Times Op-Ed: Compassion is Good

We applaud the study of compassion, whether as part of theology, general religious studies or now as a subject of study in the social sciences.

In "Compassion Made Easy" DAVID DeSTENO wonders, "As a social psychologist interested in the emotions, I long wondered whether this spiritual understanding of compassion was also scientifically accurate."

His reflections begin,

ALL the major religions place great importance on compassion. Whether it’s the parable of the good Samaritan in Christianity, Judaism’s “13 attributes of compassion” or the Buddha’s statement that “loving kindness and compassion is all of our practice,” empathy with the suffering of others is seen as a special virtue that has the power to change the world. This idea is often articulated by the Dalai Lama, who argues that individual experiences of compassion radiate outward and increase harmony for all...

Some people are naturally predisposed towards compassion and some will never attain it. The middle group needs to work on compassion to change their lives.

Prayers are the main vehicles for this work. When recited with understanding and sensitivity the liturgies can elevate compassion within individuals for their own selves and within communities for the betterment of society.

In Judaism we do compassion-work every day and we escalate our compassion-prayers in certain seasons, festivals and fasts. Compassion is the core goal of our every major meditation.

The daily morning Tachanun prayers beseech God to bestow mercy on us (this translation taken from The Standard Prayer Book, tr. by Simeon Singer, [1915], at sacred-texts.com):

And he, being merciful, forgiveth iniquity and destroyeth not: yea, many a time he turneth his anger away and cloth not stir up all his wrath. Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from us, O Lord: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve us. Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from amongst the nations, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise. If thou shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. Not according to our sins wilt thou deal with us, nor requite us according to our iniquities. If our iniquities testify against us, work thou, O Lord, for thy name's sake. Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old. May the Lord answer us in the day of trouble, the name of the God of Jacob set us up on high. Save, Lord: may the King answer us on the day when we call. Our Father, our King, be gracious unto us and answer us, for we have no good works of our own; deal with us in charity for thy name's sake. Our Lord, our God, hearken to the voice of our supplications, and remember unto us the covenant of our fathers, and save us for thy name's sake. And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast made thee a name as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly. O Lord, according to all thy righteous acts, let thine anger and thy fury, I pray thee, be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain; because for our sins and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are round about us. Now therefore, hearken, O our God, unto the prayer of thy servant and to his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake.

Incline thine ear, O my God, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not lay our supplications before thee because of our righteous acts, but because of thine abundant mercies. O Lord, hear; O Lord forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not; for thine own sake, O my God, because thy city and thy people are called by thy name. O our Father, merciful Father, show us a sign for good, and gather our scattered ones from the four corners of the earth. Let all the nations perceive and know that thou art the Lord our God. And now, O Lord, thou art our Father; we are the clay, and thou art our potter, yea, we are all the work of thy hand. Save us for thy name's sake, our Rock, our King, and our Redeemer. Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine inheritance over to reproach, that the nations should make a by-word of them. Wherefore should they say among the peoples, Where is their God? We know that we have sinned, and there is none to stand up in our behalf; let thy great name stand for our defence in time of trouble. We know that we have no good works of our own; deal with us in charity for thy name's sake. As a father hath mercy upon his children, so, O Lord, have mercy upon us, and save us for thy name's sake. Have pity upon thy people; have mercy upon thine inheritance; spare, we pray thee, according to the abundance of thy tender mercies; be gracious unto us and answer us, for charity is thine, O Lord; thou doest wondrous things at all times.

Look, we beseech thee, and speedily have mercy upon thy people for thy name's sake in thine abundant mercies. O Lord our God, spare and be merciful; save the sheep of thy pasture; let not wrath rule over us, for our eyes are bent upon thee; save us for thy name's sake. Have mercy upon us for the sake of thy covenant; look, and answer us in time of trouble, for salvation is thine, O Lord. Our hope is in thee, O God of forgiveness. We beseech thee, forgive, O good and forgiving God, for thou art a gracious and merciful God and King.

