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רִבּוֹן הָעוֹלָמִים אֲדוֹן הַשָּׁלוֹם. יֹצֵר הָאָרֶץ וְעֹשָׂהּ לֹא־תֹהוּ בְרָאָהּ לָשֶׁבֶת יְצָרָהּ. בָּאנוּ לְחַלּוֹת פָּנֶיךָ בִּימֵי בוֹחַן אֵלֶּה לְכׇל יוֹשְׁבֵי אָרֶץ׃ |
Sovereign of the Universe, Lord of Peace, Who hast created the earth not for desolation, but hast founded it to be inhabited, we turn to Thee for Thy help and grace at this testing time for all the inhabitants of the earth. |
בְּנֵי־אָדָם בְּאֵימָה וָפַחַד מִתְהַלְּכִים לֵאמֹר מַּה יֵּלֶד יוֹם׃ כָּסֹף נִכְסָפִים לְשָׁלוֹם וָאֱמֶת בָּעוֹלָם׃ תְּפִלָתָם עָדֶיךָ שֶׁלֹא יָשׁוּבוּ לְכִסְלָה וּלְשִׂנְאַת חִנָּם שֶׁל יָמִים עָבָרוּ מְלֵאֵי שׁוֹד וָשֶׁבֶר וְדִמְעָה׃ וְעַתָּה עֵינֵי כֹל תְּלוּיוֹת לְרָאֹשֵי עַמִּים אַדִּירִים הַמִּתְאַסְּפִים עוֹד הַפַּעַם לָעוּץ עֵצָה וְסוֹף־סוֹף לְחַפֵּשׂ דֶרֶךְ תְּבוּנָה וּלְדַבֵּר בְּשָׂפָה בְרוּרָה שֶׁל בִּטָּחוֹן וְאֵמוּן׃ הַיֹּצֵר יַחַד לְבַב אֱנוֹשׁ וּמֵבִין אֶל כׇּל מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם. הַט לִבּוֹת רָאשֵׁי הָעַמִּים אֶל־נְכוֹנָה בְּשָעָה מַכְרִיעָה זוּ. תֵּן בְּלִבָּם רוּחַ אַהֲוָה וְאַחֲוָה. הָסֵר מֵהֶם רוּחַ עִוְעִים וְגֵאוּת וְנָחָה עֲלֵיהֶם רוּחַ עֵצָה וּגְבוּרָה: |
The sons of men walk in fear and anxiety for what the morrow may bring forth. They long for true peace to reign in the world. Their earnest prayer is for no return to the folly and hatred of former days which brought war and destruction and tears. And now the eyes of mankind are turned to the rulers of the great nations who are once again to gather together to take counsel, to seek finally the way of understanding and to speak a clear language of confidence and truth. Thou Who fashionest the minds of men all of them together and understandest the intent of their deeds, direct the hearts of the rulers of the nations aright at this hour of crisis. Implant in them a spirit of love, brotherhood and unity. Remove from their minds the spirit of perverseness and pride, and let there rest upon them the spirit of courageous counsel. |
יַשְׂכִּילוּ וְיָבִינוּ כׇּל־בְּנֵי אָדָם כִּי צְדָקָה תְרוֹמֵם גּוֹי וְלֹא בְכֹחַ יִגְבַּר אִישׁ׃ קָרֵב הַיָּמִים אֲשֶׁר יִוָּדַע בַּגּוֹיִם כִּי אָב אֶחָד לְכֻלָּנוּ וּבוֹרֵא אֶחָד בְּרָאָנוּ. אָמֵן׃ |
O may men learn and understand that righteousness alone exalteth a nation and that by might shall no man prevail. Speedily cause the day to draw near when it shall be known among the nations that we all have one Father and that one Creator hath created us. Amen. |
This “Prayer for the Success of the Four-Power Conference at Geneva, Switzerland (18 July 1955)” was composed in 1955 by the Office of the Chief Rabbi (of the United Hebrew Congregations of the UK and the Commonwealth) for the success of a meeting of the “Big Four” (President Dwight D. Eisenhower of the United States, Prime Minister Anthony Eden of Britain, Premier Nikolai A. Bulganin of the Soviet Union, and Prime Minister Edgar Faure of France), ostensibly to promote international trade, but hopefully as well, to reduce international tensions and make some progress towards ending the Cold War. The prayer was likely written by Rabbi Israel Brodie who had been elected Chief Rabbi in 1948.
We are grateful to Jeffrey Maynard and his blog, Jewish Miscellanies, for sharing page images of this prayer.
Source(s)
“Prayer for the Success of the Four-Power Conference at Geneva, by Rabbi Israel Brodie (Office of the Chief Rabbi of the UK & the Commonwealth, 16 July 1955)” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication 1.0 Universal license.
Aharon N. Varady (editing/transcription)
Israel Brodie
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