Prayer on the Anniversary of the Death of a Parent (יאָרצײַט), by Marcus Heinrich Bresslau (1852)

Contributor(s):

Aharon N. Varady (editing/transcription) and Marcus Heinrich Bresslau

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15 June 2020 under the Creative Commons Zero (CC 0) Universal license a Public Domain dedication

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Mourning

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19th century C.E., תחינות teḥinot, 57th century A.M., Jewish Women's Prayers, prayers on behalf of parents, English vernacular prayer, יאָרצײַט‎ yahrẓeit

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Contribute a translation	Source (English)
	“O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh,”^[1] Numbers 27:16. unsearchable but just are the ways of Thy providence. Whoever trusts in Thee from the depth of his heart and takes refuge in Thee, him thou wilt never forsake; therefore, do I lift up my tearful eye unto Thee, and seek Thy help and assistance; I seek from Thee courage and fortitude to bear the loss which has been so grievous unto me. Alas! torn away from me is the beloved being to whom I owe my life and benefits without number, who with tender love cherished my infancy, with fondest watchfulness tended my health, and with unremitting solicitude strove to promote my welfare. And can there be found on earth a tie more strong than that sacred one by which nature, which is ruled by the hand of God, attaches the hearts of children to the hearts of parents? or can any child however hardened, forget the earthly authors of its being? must not every child remember them with tender affection and loving sadness?
	This day, the day of thy departure beloved (father) (mother,) these thoughts arise more vividly in my mind than ever, for alas, it is a weakness of human nature only to appreciate fully the highest treasures on earth, when their possession is gone. How anxious would I be, O my beloved parent, if now of matured understanding I could shew thee more love and tenderness, more respect and obedience, were I so happy as yet to possess thee! I was perhaps thy last care, thy last grief, thy last joy, thy last prayer. Be therefore thy memory sacred unto me! I will so long as I live, cherish it with filial tenderness; thy name and thy rectitude be my pride and my joy: the contemplation of thee and of eternity—the abode of everlasting peace—be my consoling hope.
	May the everlasting God endow me with strength and mental power, that my walk on earth may be worthy of thee my beloved parent, that thy memory may not be deseorated by my swerving from the piety which thy instructions inculcated within me. May He who commanded us “Honor thy father and thy mother,”^[2] Exodus 20:12. support me in the resolution to honor thee also after death,
	Grant, O Lord, that I may attain Thy grace on earth and Thy salvation hereafter, when I shall be called to meet my beloved parent “in the House of Assembly for all living.”^[3] Job 30:23. Amen.

“Prayer on the Anniversary of the Death of a Parent (Jahrzeit)” was first published in Marcus Heinrich Bresslau’s collection of teḥinot, Teḥinot Banot Yisrael: Devotions for the Daughters of Israel (1852).

Source(s)

Notes[+]

Notes
1	Numbers 27:16.
2	Exodus 20:12.
3	Job 30:23.

. Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication . 1.0 . Universal .

“Prayer on the Anniversary of the Death of a Parent (יאָרצײַט), by Marcus Heinrich Bresslau (1852)” 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.)

Marcus Heinrich Bresslau

Marcus Heinrich (also Mordecai Ḥayyim/Hyman/Heyman) Bresslau (ca. 1808-15 May 1864) was a Hebraist and newspaper editor. Born in Hamburg, he settled in England when young. For some time from 1834 he was Baal Ḳoreh (reader) at the Western Synagogue. He then taught Hebrew at the Westminster Jews’ Free School and went on to tutor privately. A maskil, he became involved with M. J. Raphall’s Hebrew Review and Magazine of Rabbinical Literature (1834-6). In October 1844 he was appointed editor of the relaunched Jewish Chronicle by proprietor Joseph Mitchell. Prickly and quarrelsome, he resigned in July 1848 but returned in around September. He remained until about October 1850. After Mitchell’s death in June 1854 he became proprietor (his middle name appearing as Heyman) and edited it until February 1855 when new proprietor Abraham Benisch succeeded him. Bresslau, who tried vainly to revive the Hebrew Review, wrote Hebrew poetry, produced a Hebrew grammar and a Hebrew dictionary, and translated various Hebrew manuscripts in the Bodleian Library. Bresslau compiled (we think) the first compilation of teḥinot in English for women. (Much of this information via Bresslau's entry in The Palgrave Dictionary of Anglo-Jewish History)

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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