A story from the Sages: On a fast day, Rabbi Eliezer recited twentyfour blessings, but he was not answered. Rabbi Akiva prayed "Our Father, our King, we have no king other than You. Our Father, our King, for Your sake, have mercy on us." And rain immediately fell. Akiva's prayer invoked God's role as both a compassionate parent and a powerful ruler. Rabbi Akiva's use of this phrase recognizes the duality of God's nature and our relationship with Him. It underscores the need for both the fatherly compassion of God to show mercy and the kingly authority to enforce justice.
