This prayer was first published by the Office of the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of Great Britain and the Commonwealth in June 2014, as “Prayer Issued for Missing Israeli Teenagers,” writing: “The prayer…currently being recited across Israel for missing teenagers Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Shaar and Eyal Yifrach, was issued today to Rabbanim of the United Hebrew Congregations by Chief Rabbi Mirvis.”
Recitation of this psalm and mi sheberakh seem appropriate to me in the case of unconscionable, immoral, and unjust state policies that separate children from their caregivers. To help fulfill the mitsvah of ransoming captives, please contribute to funds paying out bail bonds and demonstrate your opposition to these policies. –Aharon Varady
Source (Hebrew) | Translation (English) | Translation (Arabic) |
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תהלים קמב |
Psalm 142 |
المزمور الثاني و الأربعون بعد المائة: |
מַשְׂכִּיל לְדָוִד, בִּהְיוֹתוֹ בַמְּעָרָה תְפִלָּה׃ קוֹלִי אֶל יְהוָה אֶזְעָק, קוֹלִי אֶל יְהוָה אֶתְחַנָּן׃ אֶשְׁפֹּךְ לְפָנָיו שִׂיחִי, צָרָתִי לְפָנָיו אַגִּיד׃ בְּהִתְעַטֵּף עָלַי רוּחִי וְאַתָּה יָדַֽעְתָּ נְתִיבָתִי, בְּאֹֽרַח זוּ אֲהַלֵּךְ טָמְנוּ פַח לִי׃ הַבֵּיט יָמִין וּרְאֵה וְאֵין לִי מַכִּיר, אָבַד מָנוֹס מִמֶּֽנִּי אֵין דּוֹרֵשׁ לְנַפְשִׁי׃ זָעַקְתִּי אֵלֶֽיךָ יְהוָה אָמַֽרְתִּי אַתָּה מַחְסִי, חֶלְקִי בְּאֶֽרֶץ הַחַיִּֽים׃ הַקְשִֽׁיבָה אֶל רִנָּתִי כִּי דַלּֽוֹתִי מְאֹד, הַצִּילֵֽנִי מֵרֹדְפַי כִּי אָמְצוּ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃ הוֹצִֽיאָה מִמַּסְגֵּר נַפְשִׁי לְהוֹדוֹת אֶת שְׁמֶֽךָ, בִּי יַכְתִּֽרוּ צַדִּיקִים כִּי תִגְמֹל עָלָי׃ |
A prayer by David at a time of enlightenment, written when he was hiding in the cave. My voice calls out to YHVH, my voice begs my YHVH to listen. I pour out my words before Hashem to tell of all my troubles. When my soul wraps itself around me protectively, you know my path – on every road I take they lay traps for me. Look to the right and see – I don’t recognize anyone; I have lost all avenues of escape, no one is looking for me. I call out to you, YHVH, I say you are my protector, my portion is still in the land of the living. Listen to my prayer for my calamity is boundless; rescue me from my pursuers who are so much mightier than me. Take my soul out of bondage so that it can thank your name; the righteous will crown themselves with me when you act with benevolence towards me. |
قصة لداوود عليه السلام عندما كان مختبئاً في المغارة. صلاة: من خلال صلاتي إلى الرب، أصرخ بصوتي إلى الرب بشكواي، راجياً أن يسمعني، وأحدثه بضيقي. أنت أعلم بمسلكي – في كل طريقٍ أسلكها، ينصبوا لي فخاً -. عندما تلتف روحي في داخلي حولي من أجل الحماية، ألتفتُ إلى يميني فلا أجدُ من يهتم لأمري أو يحميني. فقدتُ كل طرقِ الهرب. لم يبق لي ملاذٌ أو من يسألُ عني سواك. أدعوك يا ربي قائلاً أنت ملجأي. ما زال لي نصيبٌ في أرض الأحياء، فأرجوك أن تُصغِ إلى دعائي لأنني قد تذللتُ كثيراً. أنقذني من مضطهديني فهم أشدُ بأساً مني. فرّج عني محنتي لِتُسَّبِحَ روحي بإسمك فيلتفُ الصدّيقون من حولي ثواباً لي منك. |
מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב יוֹסֵף מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן דָּוִד וּשְׁלֹמֹה הוּא יְבָרֵךְ וְיִשְׁמֹר וְיִנְצֹר אֶת הַשְּׁבוּיִים׃ |
The One who blessed our forefathers, Avraham, Yitsḥak, and Yaakov, Yosef, Moshe, and Aharon, David and Shlomo, may they bless and safeguard and preserve the captives: | |
שמות של השבויים |
name of captive(s) | |
בְּתוֺךְ שְׁאָר אֲחֵינוּ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל הַנְּתוּנִים בְּצָרָה וּבְשִׁבְיָה. בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁהַקָּהָל מִתְפַּלֵּל בַּעֲבוּרָם, הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יִמָּלֵא רַחֲמִים עֲלֵיהֶם, וְיוֹצִיאֵם מֵחֹשֶׁךְ וְצַלְמָוֶת, וּמוֹסְרוֹתֵיהֶם יְנַתֵּק, וּמִמְּצוּקוֹתֵיהֶם יוֹשִׁיעֵם, וִישִׁיבֵם מְהֵרָה לְחֵיק מִשְׁפְּחוֹתֵיהֶם. |
among their brethren in the House of Yisrael in trouble and captivity. In the merit of the prayers of this holy assemblage who pray for them, may the blessed Holy One shower compassion over them, and deliver them from darkness and strife, remove their bondage, deliver them from their afflictions, and return them speedily to their families. | |
”יוֹדוּ לַה׳ חַסְדּוֹ וְנִפְלְאוֹתָיו לִבְנֵי אָדָם“ (תהלים קז:לא) |
Let them give thanks to YHVH for his lovingkindness, and for his miracles to the children of Adam.[1] Psalms 107:31 | |
וִיקֻיַּם בָּהֶם מִקְרָא שֶׁכָּתוּב: ”וּפְדוּיֵי ה׳ יְשׁוּבוּן וּבָאוּ צִיּוֹן בְּרִנָּה וְשִׂמְחַת עוֹלָם עַל רֹאשָׁם שָׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה יַשִּׂיגוּ וְנָסוּ יָגוֹן וַאֲנָחָה“ (ישעיהו לה:י) וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן. |
And establish for them that what is written, “And the ransomed of YHVH shall return, and come with singing unto Tsiyon, and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; They shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”[2] Isaiah 35:10 and let us say, Amen. |

“תהלים קמ״ב | Psalms 142 and a Mi sheBerakh for those in captivity (or whose whereabouts are unknown)” is shared by the living contributor(s) with a Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication 1.0 Universal license.
In the event of the abduction of three Jewish Israeli teenagers in 2014, ( גיל־עד מיכאל בן בת גלים (שעאר) | Gilad Michael ben Bat Galim, יעקב נפתלי בן רחל דבורה (פרנקל) | Yaakov Naftali ben Rachel Devorah, and אייל בן איריס תשורה (יפרח) | Eyal ben Iris Teshurah), two of which were students of Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz’s Mekor Haim Yeshiva High School in Jerusalem, Rav Steinsaltz wrote:
[…] “Misheberakh for those held in Captivity” (Open Siddur) […]