Sabato Morais • the Open Siddur Project ✍ פְּרוֺיֶקְט הַסִּדּוּר הַפָּתוּחַ

שיר מזמור לפורים | Shir Mizmor l’Purim, an anti-Prohibition drinking song for Purim by Rabbi Sabato Morais (1889)

Sabato Morais — Mon, 11 Jul 2022 21:42:08 +0000

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
שיר מזמור לפורים	Shir Mizmor l’Purim
פּוּרִים פּוּרִים! בָּרוּךְ תִּהְיֶה מַשִּׁיב רוּחַ פִּגְרֵי מֵתִים. זָכוּר לַטּוֹב! שִׁמְךָ תִּחְיֶה בְּלֵב אוֹהֲבֵי הַשּׁוֹתִים. הַמּוֹעֲדִים כֻּלָּם יִתַּֽמּוּ מִתּוֹךְ הָעָם מֹשֶׁה גָּאַל לְסוֹף יָמִים בַּחוּץ יֻשַּֽׂמוּ לִשְׁלוֹמְךָ לְבַד נִשְׁאַל	Purim, Purim, be thou blesséd! Thou can’st stay the parting soul— Honored mayest thou live forever In their hearts who love the bowl! Cease shall holy day and high day From their midst, whom Moses saved— At time’s end. But thee to ransom We again would be enslaved!
כִּי כֵן נִגְזַר בִּזְמַן קַדְמוֹן בִּתְלוּת הָמָן עֲלֵי הָעֵץ “לִזְכֹּר הַנֵּס קָרְאוּ הָמוֹן לְהִשְׁתַּכֵּר עֲדִי אֵין קֵץ” אַל תִּפְחֲדוּ בְּהֶֽעֱרִים סוֹד רָאשֵׁי כַּת ה־פְּרוֹהִיבִּֽישׁוֹן בִּמְסִלּוֹתָם יִרְבֶּה הַשֹּׁד לֹא יַאֲרִֽיכוּ עוֹד לָשׁוֹן!	T’was of old decreed, when Haman Dangled from the lofty trunk, “Yearly to recall this wonder, Let the crowd get jolly drunk!” Fear not when the Prohibition Leaders meet, the tongue to wag, Wait till after the election, They’ll not be so apt to brag.
לִשְׁנַת מִשֶּׁנִּכְנַס אֲדָר מַׄרְׄבִּׄיׄןׄ בְּׄשִׂׄמְׄחָׄהׄ לְפַׄקׄ	Adar Sheni 12th 5649

This “Shir Mizmor l’Purim” by Rabbi Sabato Morais (we think) was first published in The Jewish Exponent on 15 March 1889. It was preserved by Rabbi Sabato Morais in his ledger, an archive of newsclippings recording material he contributed to the press, among other announcements. (Many thanks to the Library of the University of Pennsylvania for helping to make this resource accessible.) Vocalization thanks to Isaac Gantwerk Mayer.

Source(s)

Shir Mizmor l’Purim (Sabato Morais, Jewish Exponent 15 March 1889)

Prayer after the death of President Ulysses S. Grant, by Rabbi Sabato Morais (8 August 1885)

Sabato Morais — Thu, 28 Dec 2023 21:32:31 +0000

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	Sovereign Lord! The sages of antiquity have taught us to believe that bodily trials cleanse away the impurities of the soul.
	May the excruciating pains borne with fortitude by Thy servant, Ulysses S. Grant,^[1] Ulysses S. Grant (April 27, 1822 – July 23, 1885), the 18th President of the United States served from March 4, 1869 – March 4, 1877. atone for his shortcomings.^[2] Possibly a reference to the infamous General Order №11, sent out by General Ulysses S. Grant on 17 December 1862, the single greatest act of government antisemitism in U.S. history.
	May the supplications of a whole people wing up his spirit to the regions where the martyrs of Liberty have been imparadised.
	Deign, O God! to send Thy angels to announce to the deliverer of our Union forgiveness of sins, and the awarding of unalloyed bliss, surpassing all earthly delights and glorifications.
	Amen.

