תְּפִלָּה לְהַצְלָחַת חַיִל הַמַּלְכָּה בְּאֶרֶץ כּוּשׁ | A Prayer for Her Majesty’s Forces in the Sudan, by Rabbi Dr. Nathan Marcus Adler (1885)

Contributor(s):

Aharon N. Varady (transcription), Nathan Marcus Adler and Office of the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations

Shared on:

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

Categories:

🇬🇧 United Kingdom, Military Personnel & Veterans

Tags:

19th century C.E., 57th century A.M., British Empire, British Jewry, Egyptian Jewry, Mahdist War

Source (Hebrew)	Source (English)
יְיָ אֱלֹהֵי הַצְּבָאוֹת עָדֶיךָ נָבֹאָה הַיּוֹם לְהִתְחַנֵּן עַל הָאֲנָשִׁים אַנְשֵׁי חַיִל הָעוֹבְרִים אָרְחוֹת יַמִּים וּמִדְבָּרוֹת חֲלוּצֵי צָבָא לַמִּלְחָמָה בְּאֶרֶץ מֶרְחָק נֶאֱמָנִים בִּמְלַאכְתָּם לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת מִצְוַת הַמַּלְכָּה וְשָׂרֶיהָ׃	O Lord, God of Hosts! we draw nigh unto Thee this day to supplicate Thee on behalf of the brave men who pass through seas and deserts, armed for war in a far-off country, faithful servants of their Queen and of their nation.
אָנָּא שְׁמוֹר צֵאתָם וּבוֹאָם הַצִּילֵם מִכׇּל רָע הָסֵר מִהֶם כׇּל נֶגַע וְכׇל מַחֲלָה יוֹמָם הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ אַל יַכֵּם וְקֶרַח בַּלַּיְלָה סֹךְ לְרֹאשָׁם בְּיוֹם נֶשֶׁק הַלְבִּישֵׁם תְּשׁוּעָה וַתִּיקַר נַפְשָׁם בְּעֵינֶיךָ׃ הוֹרֵה אֶת שָׂרֵי הַצָּבָא אֶת הַדֶּרֶךְ יֵלְכוּ בָהּ וְאֶת הַמַּעֲשֶׂה אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשׂוּן לְמַעַן תִּשְׁקוֹט הָאָרֶץ מִמִּלְחָמָה וְלֹא יִשָּׁמַע בָּה עוֹד חָמָם וְלֹא יִהְיֶה עוֹד שֹׁד וָשֶׁבֶר בִּגְבוּלֶיהָ׃	Preserve, we beseech Thee, their going out and their coming in; preserve them from all evil; keep them from sickness; may the sun not smite them by day, nor the cold by night. Cover their head in the day of battle; gird them with victory; may their lives be precious in Thy sight. Show the leaders of the hosts the way wherein they must go, and the work that they must do, to the end that the land may be at rest, that violence be no more heard within her bounds, neither wasting nor destruction.
רָם עַל רָמִים בָּרֵךְ אֶת הַמַּלְכָּה אֵם אַרְצֵנוּ חֹן אֶת יוֹעֲצֶיהָ מֵאִתְּךָ רוּחַ חָכְמָה וּבִינָה רוּחַ עֵצָה וּגְבוּרָה וּבְהִתְאַסֵּף יַחַד שָׂרֵי הַמְּדִינָה וּבְחִירֶיהָ יְהִי נוֹעַמְךָ עֲלֵיהֶם וּמַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיהֶם כּוֹנֲנֵהוּ׃ שְׁפוֹת שַׁלְוָה וָשׂוֹבַע לְכׇל מַמְלֶכֶת בְּרִיטַנְיַא אֵין פֶּרֶץ וְאֵין יוֹצֵאת וְאֵין צְוָחָה בִּרְחוֹבוֹת קִרְיוֹתֶיהָ׃	Thou who rulest on high! bless the Queen, the mother of our country. Vouchsafe a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of counsel and might to her Ministers, to the nobles of the kingdom and the chosen men thereof assembled in Parliament. Prosper their deliberations, and establish Thou the work of their hands. Grant welfare and plenty to our Empire, that there be no discontent in her borders, no complaining in the streets of her cities.
קָרֵב הַָיָּמִים אֲשֶׁר יִפְרַח רֹב שָלוֹם בָּהֶם עַל פְּנֵי תֵבֵל וּמָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ אַהֲבָה וְאַחֲוָה וְדַעַת אוֹתְךָ חֵי הָעוֹלָמִים אָמֵן׃	Speed the days when abundance of peace will flourish on the face of the earth, when the world will be filled with love and brotherhood and the knowledge of Thee, O living God. Amen.

This prayer for the well-being of Her Majesty’s military forces in the Sudan, was offered by chief rabbi Nathan Marcus Adler for use by the United Hebrew Congregations of the British Empire in the context of British involvement in the Mahdist War, and specifically after news reached Britain of the Battle of Abu Klea in January 1885. A copy of the prayer-pamphlet (from which this transcription was made) was graciously shared on the website of the Blavatnik Archive. (Thank you!)

Source(s)

Prayer for HM’s forces in the Soudan – Hebrew (1885), p. 2

Prayer for HM’s forces in the Soudan – English (1885), p. 3

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.)

Nathan Marcus Adler

Rabbi Dr. Nathan Marcus HaKohen Adler (Natan ben Mordechai ha-Kohen; 13 January 1803 – 21 January 1890) was the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the British Empire from 1845 until his death.

Office of the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations

The Office of the Chief Rabbi is the institutional identity for the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth [UK]. Unlike in other European countries, individuals serving as the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations are not formally designated by an authoritative state or civic body. Rather, the "office" is occupied by the senior rabbi of the United Synagogue, the umbrella institution for its affiliated Orthodox and Ashkenazi synagogues in the United Kingdom. The position of Chief Rabbi in the UK grew out of an 18th century desire among British Jewry for a respected representative figure comparable to the Archbishop of Canterbury for Anglican Christians. Rabbi Aaron Hart (1670–1756), rabbi of the Great Synagogue in London since 1704, was thus regarded by the 1750s as the first of the British chief rabbis. Over the next century and as British Jewry continued to grow, by the tenure of Rabbi Nathan Marcus Adler (from 1845-1890) the communal leadership and halakhic authority of the position had become firmly established. When in 1870, the Great Synagogue joined with four other synagogues, and was formally recognized as the United Synagogue by an Act of Parliament, the Chief Rabbi was legally established as its head. The current chief rabbi of the UHC and senior rabbi of the United Synagogue is Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis. (The Office of the Chief Rabbi should not be mistaken for the London Beit Din, the Court of the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations.)

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Battle of Abu Klea (1885) by William Barnes Wollen

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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)