God created us in His own image; in the image of God He created us; male and female He created us.

Our tradition says that God created us through one human being to teach us that whoever destroys a single human soul has destroyed an entire world.

And whoever sustains a single human soul has sustained an entire world.

And a single human being was created for the sake of peace, that none might say: my lineage is greater than yours.

I call heaven and earth to witness: Gentile or Jew, man or woman, manservant or maidservant -- all according to our deeds does the spirit of God rest upon us.

Speak to the whole community of Israel, and say to them: "You shall be holy, for I, the Lord your God am holy."

As God is merciful and gracious, so shall you be merciful and gracious.

When we oppress the poor, we offend their maker.

But we honor their maker when we are kind to the needy.

Let your neighbor's property be as dear to you as your own.

And let your neighbor's honor be as dear to you as your own.

You shall not wrong or oppress a stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

You shall not insult the deaf, or place a stumbling-block before the blind.

You shall not rejoice when your enemy falls.

You shall not exult when your enemy stumbles.

Never say: I will do to them as they have done to me; I will repay them according to their deeds.

You shall not hate another in your heart; but you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

O God, You have called us to peace, for You are Peace itself. May we have the vision to see that each of us, in some measure, can help to realize these aims;

Where there are ignorance and superstition,
Let there be enlightenment and knowledge.

Where there are prejudice and hatred,
Let there be acceptance and love.

Where there are fear and suspicion,
Let there be confidence and trust.

Where there are tyranny and oppression,
Let there be freedom and justice.

Where there are poverty and disease,
Let there be prosperity and health.

Where there are strife and discord,
Let there be harmony and peace.

Grant Us Peace

Blessed is the eternal God, the source of peace.

Our God and Creator, we thank You for the sense of justice You have implanted within us, and which always seeks, though at times haltingly, to express itself in daily life.

Make us, O God, more steadfast in our desire to do Your will. Teach us that the men and women around us are brothers and sisters, and fill us with such love for our fellow creatures that we will never wrong them, or exploit them, or take advantage of their weakness or ignorance.

Kindle in us a passion for righteousness. Grant us the vision to see that only justice can endure, and that only in being just to one another can we make our lives acceptable to You.

May we by our thoughts and our deeds hasten the time when wrong and violence shall cease, and justice be established in all the earth.