This prayer by Rabbi Sabato Morais after the death of President Ulysses S. Grant (April 27, 1822 – July 23, 1885) concludes a eulogy published in the The Jewish Record on 14 August 1885, “General Grant: Substance of a Discourse Delivered Last Sabbath by the Rev. S. Morais.” A note in the preface to the article dates the eulogy to the preceding Sabbath, 8 August 1885. The article was preserved in a newspaper clipping found on page 338 of the Sabato Morais Ledger.

Source(s)

Prayer in eulogy for Ulysses Grant [Jewish Record 1885-08-14] (Sabato Morais Ledger, p. 338)

Notes

Notes
1	Ulysses S. Grant (April 27, 1822 – July 23, 1885), the 18th President of the United States served from March 4, 1869 – March 4, 1877.
2	Possibly a reference to the infamous General Order №11, sent out by General Ulysses S. Grant on 17 December 1862, the single greatest act of government antisemitism in U.S. history.

Thanksgiving Day prayer in honor of King Umberto Ⅰ of Italy upon the passing of a cholera epidemic, by Rabbi Sobato Morais (28 November 1884)

Sabato Morais — Sun, 26 Nov 2023 02:27:42 +0000

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	Blessings innumerable have the heavens showered down upon fifty-five millions during the cycle of months now returning, and none has been more precious than a deliverance from a disease which covered the south of France and of Italy as with a pall. The agonies of death, and the anguish of its terrors were set before us in the gloomy picture which the submarine cable daily portrayed.
	In it a figure stood out in bold relief, and thereupon our admiring looks dwelt long— Humbert Ⅳ,^[1] Umberto Ⅰ of Italy (1844-1900), who reigned from 1878-1900. heroic in the field of humanity, scattering broadcast the seeds of beneficence. His loving kindness to his cholera stricken subjects, is the brightest gem in his kingly crown.
	From hence we greet the consoler in the hour of trouble; him we hail a true nature’s nobleman, more royally great when in search of the hovel of misery than when seated upon a dazzling throne.
	May he continue to merit the loyal affection of the nation, he gently rules, by hygienic and social improvements which will render his self abnegation less needful.
	May the visitation which so sorely tried the successor of Victor Emmanuel^[2] Victor Emmanuel Ⅱ (1820-1878) who reigned from 1849-1861, the first king of a united Italy since the 6th century. His successor was Umberto Ⅰ. be palsied when attempting to come near us. The Lord, who has spoken through creation and prophecy, bids us resort to wise measures which will paralyze the arm of a destructive infection. Cleanliness and continence, temperance and moderation and a serene confidence in the Sovereign Keeper of our Republic, will speed on to our rescue the angel of health, pure air, bringing food in abundance, heart rejoicing prosperity, without end.
	To Thy guardianship O God! we commit the permanence of this glorious monument of wisdom and righeousness. Thou stoodst by its founders when they designed it in a manner that depth and solidity might lie at it basis. Thou didst endow with a supernal power those who sustained it, when it might have tottered and fallen. Vouchsafe now to breathe a spirit of justice into the man whom a majority of this self-governing people have chosen as chief.
	May the continuance of that grandest of monuments towards which the freedom-loving of every clime hopefully look become the highest of his aspirations, the longing of his very soul. Grant that in his heart beatings he may hear Thy voice directing him to work with fidelity.
	Accompanied by rectitude, may he go forth to fill this land with happiness, “as the waters which cover the sea.” (Habakuk 2:14) Amen.

This prayer in admiration of King Umberto Ⅰ of Italy after the passing of a cholera epidemic was preserved on page 246 of the Sobato Morais Scrapbook (a/k/a, the Morais Ledger) in a clipping from the Philadelphia Inquirer on 28 November 1884, “The Church and Its Duty: Rev. S. Morais on the Limits of Politics in the Pulpit.”

