(א) בָּנִ֣ים אַתֶּ֔ם לַה' אֱלֹקֵיכֶ֑ם
(1) You are children of your God ה'.
(א) סְלַח לָֽנוּ אָבִֽינוּ כִּי חָטָֽאנוּ מְחַל לָֽנוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ כִּי פָשָֽׁעְנוּ כִּי מוֹחֵל וְסוֹלֵֽחַ אָֽתָּה: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' חַנּוּן הַמַּרְבֶּה לִסְלֽוֹחַ:
Forgive us, our Father, although we have sinned
Pardon us, our King, although we have committed a crime
For pardoning and forgiving are You
Blessed are You, YHVH, Gracious, Who is abundant in forgiving.
(ו) בֵּ֛ן יְכַבֵּ֥ד אָ֖ב וְעֶ֣בֶד אֲדֹנָ֑יו וְאִם־אָ֣ב אָ֣נִי אַיֵּ֣ה כְבוֹדִ֡י וְאִם־אֲדוֹנִ֣ים אָ֩נִי֩ אַיֵּ֨ה מוֹרָאִ֜י אָמַ֣ר ׀ ה' צְבָא֗וֹת
A son honors his father,
And a slave his master.
But if I am a Father, where is My honor?
And if I am a Master, where is the fear of Me?
Said YHVH Tzeva’ot.
(ט) בנים אתם לה' א-להיכם. (קדושין לו) ר' יהודה אומר, אם נוהגים אתם כבנים הרי אתם בנים, ואם לאו אין אתם בנים. ר' מאיר אומר, בין כך ובין כך בנים אתם לה' א-להיכם,
“You are children of YHVH your God.”
R. Yehudah says: If you behave as children, you are called “children”; but if you do not behave as children, you are not called “children.”
R. Meir says: In either instance you are called “children…”
אָבִינוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ, רַחֵם עָלֵינוּ
Our Father, our King, have mercy on us.
א"ר שמואל דרכו של אב לרחם, כרחם אב על בנים (תהלים קג:יג). ודרכה של אם לנחם, כאיש אשר אמו תנחמנו (ישעיה סו:יג). א' הקב"ה אנא עביד דידאב אנא עבד דידאם. אנא עביד דידאב, כרחם אב על בנים (תהלים שם). אנא עביד דידאם, כאיש אשר אמו תנחמנו (ישעיה סו:יג). א' הק' אנכי אנכי הוא מנחמכם (ישעיה נא:יב).
R. Shmuel said: It is the way for a father to have mercy (לרחם) “like a father who has mercy on children” (Psalm 103:13). And it is the way for a mother to show comfort (לנחם) “like a man for whom his mother shows comfort” (Isaiah 66:13).
The Holy Blessed One said, “I act like a father, and I act like a mother.” I act like a father: “like a father who has mercy on children.” I act like a mother: “like a man for whom his mother shows comfort.” God said, “I, I am the one who comforts you” (Isaiah 51:12).
כָּל הַנִּסִּים וְהַגְּבוּרוֹת שֶׁעָשִׂיתִי לָכֶם לֹא שֶׁתִּתְּנוּ שְׂכָרִי אֶלָּא שֶׁתִּהְיוּ מְכַבְּדִים אוֹתִי כְּבָנִים וְקוֹרְאִים אוֹתִי אֲבִיכֶם, (ירמיה ג, יט)
All the miracles and wonders that I did for you were not so that you would pay Me a reward, but rather for you to honor Me like children, and call me your Father: “and I say, call me Father” (Jeremiah 3:19).
Pause
Rabbi Elie Kaunfer
This midrash offers the view that the primary purpose of God’s behavior is to establish a relationship with the children of Israel in which we call God “Father.” When we reach out to God as a father while admitting our sins, we are invoking this unbreakable relationship, a relationship that God wants as much as we do.
When I call God “Father” in this blessing, I try to access the aspect of that metaphor that R. Meir claims is always present: the mercy that a parent has for a child that never goes away, no matter how badly the child acts. I love that our sacred texts—including the Amidah—offer this metaphor of connection to God. To me, God is not a vague idea or set of principles, but a Being who wants to draw close to us through relationship. The image of God as a father helps me access this vision of the relationship, and draws me closer to God.