(page 184 in The New Machzor/page 92 in Lev Shalem)
With the exception of Kol Nidrei, there is probably no prayer recited on the High Holy Days more familiar than Avinu Malkeynu, “Our Father, our King.” Although the text varies in different machzorim, the prayer is a manifold series of requests, including requests for material benefits, as well as life, health and safety, in addition to forgiveness and compassion in the coming year.
The juxtaposition of “father” and “king” is itself significant. Father imagery is associated with familiarity, love and caring; king imagery with power, authority and distance. The very title of the prayer underscores the fact that every attempt we make to describe our mysterious and invisible G-d is doomed to insufficiency. No single word, no single image, could possibly span the entirety of our G-d, who has with good reason been called the most complex character in all of human literature.
The prayer ends with a passionate plea for G-d’s forgiving grace, “because we have no deeds;” that is to say, that even with the very best of intentions, we can never do enough to fully compensate for the failings in our lives. Together with our best efforts, we have to rely on the compassion of G-d to feel a sense of release and redemption.
The Talmud relates that Rabbi Eliezer offered 24 prayers for rain, but his prayers were not answered. Rabbi Akiba then offered a simple prayer, “Avinu Malkeynu, Our Father,our King, we have no sovereign but you. Avinu Malkeynu, our Father, our King, have mercy upon us.” And the rain began to fall.
Sometimes, less is more.