Source(s)

thanksgiving day prayer in admiration of Umberto I (aka Humbert IV) [Philadelphia Enquirer 1884-11-28] (Sabato Morais Ledger, p. 246)

Notes

Notes
1	Umberto Ⅰ of Italy (1844-1900), who reigned from 1878-1900.
2	Victor Emmanuel Ⅱ (1820-1878) who reigned from 1849-1861, the first king of a united Italy since the 6th century. His successor was Umberto Ⅰ.

Prayer in Eulogy for Rabbi George Jacobs, by Rabbi Sabato Morais (18 July 1884)

Sabato Morais — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 00:09:33 +0000

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	O Eternal! Thy ancient prophet, seeing evils approach cried thus: “When I shall abide in darkness, The Lord will be my light.” (Micah 7:8) Vouchsafe O compassionate God! to make Thy creatures, now enshrouded in the gloom of distress, feel the warmth, and behold the brightness of Thy all-irradiating goodness.
	To Thee an only brother, who in agony watched the parting breath of his younger brother, turns his agitated thoughts. Calm his perturbation and fill his heart with the joys, which Thy teachings breathe. For, verily, Thou hast assured us through inspiration that when we pass by the valley of the shadow of death, Thou art still with us, and Thou hast also declared that the upright will dwell in Thy presence.^[1] Cf. Psalms 23:4-6.
	To Thee a wife in enfeebled health, directs her tearful eyes. He who, in the exuberance of youthful love, had chosen her as a life-copartner; the man of her boast, upon whom she trustingly leaned for support, has left her in the anguish of widowhood.
	Deign O Omnipotent God! to renew her vital energies. Enable her to rise above the woful present, and contemplate a future blessed by the success, which will attend the earnest endeavours of those to whom she has given birth.
	May her children ever conform to paternal counsel, and, gifted with intellect and soul-elevating sentiments, become a solace to their mother. May the filial solicitude of the sons and daughters of Thy handmaid, O Lord! prove to her an inexhaustible source of happiness on earth, until Thy call, after a long series of years, will reunite the wife to the husband, who has preceded her in the realms of bliss.
	Infuse O God, into all who bemoan the loss of Thy servant, an eager wish to evince practical sympathy towards the creatures he fondly cherished. Sphered on high, he will then experience sweeter delights at the knowledge of the welfare of his household, and of the esteem in which all the members thereof are held.
	Pardon trespasses, O forgiving God! Reward merits, O just King! and, according to Thy infinite mercy accomplish in all who grieve, the sentence of Jeremiah: “I will change their mourning into joy and will comfort them. I will gladden them out of their sorrow. . . And My people shall be filled with My goodness, saith The Lord.” (Jeremiah 31:13-14) So may it be. Amen.

This prayer in eulogy for Rabbi George Jacobs (1834-1884) is found in conclusion to “In Memoriam. Address Delivered Last Sabbath by Rev. S. Morais” in the Jewish Record, 18 July 1884, a clipping of which was preserved on page 231 of the Sabato Morais Ledger.

Source(s)

Prayer in eulogy for Rev. George Jacobs [Jewish Record, 1884-07-18] (Sabato Morais Ledger, p. 231)

Notes

Notes
1	Cf. Psalms 23:4-6.

Prayer for the Centennial of Ḳ.Ḳ. Miḳveh Israel (Philadelphia), by Rabbi Sabato Morais (30 March 1883)

Sabato Morais — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 21:58:32 +0000

