Shared by Aharon Varady on י׳ באדר ה׳תשע״ג (February 20, 2013) 
This week of President’s Day and Purim, I’m sharing a civic prayer by the MALBIM, Rabbi Meir Leibush ben Yehiel Michel (1809-1879), whose first published commentary was on Megillat Esther (1845). His life as a wandering rabbi and brilliant intellect reflects the changing expectations of Jews and Jewish religious authorities during the period of emancipation in 19th century Eastern Europe. The Malbim’s fame and popularity rest upon his commentary on the Tanakh (1876). His political life as a community rabbi, however, is a tragic one. . . . → Read More: The Malbim’s Prayer for Alexandru Ioan I Cuza, Domnitor of Romania (1862)
Shared by Esteban Gottfried on ו׳ בשבט ה׳תשע״ג (January 17, 2013) 
רִבּוֹן כָּל הַמַעֳשִים, אַתָּה חוֹנֵן לְאָדָם דֲּעַת וּמְלַמֵּד לֶאֶנוֹש בִּינָה. חָנֵּנוּ מֵאִתְּךָ חָכְמָה, בִּינָה וְהַשְכֵּל בּעֶת מִילוּי זְכוּתֶנו וְחוֹבַתֵנוּ הַאֶזְרַחִית לִבְחוֹר אֶת מַנְהִיגֵינו. . . . → Read More: תפילה לבוחר טרם הבחירות: A Prayer for Elections Day
Shared by Aharon Varady on ז׳ בכסלו ה׳תשע״ג (November 21, 2012) 
With this in mind, I want to invite all Jews in North America that celebrate the secular/national holiday of Thanksgiving to consider what might be a thoughtful prayer on this day. For the few hundred years that our people have been here, as refugees fleeing the Spanish Inquisition and as immigrants simply seeking better fortunes in a safer land, this Land has been a sanctuary. At the same time, even through the storied travails of our immediate ancestors, we cannot ignore the suffering endured by the indigenous peoples of this land who, first by devastating plague, and later through intentional acts of dispossession were murdered, massacred, forcibly displaced, and assimilated (forbidden to speak their language, separated from their families, made ignorant of their traditions) — experiences that must resonate with our own historical experience in the Diaspora. It seems immoral and obscene to me to be thankful without also being mindful of this complexity — how the fruits we enjoy in this Land have a rotten and dramatic history that we, now as residents of this continent, must at least consider in our prayers of thanksgiving. . . . → Read More: Prayers for Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving Day in North America
Shared by Alex Sinclair on י״ג בסיון ה׳תשע״ב (June 3, 2012) 
May the Lord give our soldiers wisdom, understanding, and insight, so that they do not destroy the righteous with the wicked, as it is written in Your Torah: “Far be it from you to do such a thing, to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating them the same. Far be it from you – should the Judge of all the Earth not do justice?” (Genesis 18:25) . . . → Read More: Prayer for the Welfare of Israel Defense Forces Soldiers by Rabbi Shlomo Goren (updated)
Shared by Arik Ascherman on ד׳ באייר ה׳תשע״ב (April 26, 2012) 
Sovereign of the Universe, accept in lovingkindness and with favor our prayers for the State of Israel, her government and all who dwell within her boundries and under her authority. Reopen our eyes and our hearts to the wonder of Israel and strengthen our faith in Your power to work redemption in every human soul. Grant us also the fortitude to keep ever before us those ideals to which Israel dedicated herself in her Declaration of Independence, so that we may be true partners with the people of Israel in working toward her as yet not fully fulfilled vision. . . . → Read More: Prayer for the State of Israel
Shared by Yehonatan Chipman on ג׳ באייר ה׳תשע״ב (April 25, 2012) Every year on Yom ha-Atzmaut I feel a certain sense of frustration about its liturgy, and the failure of Religious Zionism to shape the holiday into one that would make a clear and definite religious statement. The “festive” prayer for Yom ha-Atzmaut is a hotchpotch of Yom Kippur, Kabbalat Shabbat, Shabbat Mevarkhim, and Pesaḥ. One gets a sense that there is an avoidance of hard issues. Even such a simple thing as saying Hallel with a blessing is not yet self-evident, but a subject of constant debate. Every year, there seem to be more leading rabbis, who adopt crypto-Ḥaredi stances, issuing pronunciamentos as to why one must not enter into the doubt of saying a brakha levatala, an unnecessary blessing, in this case. (As I was typing these words, I was interrupted by a phone call from a friend with this very question!) Bimhila mikvodam (no affront to the honor due them intended), but what on earth do they think the Talmud is talking about when it says that “On every occasion that Israel are in distress and then delivered, they are to recite the Hallel” (Pesaḥim 116a), if not the likes of Yom ha-Atzmaut? . . . → Read More: Yom ha’Atzmaut: Theological and Liturgical Reflections on the day and on Al Hanissim
Shared by Abe Katz on כ״ו בשבט ה׳תשע״ב (February 19, 2012) 
