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| Source (Hebrew) | Translation (English) |
|---|---|
Prayer of Intercession. | |
אֵל נוֹרָא עֲלִילָה. עָמְקוּ מַחְשְׁבוֹתֶֽיךָ מְאֹד. וּבֶן אָדָם לֹא יַכִּיר הֲלִיכוֹתֶֽיךָ בַּקֹּֽדֶשׁ בַּעֲשׂוֹתְךָ נוֹרָאוֹת לֹא נְקַוֶּה׃ הִנֵּה הָמוּ גוֹיִם מָטוּ מַמְלָכוֹת. יוֹם עֶבְרָה וְצָרָה בָּאָֽרֶץ. יוֹם שֹׁאָה וּתְרוּעָה. יוֹם שַׁמָּה וְשַׁעֲרוּרָה.[1] probably אָרוּר is intended here. וּמִי יֹאמַר לְךָ מַה־תַּעֲשֶׂה׃ |
Almighty God, unsearchable are thy thoughts; and no mortal can fathom thy ways of mystery and holiness. Awe fills us when thou causest terrible things to come to pass. Behold, peoples rage and kingdoms totter; a day of wrath and desolation, a day of alarm and sorrow [a day of devastation and curse] is upon us— and who can say unto thee, What doest thou? |
אָנָּא שֹׁפֵט תֵּבֵל בְּצֶֽדֶק וּלְאֻמִּים בְּמֵישָׁרִים. עֲנֵֽנוּ בְיוֹם קָרְאֵֽנוּ. וְצַדְּקֵֽנוּ בַּמִּשְׁפָּט. כִּי אָנוּ לְיָהּ וְעֵינֵֽינוּ לְיָהּ׃ גָּלוּי וְיָדֽוּעַ לִפְנֵי כִסֵּא כְבוֹדֶֽךָ כִּי עַל דְּבַר אֱמֶת וָצֶֽדֶק יָצָֽאנוּ לַמִּלְחָמָה׃ אָכֵן לְמַֽעַן שְׁמוֹר בְּרִית חֵרְפוּ בְּנֵי בְרִטַנִיָּא נַפְשָׁם לָמוּת. וּלְהַצִּיל עַמִּים צַדִּיקִים מֵחֲמַת הַמֵּצִיק. וּלְהַשְׁבִּית שַׁמּוֹת וְשַׁעֲרוּרוֹת מִן הָאָֽרֶץ׃ |
O Thou who judgest the nations with equity, answer us when we call; vindicate us in judgment, for in thee alone is our hope. Verily, in a cause of righteousness and loyalty have we gone out to war. It is to keep our covenant in faithfulness, that Britain’s sons are imperilling their lives unto death to rescue guiltless nations from the fury of the oppressor, and to cause desolations and abominable dealings to cease on earth. |
אַתָּה הַמּוֹשֵׁל בְּגֵאוּת הַיָּם וְעֹשֶֹה מַלְאָכָיו רוּחוֹת. יָדַֽעְנוּ גַם יָדַֽעְנוּ אִם נִסַּק שָׁמַֽיִם שָׁם אָֽתָּה. וְנִשְׁכְּנָה בְּאַחֲרִית יָם גַּם שָׁם מְעֹנָה לָֽנוּ אֱלֹהֵי קֶֽדֶם. וּמִתַּֽחַת זְרֹעֹת עוֹלָם׃ בְּיָדְךָ נַפְקִיד נַפְשׁוֹת יוֹרְדֵי הַיָּם בָּאֳנִיּוֹת וְרוֹכְבֵי רֽוּחַ בְּמִצְוַת הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ לַֽיְלָה וָיוֹם הֵם שׁוֹקְִדִים לְהַרְחִיק חֶֽרֶב הַיּוֹנָה מִגְּבוּלֵֽנוּ׃ פַּלְּטֵם מִכׇּל רָעָה חַלֵּץ נַפְשָׁם מִמָּֽוֶת וְאֶת עֵינֵֽינוּ מִן דִּמְעָה׃ אָנָּא יִהְיוּ עֵינֶֽיךָ בְּרַחֲמִים פְּקוּחוֹת עַל חֵילֵֽינוּ וְעַל חֵילֵי אַנְשֵׁי בְרִיתֵֽנוּ׃ אֹֽרֶךְ יָמִים תַּשְׁבִּיעֵם לְהָגֵן בְּעַד אַרְצֵֽנוּ׃ עוֹד יוֹסִֽיפוּ חַזְּקֵם וְאַמְּצֵם וְיוֹסִֽיפוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת עוֹז וְתַעֲצוּמוֹת בְּאֶֽרֶץ הַחַיִּים. וּתְהִלָּתָם אִיִּים יַגִּֽידוּ׃ |