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	Everlasting God! An altar of earth is acceptable in Thy sight, when we lay thereupon feelings of gratitude for Thy unceasing benefits. Yet, man’s natural impulse leads him to choose a place, on entering which the mind may be impressed with Divine awe.
	Therefore Thou, who alone hast framed the human heart, didst bid Thy prophet in the days of yore to erect a Tabernacle, in which the liberated tribes might offer their prayers and oblations.
	When by Thy wakeful Providence the people freed from bondage became a unit under David’s sceptre, Thy royal servant, sought to do Thee honor. Contrasting his gorgeous habitation with the humble tent wherein Thy holy ark was enshrined, he longed to rear unto Thee a Temple with splendor. His son—a man of peace— performed by Thy direction what Thou didst not allow his warlike father to accomplish.
	Since that period, Thy chosen witnesses in the land of promise and in countries of exile, have set aside buildings dedicated to Thy service. Agreeably to the time and to the means possessed, have such structures received at the hands of Thy adorers adornments of appreciable worth.
	Thy suppliants, O Lord! — the Congregation “Hope of Israel”— cited by sentiments akin to those which stirred within the breast of Thy sweet Psalmist, had erected whilom a comely edifice in glory to Thy name. They beheld with pain the injuries, which a score and three years^[1] 23 years prior = 24 May 1860, near the time of the commencement of the Civil War. had wrought therein, and resolved to stay off the threatening decay. Women went forth to gather gold, and the faithful gave of their own to repair the house of God.
	With hymns have we come unto Thy presence, because of our rejoicings. For Thine is the house, and its embellishments are a tribute of our love for Thy worship. Vouchsafe to accept the humble token and destine it to be the agent of salvation.
	Grant O Lord! that our communion herein may purify our hearts and fit us to be patterns of virtue in our homes, and in the daily vocations we pursue.
	Grant that our convocations may fill our minds with a knowledge fostering humility when we prosper, inspiring fortitude in our troubles, resignation to Thy will in time of sorrow.
	And now we implore Thy blessing, O Father! Let it rest on our sisters, who labored to bring this auspicious end to pass, and on their brothers who aided in the completion of the task, and upon all who gave in response to the demand and suitably to their capacities.
	May the merits thus acquired be manifested in the gladsome satisfaction of having done a righteous act, and in the continued fruition of life’s pleasures and prosperity.
	At this on which recalls the mental agony of our ancestors, and their unlooked for liberation in the far off country of the East, we turn gratefully unto Thee, by reason of the tranquility we enjoy in this beloved land of the West.
	Benedictions choice and abundant may flow down from the highest heaven upon the people, that Washington—the man of rectitude— formed, guided and protected.
	May a residue of Israel abide here at ease, watched over by the laws which constitute human defence, and covered beneath the folds of that banner whose motto will ever be, civil and religious liberty to the native and the stranger.
	Grant us this petition O Thou the only God and Saviour of mankind. Amen.

This prayer appears in conclusion to “A Summary of the Centenary History of the Mikve Israel Congregation, by Rev. S. Morais” published in the The Jewish Record on 30 March 1883, a clipping of which is found on page 200in the Sobato Morais Scrapbook (a/k/a, the Morais Ledger).

Source(s)

Centennial Prayer for Ḳ.Ḳ. Mikve Israel [Jewish Record, 1883-03-30] (Sabato Morais Ledger, p. 200)

Notes

Notes
1	23 years prior = 24 May 1860, near the time of the commencement of the Civil War.

Prayer for the United States on Thanksgiving Day after the Assassination of President James A. Garfield, by Rabbi Sabato Morais (24 November 1881)

Sabato Morais — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 05:54:53 +0000

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	And Thou, Omnipotent King! who-dost vouchsafe to raise deliverers for the Union in the hour of peril,— sainted men who stood at the breach to prevent a disrupture, be with us even now.
	Breathe a spirit of wisdom, a spirit of counsel, and the fear of Thee into the rulers of the land. May they understand how great is their responsibility before Thee and all mankind, and prove equal to the exigencies of the time. Grant, we beseech Thee, that their pervading thought, their sole aspiration be the stability of the government set up by the “Mighty” in righteousness. These labored unselfishly to make it immovable as an adamantine rock. Oh! may the broad foundations never shake. The massive pillars continue everlastingly to support the grand fabric!
	Let the boon asked by Thy Psalmist for the faithful tribes, and which concludes the hymn suggestive of the religious instruction chosen for this Thanksgiving day, be felt by every State and every city and every home of this goodly land, as it is written “The Lord will grant his people strength, the Lord will bless His people with peace,” (Psalms 29:11) Peace, perfect peace, command, Thou who art our beneficent Father! to dwell with those who are far and who are near in the American Republic, the seat of political and religious liberty. Amen.

