Our Father, Our King - Yom Kippur - Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair

 

 Why in the prayer of Avinu Malkeinu do we say both אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ עֲשֵׂה לְמַֽעַן הֲרוּגִים עַל שֵׁם קָדְשֶֽׁךָ 'Our Father Our King, Act for the sake of those who were murdered for Your Holy Name," and also, אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ עֲשֵׂה לְמַֽעַן טְבוּחִים עַל יִחוּדֶֽךָ “Our Father, Our King, Act for the sake of those who were slaughtered for Your Oneness?" Aren't they the same thing? May we all be written in the book of eternal life! Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair is a lecturer in Talmudic logic and Jewish Philosophy at the Ohr Somayach/Tanenbaum College of Judaic studies in Jerusalem.