Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Mordecai L. Brill on 28 May 1957

Contributor(s):

Mordecai L. Brill, the Congressional Record of the United States of America and Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Shared on:

19 May 2024 under the Creative Commons Zero (CC 0) Universal license a Public Domain dedication

Categories:

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

Tags:

85th Congress, 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., English vernacular prayer, U.S. House of Representatives, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, תחינות teḥinot

Guest Chaplain: Rabbi Mordecai L. Brill, Temple Beth Israel, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Sponsor: n/a
Date of Prayer: 28 May 1957

Contribute a translation	Source (English)
	Eternal God, Thou who hast been with all the generations of man— be with us as we strive to bring closer to fruition the divine blueprint which Thou hast given us in sacred Scripture.
	Humbly we would ask Thy guidance as we approach each day the ever-growing complexities of the modern world. We are humbled and chastened by the heavy burdens of leadership which devolve on our shoulders. We know that the welfare and well-being of millions lie within the scope of our work, and to Thee we turn for guidance.
	Thou hast given us a goodly portion, a precious heritage. “Our lines have fallen in pleasant places.” (Psalms 16:6) Our beloved land is one of beauty and bounty, of freedom and plenty. With grateful hearts we ask Thy help in keeping it ever thus.
	Guide our deliberations at all times so that no pettiness of spirit or selfish interest mar our endeavors.
	Grant us wisdom and understanding together with constant awareness of the problems of men and nations.
	May our work lead to the ending of war and hunger throughout the world, to the end of strife and misunderstanding both within and without our borders.
	Keep us constantly aware that we are our brother’s keeper.^[1] Find Genesis 4:9-10.
	May the day come speedily when men will know bread and freedom, security and happiness as their daily portion.
	Above all, we would ask Thy help in replacing complacency with concern, indifference with dedication to the cause of freemen everywhere.
	As we approach Memorial Day, may its meaning impress itself upon our hearts and minds so that we make our country, through its elected representatives, a mighty force for justice and righteousness in the assembly of nations bringing closer the words of the Hebrew prophet, “Nation will no longer lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war any more.” (Micah 4:3, Isaiah 2:4)
	And help us to live in accordance with the words of Thy inspired seer: “It hath been told thee, O man, what is good and what the Lord doth require of thee: To do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.” (Micah 6:8) Amen.

This prayer of the guest chaplain was offered in the fifth month of the first session of the 85th US Congress in the House of Representatives, and published in the Congressional Record, vol. 103, part 6 (28 May 1957), page 7889. The prayer was offered immediately before Konrad Adenauer, Chancelor of the Federal Republic of Germany, addressed the House chamber.

Source(s)

Congressional Record, vol. 103, part 6 (28 May 1957), p. 7889

Notes

Notes
1	Find Genesis 4:9-10.

Mordecai L. Brill

Rabbi Mordecai Louis Brill (1910-1994), born in Indianapolis, Indiana, was a Conservative movement rabbi in the United States. After attending the Hebrew Theological College in Chicago, he was ordained at the rabbinical school of the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1936. Rabbi Brill's first pulpit, in 1936, was at Rodeph Sholom Congregation in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. In 1940, he moved to Brith Sholom in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania where he was also director of B'nai B'rith youth organizations at nearby schools. In 1943, Rabbi Brill left Bethlehem to serve as an army chaplain. Brill returned to civilian life in 1946, and served as rabbi of the Beth El Synagogue in Waterbury, Connecticut until 1950. He pursued a doctorate at JTS; his dissertation was entitled My Experiences and Observations as a Jewish Chaplain in World War II. Rabbi Brill later served as the spiritual leader of the Greenburgh Hebrew Center, in Dobbs Ferry, New York, and as a hospital chaplain at the Holy Cross Hospital of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Chairman of the Synagogue Council of America’s Committee on the Family, in 1967, he was chosen by the National Council of Churches to chair their Interfaith Commission on Marriage and Family Life. After this, he collaborated with William H. Genné in writing and editing two books: Marriage: An Interfaith Guide for All Couples (1970) and Write your own wedding: A personal guide for couples of all faiths (1973). He contributed a syndicated news column, "Footnotes to History: It Happened to the Jews." In 1988, he was honored as Chaplain of the Year, by the National Association of Jewish Chaplains. (If you know more about Rabbi Brill, please contact us and contribute additional details to this short bio.)

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)

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.)

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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 Mordecai L. Brill on 28 May 1957

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