This prayer for the government by Rabbi Sabato Morais, preserved in an undated newspaper clipping from an unknown newspaper, was offered on Thanksgiving Day (24 November) in 1881. It was preserved by Rabbi Sabato Morais in his ledger (p. 234, clipping 414), an archive of newsclippings recording material he contributed to the press, among other announcements. (Many thanks to the Library of the University of Pennsylvania for helping to make this resource accessible.) We were able to date the prayer from the context offered by surrounding clippings that detailed the circumstances in which the prayer was given. Another clipping provided an outline of the sixty-first annual meeting of the Female Hebrew Benevolent Society (founded 1820, thus giving the date of 1881). With that date likely, references to activities in surrounding clippings began to make sense, especially the attention given to the relief work that year of the Alliance Israélite Universelle in eastern Europe. The Kiev pogrom of 1881 began during the spring that year. In the prayer itself, the year 1881 provides the necessary context for understanding Rabbi Morais’s references to the “hour of peril” and “the stability of the government” — the mortal injury to President James A. Garfield shot that summer and who died that fall. When this prayer was offered, Chester A. Arthur, was president of the United States. –Aharon Varady

Source(s)

Prayer (Sabato Morais, Ledger p. 234, clip no. 414)

The Day in the Synagogue (Sabato Morais Ledger p. 234, clip no. 413)

Prayer upon the death of President James A. Garfield, by Rabbi Sabato Morais (after 19 September 1881)

Sabato Morais — Sat, 02 Dec 2023 23:20:02 +0000

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	Heavenly Father! Our minds are troubled, and our hearts unutterably grieved. We had prayed and ardently hoped for a cause of thanksgivings, but amidst universal gloom, lamentations resound through the land. At this hour of national anguish, we fly unto Thee for relief.
	Oh! teach us to understand how the distressing bereavement forced upon us by a loathsome wretch is made to agree with Thy Paternal design. A ray of Thy in finite wisdom will chase away the cloud that hangs over our spirits.
	Not because Garfield was eminently virtuous do we sigh and mourn at his departure. Surely, his righteousness has walked before him and prepared the way to the glories whereto Thou hast uplifted his soul. The loss we deplore is the deprivation of a chief under whose lead the Republic of Thy godly Washington, would have been cleansed from dross, and have reached a higher standard of public morality.
	No more will America profit by the counsel of Thy upright servant. The lips which a live coal from the altar of Purity had touched,^[1] Isaiah 6:6-8. are sealed forever in death. Bent with sorrow we have this day accompanied to its final home the body whose restoration would have been our joy. The tears of Thy afflicted children bedew their countenances, their blessings are wreaths of unfading flowers crowning yonder sepulchre.
	May we, O Heavenly Father! often turn our thoughts thereunto, and, remembering the foul sin of dishonesty which occasioned the opening of that untimely grave, may we vow to carry out the principles of rectitude, which the dear dead has left as a legacy. Grant that our resolves may receive a complete realization through the unswerving adherence of Chester Allan Arthur^[2] The 21st President of the United States, Chester Arthur (1829-1886) served in office from the death of Garfield in 1881 until 1885. to the oath he solemnly took in Thy divine presence. Then will the oppressive feelings which so distress us now find relief.
	Heavenly Father! We commend to Thy grace her whose cheeks, furrowed with age, have more deeply sunk in by reason of the trials and decease of her great son, and with her take also in Thy merciful care the woman whose tenderness of wifely devotion illustrates a character sublimely pious. May the respectful love which millions bear them bring alleviation to their anguish, and Thy signal protection to the surviving offspring of our sainted President prove both a sweet and lasting consolation.
	Oh! Shield America from calamities, exalt her in righteousness, and keep her as ensign to the world of national probity and universal freedom until time shall be no more. Amen.

