      “Avinu Malkeinu Batel Me’aleinu Kol Gezeirot Kashot/ בטל מעלינו- Remove from us all harsh decrees” corresponds to “Hashiva Shofteinu / השיבה שופטנו וכו' והסר ממנו יגון ואנחה – Restore our judges… and remove from us sorrow and sighing.”

●      “Avinu Malkeinu Kalei Kol Tzar/ כלה כל צר – Wipe out any oppressor” corresponds to “Velamalshinim/ ולמלשינים וכו' שובר אויבים– Let there be no hope for informers… Who crushes enemies.”

●      “Avinu Malkeinu Mechok Berachamecha HoRabim/ מחוק ברחמיך הרבים – Erase in Your abounding mercy” corresponds to “Al HaTzadikim/על הצדיקים וכו' יהמו נא רחמיך – For the Tzadikim… May Your mercy be awakened.”

●      Avinu Malkeinu Harem Keren Meshichecha/ הרם קרן משיחך – Exalt the glory of your anointed one” corresponds to “Et Tzemach/ את צמח דוד וכו' וקרנו תרים – May the scion of David flourish… and increase his power.”

●      Avinu Malkeinu Hatzmach Lanu Yeshuah/ הצמח לנו ישועה – Cause deliverance to flourish” corresponds to “Matzmi’ach Keren Yeshu’ah/ מצמיח קרן ישועה – Who causes the power of salvation to flourish.”

●      Avinu Malkeinu Shema Koleinu/ שמע קולנו – Accept our prayers” corresponds to “Shema Koleinu… Shome’a Tefillah/ שמע קולנו וכו' שומע תפילה – Hear our voice… Who hears prayer.”

Other prayers that were important for the community were (later) added to the Avinu Malkeinu prayer. This may be similar to the idea that one may add their own requests to the Amidah at certain points.

Not on Shabbat

The Levush writes^[14] that the custom is to not say Avinu Malkeinu when Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur coincide with Shabbat. He explains that since this prayer replaces the middle blessings of the Amidah (as explained above), we only say it on weekdays when we usually say those middle blessings, but not on Shabbat when we do not.

Our Father, Our King

We refer to G-d as our father when we’re behaving appropriately and are deserving to be called His children. When our behavior is deficient, we are considered G-d’s “people” (a more distant term).[15] We pray with both these terms to indicate that even if it may seem that we’re only G-d’s people, in truth we are also His children. And:

Just as a king can pardon his children, so, too, may G-d pardon our sins and grant us a good sweet year!

[1] When Rosh HaShanah falls out on Monday or Tuesday, Nitzavim and VaYelech are read separately with Nitzavim read before Rosh Hashana and VaYelech read on Shabbat Teshuvah. Whereas when Rosh Hashana is on any other day of the week, these Parshiyot are joined and are both read before Rosh Hashana. The way to remember this is “פתבג המלך”; when Rosh Hashana (המלך) falls on Monday or Tuesday (בג) then we break apart (פת) the parshiyot of Nitzavim and VaYelech. See O.C. 428:4, Daniel 1:5 and here. 

[2] Ta’anit 25b.

[3] See Ta’anit 15a as to which blessings were added to the usual 18 of the Amidah

[4] See Shabbat 127b regarding a worker who wasn’t paid on time and how he judged his boss favorably. According to Rabbi Menachem Azariah of Fano (quoted in Chatam Sofer), the worker was Rabbi Akiva.

[5] Shabbat 151b

[6] Ohr Yisra’el, quoted in the notes on the Metivta Shas.

[7] In Beit Elokim, Sha’ar HaTeshuvah, end of chapter 4.

[8] Midrash Tanchuma, Parshat Chukat.

[9] According to the Chida, Rabbi Akiva was a descendant of the Canaanite general Sisera, see Sanhedrin 96b.

[10] The Elya Rabbah (53:16) points out that concerning Yitzchak and Rivkah’s prayers, the Talmud says (Yevamot 64a) that Yitzchak was answered first since he was a tzadik and the son of a tzadik whereas Rivkah was a tzadeket but the daughter of a rasha (wicked man). He explains that the merit of one’s forefathers is helpful when one is praying for themselves whereas when one is praying for the community, the merit of one’s own Divine service is more significant.

[11] Siman 64, Laws of Rosh HaShana. The Kol Bo is a 13th or 14th-century work of unknown authorship.

[12] Some don’t say this line of Avinu Malkeinu on Rosh HaShanah since we don’t say confession on Yom Tov.

[13] Levush 584:1

[14] Ibid.

[15] Dover Shalom by Rabbi Yitzchak Eliyahu Landau of Vilna on Siddur Otzar HaTefilot.

Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom and a Ketiva VaChatima Tova for a Good and Sweet Year!