Video: Rabbi Meir Soloveichik Quotes Posuk in Invocation at GOP Convention, Refers to “Avinu Av Harachamon”

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rabbi-meir-soloveichik[Video below.] Rabbi Dr. Meir Soloveichik, director of Yeshiva University’s Zahava and Moshael Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought, delivered the invocation at the opening session of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida last night.

“It is extraordinary privilege to deliver an invocation at a cherished ritual of American democracy,” said Rabbi Soloveichik before his speech. “The fact that I have been teaching courses about the connection between Jewish ideas and American democracy makes this moment all the more meaningful for me.”

An associate rabbi at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun in Manhattan, Rabbi Soloveichik graduated summa cum laude from Yeshiva College, received his semicha from Yeshiva Rabbeinu Yitzchok Elchonon and was a member of its Beren Kollel Elyon. In 2010, he received his doctorate in religion from Princeton University. Rabbi Soloveichik has lectured throughout the United States, in Europe and in Israel to both Jewish and non-Jewish audiences. His essays on these subjects have appeared in Commentary, First Things, Azure, Tradition and the Torah U-Madda Journal.

“We Americans unite faith and freedom in asserting that our liberties are your gift, G-d, and not that of government, and that we are endowed with these rights by You, our Creator, and not by mortal man,” Rabbi Soloveichik said in his invocation.

Rabbi Soloveichik also mentioned Israel and told the delegates, referring to the Ribono Shel Olam, “You have called us to be a beacon of the world and an ally of free countries like the state of Israel, an island of liberty, democracy and hope.”

Rabbi Soloveichik quoted in Hebrew the posuk that is inscribed on the Liberty Bell and asked Hakadosh Boruch Hu – referring to “Avinu Av Harachamon” – to bless Mitt Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan.

Click below to watch a video of Rabbi Soloveichik’s remarks:

{Andy Heller-Matzav.com Newscenter}


9 COMMENTS

  1. We Yidden are the Beacon of Light onto all Nations.
    That’s why it’s so important this Rosh Hashana to include every needy Human Being in our Teffilos. When we ask for “Shlach Refuah Shleimo”, we should have in mind to include every sick person, Yidden and Non-Yidden. Show der Eibishter that we are a caring people.

  2. Nice speech.

    However, it didn’t seem like there were many people in the live audience.

    As Chazal tell us ??? ??????…???? ?????? ?? ??? ????? ????

    Additionally, why did he say, when quoting the posuk, ukeratem deror, with a modern Israeli/Sephardic pronunciation? Did his zeide Rav Aharon, great grandfather Rav Moshe, his father Rav Chaim, his father the Beis Halevi, speak like that? Does lihavdil, his father, he should be well? No, they were/are proud Ashkenazic Yidden and spoke with an Ashkenazishe havoroh. They said/say ukerasem deror, not ukeratem. So he should do the same.

  3. I found this today at the Democraticunderground website.

    Commenter HERVEPA writes “If h-ll existed, there’d be a special place there for Jews who support Rethuglicans.” Typical liberal hate. Not to mention Anti Semitic. As if you must be for Democrats if you are Jewish and if you step out of line you will go to hell. And gentiles may vote for whoever… By the way, this above comment by ‘HERVEPA’ was in response to the Democraticunderground article informing that Rabbi Soloveitchik was to give the invocation at the GOP convention.

  4. To #5

    But shouldn’t we try to be M’oirer Rachmim, by showing HKB”H that we are not elitests, like our oppressors were, in the 1930’s?
    We care and worry about all His Briyot.

  5. #3 – Great achdus. Just what we need in Elul. A Jew is a Jew is a Jew, no matter what his/her accent. Who knows the accent that Avraham Avinu spoke? WE ARE ALL JEWS. That’s the ikar. Forget the tofel. And according to at least one of his revered forebears – you can pray in any language that comes sincerely to you – Ashkenazi Hebrew, Sefardi Hebrew, Temani Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino, even, dare we say it, in English.It’s Elul. Time for achdus, not shtus/shtuyot.

  6. Whit the Rabbi layns, he does so using the traditional Ashkenazi pronunciation of his [more recent] forebears. He was not layning.
    In case “Thoughts” did not notice.
    I know this is true first-hand.

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