Part III. Yom Kippur Attitudes
Ancient Avinu Malkeinus
Now, once you understand that these two attitudes of Avinu and Malkeinu are a prerequisite for teshuva, so you have to put effort into acquiring them. Don’t imagine that it’s easy to acquire. Just because you sit here now for an hour it doesn’t mean you’re finished yet. It takes time, it takes a lot of labor, a lot of thinking, to create a new mind.
And that’s why it’s so important to make use of the opportunities we have. And so during the Aseres Yemei Teshuva when we say Avinu Malkeinu that’s a good time to think about these ideas you heard here tonight.
Old-time Jews – I was told this by a rosh yeshiva in Europe – they didn’t say the Avinu Malkeinu tefillah the way we do. You know, when we say it we want the end of it: Chadesh aleinu shanah tovah or mechol lanu Malkeinu or whatever it is. That’s what’s important to us. But the old time Jews spent time on the first two words. Aveeeeeenuuuuu! That’s the important point! Malkeiiiiiiiiinuuuuu! That’s the important point! And then they would finish quickly, mechol lanu Malkeinu.
That’s how a rosh yeshiva once explained to me. The old-time Jews used to say the words Avinu Malkeinu loud and slow, and the rest, whatever it was they wanted of Him, they said fast; because the most important accomplishment is not the request – it’s the achievement of feeling that He’s your Father and your King.
