New prayer book adds religious context to Rabin memorial
New prayer book compiled by Amit school system in memory of slain statesman, former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin; includes psalms, passages of Mishna, new prayer written for love of mankind, emphasizing commandment to love your neighbor
Israel will mark Thursday the anniversary of late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's assassination. The Amit religious school system felt that the memorial for Rabin is not sufficiently rooted in the religious world and decided to publish a special prayer book for the 14th of Heshvan (the Hebrew date of Rabin's death).
The prayer book, called K'tov Zot Zikaron (Write this as a memory), includes passages of psalms, including specific passages ascribed to the letters of the late statesman's name, sections of Mishna to be learned for the transcendence of the soul, a prayer for the peace of Israel, and a prayer for the love the Israel. In addition, the prayer book brings forth verses condemning murder, such as: "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed."
Amit General Director Dr. Amnon Alder wrote in his forward to the prayer book that the tome's objective is to engage the broader public as much as possible in the unique significance of remembrance as people of faith.
"The prayer book and the prayers will sharpen awe of the day, will emphasize the vitality of our action, as educators to impress upon each and every Jew that we will never again witness a hand being raised against the State," he wrote. "The only path that can destroy this great house is the raising of a hand against the State and challenging the thread that connects us – the forefront of the emergence of our redemption.
"In Amit, we believe that it is our duty to make heard a loud and clear pedagogical voice on the day of the prime minister's murder. This is not a historical memory, but a meaning relevant to our shared life in Israeli society and all its hues, the country that belongs to all of us, despite all of the conflicts."
A new prayer is brought forth in the prayer book that was written as a remedy for the hatred and animosity that abounded in the days leading up to Rabin's murder. The prayer, called "Prayer for the Love of Mankind," emphasizes the importance and acceptance of the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself.