The following prayer for the government was composed by Congregation Beth Shalome in Richmond, Virginia in 1789. Please note the acrostic portion of the prayer in which the initial letters of the succeeding lines form the name: Washington. . . . → Read More: Prayer for the government in honor of George Washington, First President of the United States of America by Kahal Kadosh-Beit Shalome (1789)
Shared by Abe Katz on י״ח בשבט ה׳תשע״ב (February 11, 2012) 
Exalted are you Lincoln. Who is like you! You were highly respected among Kings and Princes. All that you accomplished you did with a humble spirit. You are singular and cannot be compared to anyone else. Who among the great are like Lincoln? Who can be praised like you? . . . → Read More: Memorial Prayer for Abraham Lincoln by Isaac Goldstein the Levite (1865)
Shared by Gilah Langner on ד׳ באלול ה׳תשע״א (September 3, 2011) 
Avinu she-ba-shamayim, our Parent in heaven, v’Ruaḥ kol basar, the Spirit of all that lives, We turn toward You as we recall today with sorrow and honor those who lost their lives ten years ago, and those who gave their lives -– as passengers, firemen, and rescuers –- so that others might live. Grant their souls continuing rest in the shelter of eternity. And grant to us peace and fortitude in the years ahead, that we may restore a sense of trust and security to this great land, that we may be guided not by fear or terror, but by strength and understanding, holding fast to our ideals and upholding our highest values. Guard our comings and our goings in peace, now and always, Amen. . . . → Read More: A Prayer for September 11th, 2001 by Rabbi Gilah Langner
Shared by Avraham Hyman Ḥarlap on ו׳ באב ה׳תשע״א (August 6, 2011) אָֽנָא, הָאֵל יְיָ, בּוֺרֵא הַשָּׁמַֽיִם וְנוֺטֵיהֶם, רֹֽקַע הָאָֽרֶץ וְצֶאֱצָאֶֽיהָ, נֹתֵן נְשָׁמָה לָעָם עָלֶֽיהָ, וְרֽוּחַ לַהֹלְכִים בָּהּ׃
Please, God Adonai, Who creates the skies and drapes them over the earth, Who spreads out the earth and its descendants, Who grants life to its nations, and vigor to those . . . → Read More: A Civic Minded Prayer for the Government (translated by Alan Scott Belsky)
Shared by T'ruah : The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights on ט״ו בשבט ה׳תשע״א (January 20, 2011) 
In the wake of the continued uprooting of fruit trees and human settlements in the Land of Israel, Rabbis for Human Rights-North America shared the following petitionary prayer. . . . → Read More: A Tu Bishvat Prayer for Trees
Shared by Arik Ascherman on י״ח בטבת ה׳תשע״א (December 25, 2010) 
Image: The unrecognized village of El-Arakib in the Israeli Negev demolished, Aug 2010 (credit: Physicians for Human Rights, license: CC-BY 2.0)
Rabbi Arik Ascherman of Rabbis for Human Rights, shares a prayer he wrote following the Israel Land Administration’s most recent eviction and demolition of El-Arakib, a Bedouin village in the Negev. The prayer . . . → Read More: A Prayer for the Residents of El-Arakib
Shared by David Seidenberg on ז׳ בכסלו ה׳תשע״א (November 14, 2010) 
This prayer is broadly speaking a prayer that we learn to work together to create a better future, and it incorporates a pledge to do one thing for healing the world, for tikkun olam, that will make this future a reality. It’s not a prayer about winning or getting other people to see things our way, like some of the others I’ve seen. Whomever we support (I am supporting Obama), we need to pray for strength for the next president, and for the whole country, to face what will be challenging times. . . . → Read More: A Kavanah for Voting
Shared by Tim Bernard on כ״ז באב ה׳תש״ע (August 7, 2010) 
תפלה בעד הממשׁלה | A Prayer for The Government[1]
אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ קַבֵּל נָא בְּרַחַמִים אֶת־תְּפִלָּתֵֽנוּ בְּעַד אַרְצֵֽנוּ וּמֶמְשַׁלְתָּהּ. הָרֵק אֶת־בּרְכָתְךָ ע֚ל הָאָֽרֶץ הַזֺּאת עַל נְשִׂיאָהּ שׁוֹפְטֶֽיהָ שׁוֹטְרֶֽיהָ וּפְקִידֶֽהָ הָעוֹסְקִים בְצָרְכֵי צִבּוּר בֶּאֱמוּנָה. הוֹרֵם מֵחֻקֵּי תוֺרָתֶֽךָ הַבִינֵם מִשְׁפְּטֵי צִדְקֶֽךָ לְמַֽעַן לֺא יָסוּרוּ מֵאַרְצֵֽנוּ שָׁלוֹם וְשַׁלְוָה אֺֽשֶׁר וָחֺֽפֶשׁ כּל־הַיָּמִים. אָנָּא יְיָ אֱלֺהֵי הָרוּחוֺת . . . → Read More: A Prayer for the Government by Louis Ginzberg (translation by R’ Tim Bernard)
|
A Historical Map of Jewish Liturgical Diversity
Is the Hebrew text below readable? א֚וֹ יַחֲזֵ֣ק בְּמָעוּזִּ֔י יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה שָׁל֖וֹם לִ֑י שָׁל֖וֹם יַֽעֲשֶׂה־לִּֽי׃ If the text above from Isaiah 27:5 is unreadable, please use a more capable web browser, such as Mozilla Firefox or Chromium (Google Chrome). To test your browser further, click here. Every shekel, drachma, or dollar you contribute helps to liberate the ingredients of Jewish spiritual practice for all collaborating free/libre and open source initiatives. Your tax deductible donation will help us afford to maintain this website, grow this project, and complete our web application.
|