We beseech thee, O gracious and merciful King, remember and give heed to the Covenant between the Pieces (with Abraham), and let the binding (upon the altar) of (Isaac) an only son appear before thee, to the welfare of Israel. Our Father, our King, be gracious unto us and answer us, for we are called by thy great name. Thou who doest wondrous things at all times, deal with us according to thy lovingkindness. O gracious and merciful Being, look, and answer us in time of trouble, for salvation is thine, O Lord. Our Father, our King, our Refuge, deal not with us according to the evil of our doings; remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; save us according to thy abundant goodness, and have pity upon us, we beseech thee, for we have no other God beside thee, our Rock. Forsake us not, O Lord bur God, be not far from us; for our soul is shrunken by reason of the sword and captivity and pestilence and plague, and of every trouble and sorrow. Deliver us, for we hope in thee; put us not to shame, O Lord our God; make thy countenance to shine upon us; remember unto us the covenant of our fathers, and save us for thy name's sake. Look upon our troubles, and hear the voice of our prayer, for thou hearest the prayer of every mouth.

Merciful and gracious God! Have mercy upon us and upon all thy works, for there is none like unto thee, O Lord our God. We beseech thee, forgive our transgressions, O our Father, our King, our Rock and our Redeemer, O living and everlasting God, mighty in strength, loving and good to all thy works; for thou art the Lord our God. O God, who art slow to anger and full of mercy, deal with us according to the abundance of thy tender mercies, and save us for thy name's sake. Hear our prayer, O our King, and deliver us from the hand of our enemies; hear our prayer, O our King, and deliver us from all trouble and sorrow. Thou art our Father, our King, and we are called by thy name; desert us not. Forsake us not, our Father, and cast us not off, O our Creator, and forget us not, O our Maker, for thou art a gracious and merciful God and King.

There is none gracious and merciful like thee, O Lord our God; there is none like thee, O God, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness and truth. Save us in thine abundant mercies; from fierceness and rage deliver us. Remember thy servants, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; look not unto our stubbornness and our wickedness and our sin. Turn from thy fierce anger, and repent of the evil against thy people. Remove from us the stroke of death, for thou art merciful, for such is thy way--showing lovingkindness freely throughout all generations. Spare thy people, O Lord, and deliver us from thy wrath, and remove from us the stroke of the plague, and harsh decrees, for thou art the Guardian of Israel. Unto thee, O Lord, belongeth righteousness, but unto us confusion of face. How may we complain? What can we say, what can we speak, or how can we justify ourselves? We will search our ways and try them, and turn again to thee; for thy right hand is stretched out to receive the penitent. Save, we beseech thee, O Lord; we beseech thee, O Lord, send prosperity. We beseech thee, O Lord, answer us on the day when we call. For thee, O Lord, we wait; for thee, O Lord, we hope; in thee, O Lord, we trust; be not silent, nor let us be oppressed; for the nations say, Their hope is lost. Let every knee and all that is lofty bow down to thee alone.

O thou, who openest thy hand to repentance, to receive transgressors and sinners--our soul is sore vexed through the greatness of our grief; forget us not for ever; arise and save us, for we trust in thee. Our Father, our King, though we be without righteousness and good deeds, remember unto us the covenant of our fathers, and the testimony we bear every day that the Lord is One. Look upon our affliction, for many are our griefs and the sorrows of our heart. Have pity upon us, O Lord, in the land of our captivity, and pour not out thy wrath upon us, for we are thy people, the children of thy covenant. O God, look upon our sunken glory among the nations, and the abomination in which we are held as of utter defilement. How long shall thy strength remain in captivity, and thy glory in the hand of the foe? Arouse thy might and thy zeal against thine enemies, that they may be put to shame and broken down in their might. O let not our travail seem little in thy sight. Let thy tender mercies speedily come to meet us in the day of our trouble; and if not for our sake, do it for thine own sake, and destroy not the remembrance of our remnant; but be gracious unto a people, who in constant love proclaim the unity of thy name twice every day, saying, Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is One.

