In a rare and emotional display, Rav Moshe Shternbuch, the Gaavad (Chief Rabbi) of the Eida Haredit community and head of the Karlin-Stolin Yeshiva, led a special recitation of 'Avinu Malkeinu' this morning.
The 98-year-old rabbi, known as a foremost halachic authority and the author of the respected "Mo'adim vZemanim" and "Teshuvos vHanhagos" series, hardly ever says 'Avinu Malkeinu' unless it is during the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah (Ten Days of Repentance).
However, sources close to Rav Shternbuch indicate that he has been doing so more frequently in recent days, as the ongoing conflict has taken a heavy toll, with many Israelis killed and wounded.
In a video circulated on Haredi news outlets, Rav Shternbuch is seen leading a small minyan of followers in his Jerusalem home, his voice trembling as he pleads for divine mercy.
"The Rabbi is really broken by the situation where the blood of Israel is spilled like water," explained one visitor to Rav Shternbuch's home. "Although it is not new for the Rabbi to say the prayer verse by verse, this time it is a rare case, and it seems we really need a lot of mercy from heaven."
The special 'Avinu Malkeinu' is a central part of the Rosh Hashana / Yom Kippur davening and is seen by many as a heartfelt cry for divine intervention during times of great distress for the Jewish people.
