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Guest Chaplain: Rabbi Norman Zdanowitz, of the Congregation Beth Abraham, Auburn, Maine
Date of Prayer: 21 February 1966
Sponsor: n/a
Date of Prayer: 21 February 1966
Sponsor: n/a
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| Contribute a translation | Source (English) |
|---|---|
O Heavenly Father, inoculate with the radiance of Thy divine spirit those who are charged with the great responsibility of directing the affairs of our glorious and beloved country. Endow them with insight and foresight in this crucial period to champion and to safeguard mankind’s inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.[1] As found in the US Declaration of Independence, stylized by Benjamin Franklin and penned by Thomas Jefferson, famously signed 4 July 1776. Scholars differ as to whether the historical origin of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” are rooted in Lockean Rights (following after the “Virginia Declaration of Rights” written by George Mason and adopted 12 June 1776) or possibly in Jefferson’s self-proclaimed Epicureanism. –Aharon Varady. | |
May the patriotism, wisdom, and courageous spirit of George Washington, whose birthday we reverently pause to celebrate tomorrow, ever serve as a lantern to illumine their path, to maintain a Government “which gives to bigotry no sanction and to persecution no assistance.”[5] From George Washington’s “Letter to the Jews of Newport,” August 17th, 1790. | |
Vouchsafe Thy blessings upon the gallant men of our Armed Forces who have gone forth to arrest the reckless wave of unprovoked aggression and bloodshed on distant shores. Crown their efforts with triumph and enable them to achieve the suppression of tyranny and lawlessness. | |
May the United States remain a citadel of freedom and a watchtower from which rays of light and hope shall be beamed to those who are now living in darkness, poverty, and despair. | |
Hasten the day when the millennial hope of justice, peace, and brotherly love shall be established and will prevail throughout the world. Amen. |
This prayer of the guest chaplain was offered in the second month of the second session of the 89th US Congress in the House of Representatives, and published in the Congressional Record, vol. 112, Part 3 (1966), page 3460.
Source(s)
Congressional Record, vol. 112, part 3 (1966), p. 3460
Notes
| 1 | As found in the US Declaration of Independence, stylized by Benjamin Franklin and penned by Thomas Jefferson, famously signed 4 July 1776. Scholars differ as to whether the historical origin of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” are rooted in Lockean Rights (following after the “Virginia Declaration of Rights” written by George Mason and adopted 12 June 1776) or possibly in Jefferson’s self-proclaimed Epicureanism. –Aharon Varady. |
|---|---|
| 2 | President Lyndon B. Johnson. |
| 3 | Vice-president Hubert Humphrey. |
| 4 | A gesture to his audience, the attending members of the House of Representatives. |
| 5 | From George Washington’s “Letter to the Jews of Newport,” August 17th, 1790. |
“Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Norman Zdanowitz on 21 February 1966” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication 1.0 Universal license.
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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
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