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BOSTON, Nov. 11th, 1852.
DEAR SIR: The following Prayer which was written for and adopted by our Congregation in place of the Hanosan Teschuoh will, I trust, recommend itself to the approbation of every American Israelite—being, as I fully believe it is, more suitable to our condition as the free citizens of a Republic, then are those prayers used on like occasions in most of our Synagogues which, however variously modified, all betray that they originated in countries where kingly powers, and in many instances oppression prevails towards those professing our creed.
It is also more in harmony with the institutions of our country, for whereas the usual player has “exalt and highly aggrandise” we cannot offer such a prayer without treason to our country, for the office of President, being the most exalted in the gift of the American people, further to exalt or aggrandise the office must be at the expense of their liberty. (Louis Napoleon’s aggrandisement for example.) I also trust that its sentiments in another respect are more in harmony with the improved opinions of our days, for while the European prayer expresses a desire for conquest over their enemies, this prayer asks for universal peace. In conclusion, I need scarcely state that it is given entirely in English, and I believe that improves on the usual rendering part in Hebrew and part English.
I am, most truly and respectfully yours,
A. PRINCE.To ROBERT LYON, Esq.,
Editor of the Asmonean, New York.
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O thou our Father, who fillest the Heavens with thy glory and coverest the earth with thy love, sole and eternal God in whom alone thy people Israel seek for salvation, for with an outstretched hand and a strong arm didst thou deliver our fathers out of the hand of the oppressor. | |
O in thy infinite mercy bless and guide the President of these United States, inspire him and his advisers with wisdom and righteousness, that by their councils, this, our beloved country, may advance in the paths of national virtue and greatness, like as heretofore thou didst through the wisdom of Soloman promote the greatness of Israel. | |
Shed also thy benign blessing on the Governor and all other constituted authorities of this State and city. | |
Endow, we beseach thee, the people of the United States and all the nations of the earth with thy bounty, turn sickness away from midst them, and permit them not to enter the paths of strife, so that nation shall no more war with nation, but all shall love each other like children of a family of whom Thou O God art the Father. In their days and in ours may Judea be saved and Israel dwell in safety.— Amen. |
This prayer for the government of a Republic (in contradistinction to a Kingdom) was offered in a Letter to the Editor by Abraham Prince (as “A. Prince”), an optician representing their Boston congregation, Ohabei Shalom.[1] For more on Abraham Prince, Ohabei Shalom, and Boston’s early Jewish community, find “Boston: A Close Community” by Robert P. Swierenga in The Forerunners: Dutch Jewry in the North American Diaspora (2018). The prayer appeared in The Asmonean (26 November 1852), on page 5. At the time, reformist minded rabbis and congregations in the United States were interested in liturgical alternatives to the form of the prayer for the government found in Hanotén Teshu’ah, to more pointedly or appropriately signal their approval of the representative government that guaranteed their minority rights and equal representation under the Constitution.
Source(s)
Alternate Hanoten Teshua (The Asmonean 26 November 1852), p. 5
Notes
| 1 | For more on Abraham Prince, Ohabei Shalom, and Boston’s early Jewish community, find “Boston: A Close Community” by Robert P. Swierenga in The Forerunners: Dutch Jewry in the North American Diaspora (2018). |
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“Prayer for a Government of a Republic — by Abraham Prince of Ohabei Shalom, Boston (11 November 1852)” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International copyleft license.
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