We Need Justice and Kindness

by Machar: The Washington Congregation for Secular Humanistic Judaism

Humanistic Judaism was founded as a congregational movement in 1963 by the late Rabbi Sherwin T. Wine, and has emerged as a stream of Judaism that enables people of any ethnic or religious background to cherish Jewish history, culture, and ethics without worshipping or praying to a supernatural being. (Traditional melody of “Avinu Malkenu;” words attributed to Rabbi Akiva in the TalmudThe rabbinic compendium of lore and legend composed between 200 and 500 CE. Study of the Talmud is the focus of rabbinic scholarship. The Talmud has two versions, the main Babylonian version (Bavli) and the smaller Jerusalem version (Yerushalmi). It is written in Rabbinic Hebrew and Aramaic., Taanit 25b. Humanistic version by Rabbi Sherwin Wine and Rabbi Binyamin Biber)

English:

We need

to cleanse our hearts

for lacking among us

are enough good deeds.

Let there be among us

more justice and kindness,

and mutual aid.

Transliteration:

Tzrikhim anahnu

l'taher libeinu

ki ein banu

maspik ma'asim.

T'hi imanu

od tzedakah v'hesed

viy'shuah hadadit.

Hebrew:

צְרִיכִים אֲנַחְנוּ

לְטַהֵר לִבֵּינוּ

כִּי אֵין בָּנוּ

מַסְפִּיק מַעֲשִׂים

תְּהִי עִמָּנוּ

עוֹד צְדָקָה וְחֶסֶד

וִישׁוּעָה הֲדָדִית

(sing last line; repeat from "T'hi")

As an affiliate of the Society for Humanistic Judaism (SHJ), Machar is part of the national and international Humanistic Judaism movement. The International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism (IISHJ) is the educational arm of our movement, training rabbis and other leaders.

Posted in Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur
avinu malkeinu, Humanist

Ritualwell content is available for free thanks to the generous support of readers like you! Please help us continue to offer meaningful content with a donation today.