Avinu Malkeinu

[stepnwolf]

Avin Malkeinu (Our Father, Our King) is a prayer of supplication that has had a place of honor in the Jewish liturgy from almost time immemorial. Verses have been recorded at least before 135 CE. The sound of the congregation singing its petitions to the Most High as Father and King is one of the most moving in the Jewish Calendar.

In part it reads

אָבִינוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ, פְּתַח
שַׁעֲרֵי שָׁמַיִם לִתְפִלָּתֵנוּ

"Our Father, our King, open the gates of heaven to our prayer."

Another version:
Our father our king, hear our voice
Our father our king, we have sinned before you
Our father our king, Have compassion upon us
and upon our children

Our father our king
Bring an end to pestilence,
war, and famine around us
Our father our king,
Bring an end to all trouble
and oppression around us

Our father our king,
Our father our king,
Inscribe us in the book of life
Our father our king, renew upon us
Renew upon us a good year

Hear our voice
Hear our voice
Hear our voice

According to the sages an essential part of any prayer is Kavanah (pronounced Ka-vun-ah by the Ashkenazi Jews of Europe), usually translated as intent, which comes from understanding the words of the prayer. Kavanah enlivens the prayer, which raises the heart and mind to a higher level of experience. Even in this prayer one finds a kind of joy in the midst of misery and pleading.

I hasten to add that this isn't occult mumbo-jumbo in the usual sense of the expression. The experience is real to anyone open to it. Millions of Jews approach the Throne/Chariot (Merkabah) of the Diety in this one prayer.

You can hear several versions of the Prayer at wn.com/avinu_malkenu . As a start I'd recommend the 5th one by Jossi Azulay which is available on YouTube as

[paul]

>singing its petitions to the Most High as Father and King

While this is consistent with the 18th degree ritual, it is not the same in orthodox Christianity where the God the Father is separate from Christ the King.

The Jewish formulation is likely to be more correct historically.

[fjrogers]

I'd say the Jewish formulation would be more accurate historically.