צְ רִָמ אֶ רֶ ץְבּ י נ וִּי רְֵג יִכּ
-- that we may truly know their souls תָל דַ עַ נ פְ שׁ וֹ- See Exodus 23:9.
-- for we were strangers in the י ם ָה י ם land of Egypt- See Deuteronomy 10:19.
hg
The Harachaman(“ Our Merciful God”) prayers inserted into Birkat Ha-Mazon remind us of how we might translate the Jewish value of mercy and compassion into meaningful action. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks points out that the oldest of these personalized petitions is the one in which guests invoke God’ s blessing on their hosts:“ This is how Abraham and Sarah brought monotheism to the world. They would provide hospitality to strangers. When the meal was over, and the guests would begin to thank them, Abraham would reply,‘ Thank the One from whom all we have enjoyed has come.’” Our love and compassion for strangers, foreigners, and immigrants is among the oldest, most fundamental, and indispensable elements of ethical monotheism, of Jewish morality, and of sincere service to“ Our Merciful God.” While particularly well-suited to the Pesach Seder, this“ Harachaman” may be included whenever Birkat Ha-Mazon is recited.
Rabbi Joseph H. Prouser is editor of Masorti: The New Journal of Conservative Judaism.
110