Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Ralph B. Hershon on 20 May 1932

Contributor(s):

Aharon N. Varady (transcription), Ralph B. Hershon and the Congressional Record of the United States of America

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15 June 2026 under the Creative Commons Zero (CC 0) Universal license a Public Domain dedication

Categories:

🇺🇸 United States of America, Opening Prayers for Legislative Bodies

Tags:

20th century C.E., 57th century A.M., 72nd Congress, English vernacular prayer, Great Depression in the United States, U.S. House of Representatives, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, תחינות teḥinot

Guest Chaplain: Rabbi Ralph B. Hershon, Temple Beth El, Asbury Park, New Jersey
Sponsor: n/a
Date of Prayer: 20 May 1932

Contribute a translation	Source (English)
	Almighty God, frail humanity stands bewildered in this great confusion which has covered the face of the earth. Prostrated before this untoward desolation of peace and confused by the colossal problems of the day they know not whither to turn. Man, who has vainly tried to pyramid gigantic power and derisively challenged the prophetic dictum to love mercy, to pursue justice, and to walk humbly with thy God, stands like a beggar with his cap in his hand at Thy throne, O God, seeking now Thy protection and imploring Thy guidance.
	Upon these blessed United States and this august assembly a major proportion of this world’s responsibility fate seems to have placed, to give succor to the needy, aid to the weary, help to the stricken, and hope to the world.
	Bless us, then, O God, that the deliberations and the convocations of this House may be forever guided by Thy wisdom, and that from the lips of those whose voices reverberate in these Halls may there always come an echo of humility and prayer. For the purest offering of prayer is that which springs from our sympathy with the afflicted and our compassion with the downtrodden. Free from all selfish motives it inspires the love of our fellow men and sanctifies the purposes for which we strive. As the sweet singer of Israel saith, “The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him” (Lamentations 3:24).
	So be with us, O God, this day and evermore. We ask this in Thy own name, O Heavenly Father. Amen. Amen.

This prayer of the guest chaplain was offered in the sixth month of the first session of the 72nd US House of Representatives, and published in the Congressional Record, vol. 75 part 10 (20 May 1932), pp. 10812-10813.

Source(s)

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain – Ralph Hershon (House of Representatives, 20 May 1932), p. 10812

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain – Ralph Hershon (House of Representatives, 20 May 1932), p. 10813

Aharon N. Varady (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.)

Ralph B. Hershon

Rabbi Ralph B. Hershon (1890-), born in Volozhin, Russia, was a Reform movement rabbi in the United States. He studied at Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati and was ordained at the Jewish Institute of Religion. He received his AB Lincoln Memorial University (Harrowgate, TN). He served as rabbi in Lewiston, Maine and at Temple Beth El in Asbury Park. He was a national speaker for the Zionist Organization of America and was an active member of the American Jewish Congress and Keren Hayeson. He served on the national commitee of the Joint Distribution Committee. Unfortunately, we know very little about Rabbi Hershon's life and career. If you know more, please contact us.

the Congressional Record of the United States of America

The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress, published by the United States Government Printing Office and issued when Congress is in session. Indexes are issued approximately every two weeks. At the end of a session of Congress, the daily editions are compiled in bound volumes constituting the permanent edition. Statutory authorization for the Congressional Record is found in Chapter 9 of Title 44 of the United States Code. (wikipedia)

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ויהי נעם אדני אלהינו עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננהו׃ (תהלים צ:יז) · "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)

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Ralph B. Hershon on 20 May 1932

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