O thou who rulest the raging seas and makest the winds thy messengers, we know that we can never wander from thy presence. If we ascend into heaven thou art there, and if we dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there thou, O Eternal, art our refuge— and underneath are thy everlasting arms. Into thy keeping, O Lord, we commend the lives of our brave mariners and airmen [in the King’s command]. Day and night do they watch to keep the sword of devastation far from our borders. Preserve them from every peril; deliver their souls from death and our eyes from tears. In thy mercy protect our land forces and those of our Allies. [With long life, satisfy them[2] Cf. Psalms 91:16 part. for defending our country.] Gird them with strength and courage; and let them continue to perform mighty and victorious deeds, so that the distant isles recount their glory. |
אָב הָרַחֲמִים. עַד־הֵֽנָּה עֲזָֽרוּנוּ רַחֲמֶֽיךָ. וְלֹא־עֲזָבֽוּנוּ חֲסָדֶֽיךָ. אָנָּא הָגֵן בְּעַד כׇּל יוֹשְׁבֵי בְרִטַנִיָּא. וְהַצִּילֵם מֵרַֽעַשׁ וּמִפַּחַד בַּלֵּילוֹת׃ יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶֽיךָ שֶׁלֹּא יֵעָשׂוּ בָתֵּיהֶם קִבְרֵיהֶם׃ מַהֵר יִקַדְּמֽוּנוּ רַחֲמֶֽיךָ. וְשַׂמֵּֽחַ יֵעָשׂוּ בִּבְשׁוֹרוֹת טוֹבוֹת לִבּוֹת הַדּוֹאֲגִים עַל שְׁלוֹם קְרוֹבֵיהֶם׃ שְׁלַח רְפוּאָה לַחוֹלִים. וְתַנְחוּמֶֽיךָ יְשַׁעַשְׁעוּ נַפְשׁוֹת הַבּוֹכִים עַל יְדִידֵיהֶם כִּי אֵינָם׃ אַל נָא לָנֶֽצַח תֹּֽאכַל חָֽרֶב׃ חַדֵּשׁ לֵב טָהוֹר וְרֽוּחַ נָכוֹן בְּקֶֽרֶב עָם וָעָם. וְגַם קִנְאָתָם וְשִׂנְאָתָם תֹּאבַד לָעַד׃ כַּלֵּה קוֹל רַֽעַשׁ מִלְחָמָה מֵעָלֵֽינוּ׃ וְהָיָה מַעֲשֵׂה הַשָּׁלוֹם צֶֽדֶק וּמִשְׁפָּט הַשְׁקֵט וּדְרוֹר לְכׇל יוֹשְׁבֵי תֵבֵל. אָמֵן וְאָמֵן׃ |
Father of Mercy. Hitherto Thy tender mercies have helped us, and Thy lovingkindnesses have not left us; oh, shield the men, women and children of our beloved country [Britain], and save them from destruction and terror by night. May it be Thy will that their homes do not become their graves. Speedily may Thy mercies meet us, and cheer with gladsome tidings the hearts of those who tremble for the welfare of their absent kinsfolk. Send healing to the wounded, and Thy heavenly comfort to all who weep for the loss of those dear unto them. O let not the sword devour forever; implant Thou a new heart and a faithful spirit in the nations, so that envy and hatred perish from among the children of men. Speedily cause the roar of battle to cease; and may confidence, justice, and liberty be the fruits of peace for all the dwellers on earth. Amen. |
“Prayer for Intercession,” almost certainly written by Rabbi Joseph H. Hertz, was published in the Prayer Book of Jewish Members of H.M. Forces (Office of the Chief Rabbi 1940), pp. 18-19.
Source(s)
“Prayer of Intercession [for Britain in the War against Nazi Germany], by Rabbi Joseph H. Hertz (Office of the Chief Rabbi of the British Empire 1940)” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International copyleft license.
Aharon N. Varady (editing/transcription)
Joseph Herman Hertz
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