🆕 Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. Senate: Rabbi Henry Pereira Mendes on 24 April 1888

Contributor(s):

Aharon N. Varady (editing/transcription) and Henry Pereira Mendes

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11 June 2024 under the Creative Commons Zero (CC 0) Universal license a Public Domain dedication

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Opening Prayers for Legislative Bodies, United Nations Day (October 24th), United States of America

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19th century C.E., תחינות teḥinot, 57th century A.M., English vernacular prayer, U.S. House of Representatives, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, 50th Congress

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Contribute a translation	Source (English)
	Our Father in Heaven: aggrandized and hallowed be Thy Great Name in this world, which Thou hast created according to Thy will.
	I stand before Thee, a son of the deathless race which hath seen mightiest powers of old grow, prosper, and die.
	In the midst of the chosen ones of this young nation I humbly beseech Thee to guide their counsels that they may further the world work of this people, to accomplish which Thou didst call it into existence.
	This world work we understand to be that it shall labor with the rest of humanity, Thy children and our brothers, to make this earth of ours one vast temple wherein the song of human happiness shall be mankind’s psalm of life, because all Thy children live as Thou hast willed, doings justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly before Thee.^[1] Micah 6:8
	If Thou didst call Thy chosen nation Thy servant, is not also this great nation Thy servant, if it helps to raise humanity upwards and nearer to Thee? Thy chosen people found its earth task in carrying to the whole world Thy law and Thy words. If this nation finds its earth task in showing mankind the administration of human government in accordance with that law, shall it not attain a crown of lasting glory?
	I beseech Thee, therefore, that these men, Thy children, may be guided by justice and girdled by righteousness, and may they help to make the lesson of the history of the country to teach that human government is a failure unless hallowed by fear of Thee.
	And when the day shall come when thou wilt bid Rachael to stay her weeping and the heart of Zion shall leap with joy because her children are being restored to her;^[2] Cf. Jeremiah 31:15-17. when war shall cease and arbitration be the world’s law, and earth shall be filled with knowledge of Thee as the waters cover the sea;^[3] Isaiah 11:9. Also find, Habakkuk 2:14.
	ay, when the day of judgment shall come for the nations to stand before Thee, may this people say that the world work of the United States was to make the world united nations, united to Thee in love and duty, united to each other in universal peace, universal brotherhood, universal happiness, the idea which Thou hast given humanity in the inspired words of Thy prophets.
	Thou art One, and Thy Name is One.^[4] Cf. Zechariah 14:9 May this nation’s world work, when done, be declared by Thee well done.
	Therefore we earnestly implore Thee to bless, strengthen, and enlighten the President of the Union, and the Councils here and in all the States. Grant them the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and of might, the spirit of knowledge, and the fear of Thee.— Amen.

This prayer of the guest chaplain was offered in the fifth month of the first session of the 50th US Senate. It was published in The Jewish Exponent, “A Prayer in Congress: Rev. Dr. H.P. Mendes of New York Opens the United States Senate,” 27 April 1888, page 13. Rabbi Medes’ prayer was the fourth to be offered in the Senate. The day the prayer was offered, 24 April, corresponded in 1888 to the 13th of Iyyar, during the period between Passover and Shavuot.

This prayer is one of approximately 20 prayers offered by rabbinic guest chaplains before Congress before such prayers were recorded in the Congressional Record. This prayer was located by Aharon Varady as part of his search for these “lost” prayers in preparation for his Natalie Feld Memorial Fellowship work at the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives (AJA) 2024-2025.

Source(s)

A Prayer in Congress (Jewish Exponent, 27 April 1888), p. 13

Notes[+]

Notes
1	Micah 6:8
2	Cf. Jeremiah 31:15-17.
3	Isaiah 11:9. Also find, Habakkuk 2:14.
4	Cf. Zechariah 14:9

. Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication . 1.0 . Universal .

“Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. Senate: Rabbi Henry Pereira Mendes on 24 April 1888” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication 1.0 Universal license.

Aharon N. Varady (editing/transcription)

Aharon Varady (M.A.J.Ed./JTSA Davidson) is a volunteer transcriber for the Open Siddur Project. If you find any mistakes in his transcriptions, please let him know. Shgiyot mi yavin; Ministarot naqeni שְׁגִיאוֹת מִי־יָבִין; מִנִּסְתָּרוֹת נַקֵּנִי "Who can know all one's flaws? From hidden errors, correct me" (Psalms 19:13). If you'd like to directly support his work, please consider donating via his Patreon account. (Varady also translates prayers and contributes his own original work besides serving as the primary shammes of the Open Siddur Project and its website, opensiddur.org.)

Henry Pereira Mendes

Rabbi Dr. Henry (Ḥaim) Pereira Mendes (Hebrew: חיים פריירה מנדס), (13 April 1852 – 21 October 1937), born in Birmingham, England, was an author and prominent communal leader in the Western Sepharadi world. He was educated at Northwick College (rabbinics), at University College (London). In 1874, he became Minister of the newly formed Sephardic congregation in Manchester, England. In 1877, he was called to the Congregation Shearith Israel of New York where he served until 1920, retaining the title of Rabbi Emeritus. In addition, he studied and graduated from the medical school of New York University, taking the degree of M.D. (1884). The degree of D.D. was conferred upon him by the Jewish Theological Seminary of America (1904). In addition, to synagogue duties, Rev. Mendes served as professor of homiletics at Yeshiva Isaac Elchanan from 1917 to 1920. After retiring in 1920, he traveled for four years through Europe and South America. During that time, he reconnected with his first congregation in Manchester and spent some time in St. Thomas, reviving the S&P community there and leading services. He participated in the founding of a number of significant organizations. In 1881, he was one of the founders of the New York Board of Ministers and acted as its secretary from its foundation up to 1901 when he became president. In 1886, Rev. Mendes joined Sabato Morais in helping to establish the Jewish Theological Seminary, of which he became secretary of the advisory board and professor of history. On the death of Dr. Morais, he became acting president of the faculty until the appointment of Solomon Schechter in 1902. In 1884, the centennial of the birth of Sir Moses Montefiore, Rev. Mendes moved his congregation to convene the leading Jews of New York to mark the event by some practical work. The outcome was the Montefiore Home for Chronic Invalids, established in the same year—and which later became Montefiore Medical Center. In 1896, he was made vice-president of the Guild for Crippled Children, and in 1901 established the Jewish branch of that guild. He promoted the formation of the Union of Orthodox Congregations of the United States and Canada (1897) and was subsequently elected its president. He was also one of the founders of the Young Women's Hebrew Association of New York (1902).

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Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Dr. Henry E. Kraus on 4 April 1978

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. Senate: Rabbi Arnold E. Resnicoff on 28 April 2003

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. Senate: Rabbi Max A. Shapiro on 15 April 1985

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. Senate: Rabbi Charles M. Rubel on 21 April 1958

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. Senate: Rabbi Abraham Hecht on 25 April 1966

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. Senate: Rabbi Max M. Landman on 27 April 1966

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. Senate: Rabbi Herman Eliot Snyder on 28 April 1948

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ויהי נעם אדני אלהינו עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננהו "May the pleasantness of אדֹני our elo’ah be upon us; may our handiwork be established for us — our handiwork, may it be established." –Psalms 90:17