This prayer by Rabbi Sabato Morais after the death of President James Garfield is recorded in an undated newspaper clipping preserved on page 176 of the Sabato Morais Ledger. The clipping appears next to one printed in the Jewish Record on 30 September 1881, a few days prior to Yom Kippur that year. From the column borders similar to both clippings, the prayer appears to also have been published in the Jewish Record, possibly as part of a service in eulogy for the fallen president sometime soon after 19 September.

Source(s)

Prayer after the death of James Garfield [1881-09] (Sabato Morais Ledger, p. 176)

Notes

Notes
1	Isaiah 6:6-8.
2	The 21st President of the United States, Chester Arthur (1829-1886) served in office from the death of Garfield in 1881 until 1885.

Prayer for the Recovery of President James A. Garfield in the merit of the Founding Fathers, by Rabbi Sabato Morais (before 19 September 1881)

Sabato Morais — Sun, 03 Dec 2023 00:15:03 +0000

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	Gracious God! With hearts fluttering between hope and fear we raise our eyes heavenward. Thou alone canst dispel our apprehensions and confirm our abiding trust in Thy miraculous power.
	Through Thy will the mind which was wont to conceive wise thoughts can be restored to its former brightness and devise and carry out plans honorable to this nation and blissful to the dwellers of the earth.
	At Thy bidding the heart that throbbed with tender sentiments will regain its habitual state and joy in its affections.
	By Thy decree the body which moral purity had kept in its natural vigor will rise again in its comely form.
	We long to raise a thanksgiving unto Thee, O Celestial Physician! a praise which will resound from ocean to ocean. It will be the grateful offering of fifty millions of Thy creatures whose Chief Thou shalt have clothed with new flesh, with a buoyant spirit, and shalt have given him back in perfect health to his family and to his country.
	Oh! let the merits of the fathers of the Republic propitiate Thy favor. Because of Washington,^[1] The 1st President of the United States, George Washington (1732-1799), served from 1789-1797. the valiant and the righteous; because of Jefferson,^[2] The 3rd President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) served from 1801-1809. of Adams,^[3] The 2nd President of the United States, John Adams (1735-1826) served from 1797-1801. and of Franklin^[4] Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) served multiple roles after the foundation of the United States including as its first postmaster general and as the 6th president of Pennsylvania. — the early guardians of American liberties— who proved to be men of sterling qualities men of truth who hated bribe, deign to rescue their noble follower and successor from imminent peril.
	Release thy servant, James Abram Garfield, from the tight grasp of the destroyer. May he feel the effects of Thy marvelous power and with the Psalmist exclaim: “Blessed be God who hath not turned away my prayer nor His mercy from me.” (Psalms 66:20) Amen.

This prayer by Rabbi Sabato Morais during the lingering death of President James Garfield is recorded in an undated and unsourced newspaper clipping, “A Petition in the Synagogue. Rabbi Morais’ Fervent Petition Before the Mickve Israel Congregation” preserved on page 237 of the Sabato Morais Ledger. If you know the origin or date of this clipping, please leave a comment or contact us. The prayer is unique in appealing in the merit of four of the Founding Fathers of the United States (the first three presidents: George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson, along with Benjamin Franklin).

Source(s)

Prayer during the lingering demise of Garfield [1881] (Sabato Morais Ledger, p. 237)

Notes

Notes
1	The 1st President of the United States, George Washington (1732-1799), served from 1789-1797.
2	The 3rd President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) served from 1801-1809.
3	The 2nd President of the United States, John Adams (1735-1826) served from 1797-1801.
4	Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) served multiple roles after the foundation of the United States including as its first postmaster general and as the 6th president of Pennsylvania.

