Benediction by Rabbi David Wolpe at the Democratic National Convention (2012)

Contributor(s):

Aharon N. Varady (editing/transcription) and David J. Wolpe

Shared on:

3 January 2021 under the Creative Commons Zero (CC 0) Universal license a Public Domain dedication

Categories:

Elections & Voting, United States of America

Tags:

Benediction, תחינות teḥinot, 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., English vernacular prayer, Democratic National Conventions, Democratic National Convention 2012, United States General Election 2012, United States

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Contribute a translation	Source (English)
רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם שִׁפְטוּ יָתוֹם רִיבוּ אַלְמָנָה	Ribono shel Olam, dear God, we are grateful that our nation is founded on the highest principles of freedom and resourcefulness and creativity and ever renewed strength. And we understand that those worthy ideals stand alongside the commitment to compassion, to goodness — [to] our sacred covenant to care for those who are bereaved and bereft, who are frightened, who are hungry, who are bewildered and lost, who seek shelter from the cold. As your prophet Isaiah taught us, shiftu yatom rivu almanah — defend the orphan and fight on behalf of the widow.^[1] Isaiah 1:17.
	We know that our lamp is lifted not only to illuminate our way but to serve as a beacon to others that hear this land is a place where the dreams of a weary world flourish and endure.
	Ours is a holy charge, a single moment, a touch, a glance, a word can change a life. Our children look to us with aspirational eyes with the hope that their world will be kinder, sweeter, smarter than the world we have known. Each of these changes touches all of us, for you have taught us that we must count on one another, that our country is strong through community and that the children of Israel, on the way to that sanctified and cherished land and ultimately to that golden and capital city of Jerusalem, that those children of Israel did not walk through the wilderness alone.
	Raḥmanah, merciful god, may we be guided by your wisdom and so become more understanding and tolerant of others. May our souls be enlarged by empathy and uplifted by leaders and thinkers and teachers who believe in strength of soul and wild, wonderful visions, so [that] together with Right and Left worshiping the same god, our nation, this strong, blessed nation, filled with spirit and called to noble cause will become more passionate, more purposeful, more burnished and bright through the warmth of your embrace, and the extraordinary power, dear God, of your love. Amen.

This is the full text of Rabbi David Wolpe’s benediction offered at the end of the second day of the Democratic National Convention, September 6th, 2012, corrected from the closed-captions feed offered by C-SPAN.

Source(s)

Notes[+]

Notes
1	Isaiah 1:17.

. Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication . 1.0 . Universal .

“Benediction by Rabbi David Wolpe at the Democratic National Convention (2012)” 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.)

David J. Wolpe

David J. Wolpe (born 1958) is the Max Webb Senior Rabbi of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, California. He previously taught at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York, the American Jewish University in Los Angeles, Hunter College, and UCLA. Wolpe’s work has been profiled in the New York Times, and he is a columnist for Time.com, he regularly writes for many publications, including The LA Times, the Washington Post’s On Faith website, The Huffington Post, and the New York Jewish Week. He has been on television numerous times, including the Today Show, Face the Nation, ABC this Morning, and CBS This Morning. In addition, Wolpe has been featured in series on PBS, A&E, the History channel, and the Discovery channel. Wolpe is the author of eight books, including the national bestseller Making Loss Matter: Creating Meaning in Difficult Times and David: The Divided Heart, a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award (2014).

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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