Master of the Universe, my father, my king! I declare before You that I have been truly blind. I have slandered my fellow Jew and through this evil deed, I have become an enemy to myself and to him since I have empowered heavenly accusations against the both of us. I pray that my slander should be disregarded since it is only an indication of my smallness and I sincerely disallow my slander to cast an evil eye upon him. I have also been blind to one of Your greatest truths. That every Jew, whoever and wherever he is, is in reality my brother and sister and that we are as one family before You, our eternal father. Instead, I have treated my fellow Jew as a stranger and even sometimes, as an enemy. In my arrogance I felt superior to him. If I disagreed with him, then I should have prayed for him and not denigrated him. Woe is me that I have been blind to the pain of my brother and to the pain of my father.
I declare before You today that I am no longer blind. I feel that all my fellow Jews are my brothers and sisters. Furthermore, I have now become truly aware of my brothers' sufferings and dangers. I sincerely cry out for my brothers' and sisters' sake and I beg You to be merciful to them as our father.
Save my brothers and sisters worldwide from the twin plagues of assimilation and intermarriage. I cannot bear to see them lost. Are they not my family and are they not Your children? Give them a new light so that they can return to You, their eternal father.
Save my brothers and sisters in the land of Israel. Even here, where I am out of harm's way, I have no peace of mind as long as they are in danger. Save them from the evil designs of the Erev Rav, Yishmael and Esav:
Save my brothers and sisters who are Torah observant. They have suffered much sickness and tragedy. Restrain Your anger and open their eyes to the pain of a father so that they can use the power of their prayers to redeem their fellow Jews.
I do not criticize You for my brothers' dangers since Your ways are all just and perfect. Still I must cry out to You from my pain. Be our father first showing mercy and our king second. If we cry to You as children, a brother for a brother, shall You not, measure for measure, respond to us as a father and not as a king? Let my family have an awakening from below with a leadership that can guide them to this. Let us earn Your presence with heads held high. Finally, grant us Your light so that we can have true peace in this world and in the next. Amen, may it be Your will. --------------------------------------------
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