Vaetchanan is the second parsha of the book of Deuteronomy. In this book, Moses retells the whole story of the Israelites (with some slight differences-- perhaps a little editorializing?) Finally, at the end of Deuteronomy, the Israelites cross over into the land of Israel without Moses. As Moses explains in this week's Torah portion, he has been cursed to die on Mount Pisgah, looking over the hill into Israel but never actually getting to go there. In this parsha, Moses recalls the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai, restates the Ten Commandments, and reminds the Israelites not to worship any kinds of idols.
In this parsha, we find the text of the Shema and V'ahavta prayers, and the last line of the Aleinu prayer! We're going to look at the latter today.
וְיָדַעְתָּ֣ הַיּ֗וֹם וַהֲשֵׁבֹתָ֮ אֶל־לְבָבֶ֒ךָ֒ כִּ֤י יהוה ה֣וּא הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים בַּשָּׁמַ֣יִם מִמַּ֔עַל וְעַל־הָאָ֖רֶץ מִתָּ֑חַת אֵ֖ין עֽוֹד׃
Know therefore this day and keep in mind that יהוה alone is G-d in heaven above and on earth below; there is no other.
But how did the Aleinu prayer develop? It's actually a complex history. Did you know that Ashkenazim are the only group of Jews who say Aleinu on a daily basis? While the Aleinu began as a High Holidays prayer, the Ashkenazim in England began saying it in the 13th century after the first pogroms began and the Jews desperately wished for redemption. The Aleinu is ultimately a prayer of hope for a better future, protection from antisemitism, and for G-d to unite all the diverse peoples. David Arnow argued, in a book I read recently, that the Aleinu was the medieval equivalent to the now-ubiquitous concept of "tikkun olam"-- Jews who suffered greatly began to hope desperately that, through their prayers and actions, they could bring an end to the wrongs in the world.
The Ashkenazim also had to omit a verse from the original prayer, for fear of violence from Christians, though Sefardim have maintained the traditional line. Here's the prayer, including the ommitted line in bold:
עָלֵֽינוּ לְשַׁבֵּֽחַ לַאֲדוֹן הַכֹּל לָתֵת גְּדֻלָּה לְיוֹצֵר בְּרֵאשִׁית שֶׁלֺּא עָשָֽׂנוּ כְּגוֹיֵי הָאֲרָצוֹת וְלֺא שָׂמָֽנוּ כְּמִשְׁפְּחוֹת הָאֲדָמָה שֶׁלֺּא שָׂם חֶלְקֵֽנוּ כָּהֶם וְגוֹרָלֵֽנוּ כְּכָל הֲמוֹנָם: שֶׁהֵם מִשְׁתַּחֲוִים לָהֶֽבֶל וָרִיק וּמִתְפַּלְּ֒לִים אֶל אֵל לֹא יוֹשִֽׁיעַ, וַאֲנַֽחְנוּ כּוֹרְ֒עִים וּמִשְׁתַּחֲוִים וּמוֹדִים לִפְנֵי מֶֽלֶךְ מַלְ֒כֵי הַמְּ֒לָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁהוּא נוֹטֶה שָׁמַֽיִם וְיוֹסֵד אָֽרֶץ, וּמוֹשַׁב יְקָרוֹ בַּשָּׁמַֽיִם מִמַּֽעַל, וּשְׁ֒כִינַת עֻזּוֹ בְּגָבְ֒הֵי מְרוֹמִים, הוּא אֱלֺהֵֽינוּ אֵין עוֹד, אֱמֶת מַלְכֵּֽנוּ אֶֽפֶס זוּלָתוֹ כַּכָּתוּב בְּתוֹרָתוֹ וְיָדַעְתָּ הַיּוֹם וַהֲשֵׁבֹתָ אֶל לְבָבֶֽךָ כִּי יהוה הוּא הָאֱלֺהִים בַּשָּׁמַֽיִם מִמַּֽעַל וְעַל הָאָֽרֶץ מִתָּֽחַת אֵין עוֹד:
It is our obligation to praise the Master of all, to ascribe greatness to the Creator of the [world in the] beginning: that He has not made us like the nations of the lands, and has not positioned us like the families of the earth; that He has not assigned our portion like theirs, nor our lot like that of all their multitudes. For they prostrate themselves to vanity and nothingness, and pray to a god that cannot deliver. But we bow, prostrate ourselves, and offer thanks before the Supreme King of Kings, the Holy One blessed is He, Who spreads the heavens, and establishes the earth, and the seat of His glory is in heaven above, and the abode of His invincible might is in the loftiest heights. He is our G-d, there is nothing else. Our King is true, all else is insignificant, as it is written in His Torah: And You shall know this day and take into Your heart that יהוה is G-d in the heavens above and upon the earth below; there is nothing else.
Discussion:
- How does this omitted line make you feel? How do you think it reflects on how Jews view ourselves in comparison to others?
- How do we encourage our students to feel proud of their Jewish identity without looking down on others? What does it mean to be a Jewish org for Jews, but also pluralistic and welcoming to non-Jews?
- Given that the Aleinu is a prayer of hope, what do you hope to accomplish this year? What outcomes are you hoping for?