Ahead of Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year) and in the midst of the Jewish month of Elul, which is referred to as the month of mercy and forgiveness, Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Sunday night participated in Selichot (penitential prayers) services at the Or Hahaim yeshiva in Jerusalem, accompanied by the yeshiva dean, Rabbi Reuven Elbaz.
Herzog addressed the worshipers before the service and said: "Loving your fellow Jew is a very big mitzvah (commandment), it's not for naught that if we look in the Selichot prayers, we say 'We have incurred guilt, we have betrayed, etc." why is it in the plural tense? Since we are all responsible for everyone."
He added, "This entire holy congregation prays for all of the people of Israel. Why do we say 'Hear o Israel (Shema Yisrael)'? We don't say Hear o Abraham or Hear o Moses, we say Hear o Israel since we pray for the entire nation, and this it is a tremendous privilege to pray for the entire nation.
It requires us and all those who serve the public, and all of the leaders, to show responsibility and take steps for all of the people of Israel and to keep the unity of Israel against the enemy so we can build the state of Israel that was given to us after thousands of years of exile, here, in Jerusalem the holy capital of Isreal. We should see a year of peace, brotherhood, blessing, growth, security, and love," he concluded.