Prayer for the Recovery of President James A. Garfield, by Rabbi Sabato Morais (4 September 1881)

Sabato Morais — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 10:00:21 +0000

The following eloquent and pathetic discourse on the present precarious condition of the President was delivered In the synagogue Mikveh Israel, yesterday, by its learned and patriotic rabbi, S. Morais:

“Who hath stood in the secret counsel of the Lord, so as to perceive and bear His word?” (Jeremiah 23:18)

No mortal dares answer the query of Jeremiah the prophet by pointing triumphantly to his own self. No human being can presume to have learned how occurrences befalling this world are made to fulfill the intention of its sovereign Creator. All may rather confess, like the psalmist, that we are utterly ignorant —no better than senseless beasts—in our comprehension of the ways of God. Philosophy — that is, the philosophy which admits & power distinct from nature— represents the Omnipotent impassive, carrying out undeviatingly the laws He originally ordained; Prophetism describes the Lord as acting from yearnings and affections—widely discordant teachings, which the very wisest can never reconcile. Our minds do suggest our incapacity to influence the Supreme Judge, and yet our hearts give ns assurance that He will regard us benignantly when we approach Him in the earnestness of faith.

Ought we, then, to hold fast to the instincts of the heart, and cast off the reflections of the mind? Not exactly. Both our sentiments and our meditative faculties are gifts from on high. We can no more discard the latter and embrace the former, or vice versa, than divide ourselves into two parts. But as the causes and their effects, by which the All-knowing Ruler governs the universe, are hidden from us, and as they will always baffle our profoundest researches, we spontaneously follow promptings that our nature understands well and sensibly feels. They are the impulses which draw the child to his loving parent.

Let ns readily concede that a change of purpose in the prescient Lord is an impossibility; but His immutability, like His existence, is above our penetration, while the revelation of His merciful attributes responds to our wants. Hence in our journey through life we prefer oftener to consult prophetism than philosophy. Holy Writ speaks to us in language easy and comforting; and when, in our devious paths here below, we meet with escapes which the soberest of human calculations could not have foreseen, we are instructed to call them signal acts of divine condescension, or miracles.

Last Saturday we experienced one of those deeds of supernal grace. The belief prevailed that medical skill had exhausted its curative powers. “Death held in its pitiless grasp the precious life whose preservation had called forth the best appliances of modern science and the tenderest watching.” Under that saddening impression we entered the house of prayer. Our minds could only contemplate what all considered the inevitable. Still our hearts impelled us before the oracle of the Lord. Was the Heavenly King moved by the sight of His confiding suppliants? Did the anguish of a people at the anticipation of an impending bereavement, together with the deep sympathy of civilized nations, stir up celestial compassion? Walking in the light of the Scriptures, I answer, Yes; even though my intellect spurns the idea of an alteration of purpose in the Deity. His will remained doubtlessly unchanged; but our pious emotions and patriotic sentiments occasioned, in a manner incomprehensible to us, yet certain, the performance of a blissful design.

Oh! let us not seek the unfathomable; but let us continue in close intercommunion with the Spirit that rules the world, until salvation comes. Let us still pray, fervently pray.

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	Almighty God! Thy children call upon Thy name. Let Thy fatherly response be felt by the Chief of these United States. A foul stroke has disordered his body. Thy hand alone can build up again what Perfidy has shattered. Stretch it forth, and raise from a bed of two months’ agony the man we love— him whose direction a nation needs.
	Let our President soon exchange the aching pillow for the honored chair in the council of his co-workers. Thus highly-seated Wisdom shall dictate his advice— Peace seal his decisions; for Thou didst vouchsafe to give the intellect we admire a goodly portion in the knowledge of statesmanship, and philanthropic are the sentiments wherewith Thou hast endowed Thy servant.
	Suffer not the fruition of qualities eminently developed for the happiness of a model Republic to be denied us by a flagitious deed. Grant that we may enjoy them the fullness of the time for which we sought their application.
	May none who made a covenant with anarchy, none who looked for selfish gain in social agitations, rear their standing on ground stained with the blood of a righteous ruler.
	Deign to regard this prayerful people; and the tears bedewing the countenance of the octogenarian mother, the suppressed grief of the gentlest of wives, and the distress of the children, will turn into singing of grateful praise.
	Thankful are we indeed unto Thee, O God, for our having been spared the realization of recent fears. Deeper still is our recognition of Thy goodness because this Government has proceeded evenly, without a break, without a jerk, in its complex movements, notwithstanding the brutal onset which wild demagogism aimed against it.^[1] i.e. The Slaveholders’ Rebellion (1861-1865). May it always be so; and may the eyes now bedimmed by extreme suffering brighten in renovated health and behold it.
	Daily we acknowledge that Thou art a merciful and faithful physician. Expectant millions long for the hour in which it will be announced: The Lord has delivered Garfield; He has saved the upholder of rectitude from death, to lift him up as an illustration of celestial goodness, and as a blessing to his native land. Amen!

