Morning Prayer [before Work], by Lilian Helen Montagu (1895)

Contributor(s):

Aharon N. Varady (editing/transcription) and Lilian Helen Montagu

Shared on:

8 May 2023 under the Creative Commons Zero (CC 0) Universal license a Public Domain dedication

Categories:

Labor, Fulfillment, and Parnasah, Birkhot haShaḥar, Addenda

Tags:

West Central Girls' Club, 19th century C.E., תחינות teḥinot, 57th century A.M., Jewish Women's Prayers, English vernacular prayer, teḥinot in English, paraliturgical modeh ani

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Contribute a translation	Source (English)
	Morning prayer.
	My God,— By Thy great mercy I have lived through another night, and rise this morning with new strength.
	Help me, O Lord, to spend a righteous day. Grant that I may do my work well and thoroughly, and advance in virtue and godliness.
	O Lord, an idle life is displeasing unto Thee: a life empty of good work is a life of sin in Thy sight. O God, give me strength and courage, so to use every hour, that none of my time may be spent in vain.
	Grant that I may keep strict guard over my actions, words, and thoughts, so that I may not be impatient, bold or rude. Let me ever remember that Thou art my God, and that I am Thy handmaid. Let me spend a worthy day, so that I may not be ashamed.
	During the day I shall have dealings with men and women belonging to a different faith. Help me always to remember that all who do righteously are equally pleasing in Thy sight.
	But since I belong to a race upon whom Thou hast showered special favours, help me to show my gratitude unto Thee by trying to lead a specially good life. Give me strength that I may be equal to my great duties to Thee, O Lord, my heavenly Father!
	In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand; for thou knowest not which shall prosper, whether this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good. (Ecclesiastes 11:6)

“Morning Prayer” was written by Lilian Helen Montagu and published in Prayers for Jewish Working Girls (1895), pp. 7-8.

Source(s)

. Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication . 1.0 . Universal .

“Morning Prayer [before Work], by Lilian Helen Montagu (1895)” 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.)

Lilian Helen Montagu

The Hon. Lilian Helen "Lily" Montagu, CBE (22 December 1873 – 22 January 1963) was the first woman to play a major role in Progressive Judaism. Until the age of 15, she was educated at Doreck College, and privately educated thereafter. In 1893 she founded with Emily Marion Harris the West Central Jewish Girls Club (which subsequently merged into the Jewish Girls' Brigade). She was active in social improvement, particularly in respect to unemployment, sweat shops and bad housing. In 1901 and 1902, Montagu laid the groundwork for the establishment of the Jewish Religious Union in London. In February 1902 she arranged the first meeting of the Jewish Religious Union for the Advancement of Liberal Judaism at her sister Henrietta Franklin's house. The Union set up the first synagogue in Liberal Judaism in the UK and helped found the World Union for Progressive Judaism. Montagu was a founding member with her sister of the Jewish League for Woman Suffrage. She sat on the executive committee and led the meetings in prayer. Following the retirement of Leo Baeck, Montagu served for a brief stint (1955–1959) in her 80s as president of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, before handing the reins over to Solomon Freehof.

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morning prayer (Lilian H. Montagu 1895) – cropped

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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