And David said unto Gad, I am troubled exceedingly; let us fall, I pray thee, into the hand of the Lord, for his mercies are many; but let me not fall into the hand of man.

O thou who art merciful and gracious, I have sinned before thee. O Lord, full of mercy, have mercy upon me and receive my supplications.

Psalm vi.

O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. Be gracious unto me, O Lord; for I am withered away: O Lord, heal me; for my bones are troubled. My soul also is sore troubled: and thou, O Lord, how long? Return, O Lord, deliver my soul: save me for thy lovingkindness' sake. For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks? I am weary with my groaning; every night I make my bed to swim; I melt away my couch with my tears. Mine eye wasteth away because of grief it waxeth old because of all mine adversaries. Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping. The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer. All mine enemies shall be ashamed and sore troubled: they shall turn back, they shall be ashamed suddenly.

On Monday and Thursday Mornings the following is added. On other Weekdays, and in the Afternoon Service, continue "O Guardian of Israel,"

Reader and Cong.--O Lord God of Israel, turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of the evil against thy people.

Cong.--Look from heaven and see how we have become a scorn and a derision among the nations; we are accounted as sheep brought to the slaughter, to be slain and destroyed, or to be smitten and reproached.

Cong. and Reader.--Yet, despite all this, we have not forgotten thy name: we beseech thee, forget us not.

Cong.--Strangers say, There is no hope or expectancy for you. Be gracious unto a people that trust in thy name. O thou who art most pure, bring our salvation near. We are weary, and no rest is granted us. Let thy tender mercies subdue thine anger from us.

Cong. and Reader.--We beseech thee, turn from thy wrath, and have mercy upon the treasured people whom thou hast chosen.

Cong.--O Lord, spare us in thy tender mercies, and give us not into the hands of the cruel. Wherefore should the nations say, Where now is their God? For thine own sake deal kindly with us, and delay not.

Cong. and Reader.--We beseech thee, turn from thy wrath, and have mercy upon the treasured people whom thou hast chosen.

Cong.--Hear our voice, and be gracious, and forsake us not in the hand of our enemies to blot out our name; remember what thou hast sworn to our fathers, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven:--and now we are left a few out of many.

Cong. and Reader.--Yet, despite all this, we have not forgotten thy name: we beseech thee, forget us not.

Cong.--Help us, O God of our salvation, for the sake of the glory of thy name; and deliver us, and pardon our sins for thy name's sake.

Cong. and Reader.--O Lord God of Israel, turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of the evil against thy people.

O Guardian of Israel, guard the remnant of Israel, and suffer not Israel to perish, who say, Hear O Israel.

O Guardian of an only nation, guard the remnant of an only nation, and suffer not an only nation to perish, who proclaim the unity of thy name, saying, The Lord our God, the Lord is One.

O Guardian of a holy nation, guard the remnant of a holy nation, and suffer not a holy nation to perish, who thrice repeat the three-fold sanctification unto the Holy One.

O Thou who art propitiated by prayers for mercy, and art conciliated by supplications, be thou propitious and reconciled to an afflicted generation; for there is none that helpeth.

Our Father, our King, be gracious unto us, and answer us, for we have no good works of our own; deal with us in charity and lovingkindness, and save us.

As for us, we know not what to do; but our eyes are upon thee. Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old. Let thy lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us, according as we have waited for thee. Remember not against us the iniquities of our ancestors: let thy tender mercies speedily come to meet us; for we are brought very low. Be gracious unto us, O Lord, be gracious unto us; for we are sated to the full with contempt. In wrath remember to be merciful. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. Help us, O God of our salvation, for the sake of the glory of thy name; and deliver us, and pardon our sins, for thy name's sake.

You should note that the prayers above are said towards the end of the complex and composite morning service. The participant in the service turns at its conclusion to recite the Alenu prayer. That calls for a declaration of the triumph of God over idolatry. It speaks in a mode distinct from that voice which engenders compassion in the previous prayers such as the Tachanun.

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