Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. Senate: Rabbi Morton M. Kanter on 9 June 1971

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

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

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92nd Congress, 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., English vernacular prayer, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, U.S. Senate, תחינות teḥinot

Guest Chaplain: Rabbi Morton M. Kanter, Congregation Beth El, Detroit, Michigan
Sponsor: Sen. Robert Griffin (R-MI)
Date of Prayer: 9 June 1971

Contribute a translation	Source (English)
	Our Heavenly Father. King David’s Psalm implores: “Seek peace and pursue it.” (Psalms 34:14) The rabbis who came late said: “You must seek peace in your own place and pursue it even to another place as well.” (Vayikra Rabbah 9.9)
	We seek Thy guidance and inspiration for those who are charged with the great responsibility of directing the affairs of our Nation. May Thy spirit dwell richly within them as they manifest abiding courage and sincere faith to work for freedom, justice, and peace within our Nation and throughout the earth. Grant them loving kindness and patience, understanding and foresight so that they will ever be warmed by Thy love and nurtured by Thy teachings.
	Bless, O Father, all the people of our country. In our relations with one another, may we ever remember that we are all equally dependent upon Thee. Bring us together in an indissoluble bond of friendship and brotherhood, that, unitedly, we may promote the welfare of our country and increase the happiness of our fellow men.
	Hear Thou our prayer and bless us with strength and peace. Amen.

This prayer of the guest chaplain was offered in the sixth month of the first session of the 92nd US Senate, and published in the Congressional Record, vol. 117 part 14 (9 June 1971), page 18843.

Source(s)

Congressional Record, vol. 117, part 14 (9 June 1971), p. 18843

Morton Milford Kanter

Rabbi Morton Milford Kanter (1927-1996) was a Reform movement rabbi in the United States. He served in World War II and was a Hillel staff member at Miami University before being ordained by Hebrew Union College in 1955. He served Ohio congregations in Piqua (Anshe Emeth) and Dayton (Temple Israel), before coming to Sinai Reform Temple in Bay Shore, New York and Temple Beth El in Detroit, Michigan. (We know little else about Rabbi Kantor. If you know more and would like to honor his life and career with another pertinent detail, 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)

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. Senate: Rabbi Morton M. Kanter on 9 June 1971

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