Aleinu is one of the most fascinating and, at times, controversial prayers in our liturgy. It appears toward the end of our service, following the Torah reading, as we prepare to return to the world beyond our sanctuary. This Shabbat, you will see that we are introducing the special act of opening the ark for Aleinu as a reminder of God’s presence among our community before we leave the sanctuary for the night. According to 20th-century Jewish liturgy scholar Ismar Elbogen, the Aleinu expresses the ideal vision of “…the future union of all mankind… in the service of the one God…” But where does it come from and why is it important?

According to Jewish folklore, the Aleinu was crafted by the biblical Joshua during the Battle at Jericho. Some scholars point to the reverse acrostic of Joshua’s original name “Hoshea” in the first paragraph of Aleinu. Yes, during all his time in battle and leading the Israelites into a new land, he still had time to craft a prayer that is used thousands of years later! Talk about being skilled in time management, right?

The Shabbat service follows an ark of praise, petition, and thanksgiving. To wind down a service with Aleinu, is to declare why we are offering praise and thanksgiving to God:

“Let us praise the Sovereign of the Universe and proclaim the greatness of the Creator who has set us apart from other families of the earth, giving us a destiny unique among the nations. We bend the knee and bow, acknowledging the supreme Sovereign, the Holy One of Blessing” (Mishkan T’filah, 586).

We are thanking God for giving us a unique destiny from others. This is the controversial idea of Aleinu…are we really to thank God for separating us from others? Do we believe our destiny is better than others? In our Reform understanding, the answer is no. Our uniqueness is not a claim of superiority but a call to responsibility. Despite our road being long and sometimes difficult, even in this day and age with increasing antisemitism, we are grateful for the responsibility that comes with inheriting the Torah and its traditions. We remain grateful for Torah and for Am Yisrael, accepting the responsibility to help build a more peaceful, compassionate, and just world. A world that recognizes we were all created from the same source.

I offer a Shabbat gift to you: when we stand before the open ark tonight, I invite you to let the words of Aleinu become more than the conclusion of our service. Let them become our inspiration to carry the values of Torah into the world so we can live in a world of peace and justice.

With many blessings from my family to yours this Shabbat,

Rabbi Ranata Shlobin