This prayer for the recovery of President James A. Garfield after he had been shot and his wound infected was offered by Rabbi Sabato Morais and recorded in The Sunday Dispatch, “The Suspense of a Nation. A Thought and a Prayer” on 4 September 1881. It was preserved by Rabbi Morais in his ledger (p. 175, clipping 297), an archive of newsclippings recording material he contributed to the press, among other announcements. (Many thanks to the Library of the University of Pennsylvania for helping to make this resource accessible.)

Source(s)

The Suspense of a Nation (Sabato Morais Ledger p. 175, clip no. 297) – a

The Suspense of a Nation (Sabato Morais Ledger p. 175, clip no. 297) – b

The Suspense of a Nation (Sabato Morais Ledger p. 175, clip no. 297) – c

Notes

Notes
1	i.e. The Slaveholders’ Rebellion (1861-1865).

Prayer for the Recovery of President James A. Garfield, by Rabbi Sabato Morais (26 August 1881)

Sabato Morais — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 08:16:43 +0000

On Saturday morning the Rev. S. Morais alluding to the alarming Bulletin of last Monday from the White House, said:

This week we received again a strikingly painful illustration of human shortsightedness and of the inadequacy of our unaided efforts to cope with Nature. Scarcely any of the inhabitants of this vastly populated land harbored a fear that medical skill would be baffled in its treatment of General Garfield. Almost every one confidently believed that it had overcome the appalling difficulties met at the outset, and that the improvement in the physical condition of the President would proceed steadily. ‘Science has grappled with a dreaded antagonist and won a signal victory.’ So it was imagined.

On Monday morning we awoke to the sad realization that we had trusted a mere fancy. He whom we considered to have safely overleaped the boundaries of Death, stood ghastly at Death’s door. The strength gathered during six weeks’ exceptional care, sunk on a sudden, because the principal organ whence the blood is nurtured refused its customary office. Then we felt that Nature will not respond to our endeavours, unless its sovereign Maker bids it further our wishes. And we should have then given a perfect assent withal to the teachings of the sages of old, that we ought to thank Providence for every beating of our heart, for our every breath, for every healthful performance of our bodily functions.

The dear patient whose life a few days ago hung on a thread, doubtless saw, that the arms of Science, unsupported by the Lord, could not carry him unscathed over the yawning grave, and in that fearful crisis he must have turned for effectual assistance to the Power that formed his being.

My mind pictured to itself that soul-trying moment, while I announced the forthcoming Elul—a month of propitiatory prayers in Sephardic congregations, — and my heart prompted me to anticipate the object of that month’s devotional gatherings by attuning our voices on this very Sabbath in a supplication to the heavenly Physician on behaif of His servant James Abram Garfield. He who can reckon every fibre of the existence He has framed can, and will in His infinite mercy, create a cure thorough and lasting for the man, to whom an entire nation looks, for guide and counsel.

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	Almighty Father, whose hand is never short to reach out unto us the means of safety! Let it be Thy gracious will to do as we petition thee! Grant that the air pervading the sick chamber of our chosen Chief may cool the diseased body of the intensity of its heat. Grant that the food administered to our chosen Chief may become marrow to his bones, nutriment to his flesh; that it may impart a gentler impulse to the circulating blood, suppleness to nerves and sinews.
	Oh! may a ray of Thy boundless knowledge light up the understanding of the men and women who watch at the bedside of our chosen Chief; so that only what is positively beneficial be given unto him; only what is encouraging be spoken in his presence; only what is cheering be read within his hearing.
	For the sake of a people to whom political agitations might bring material injury and moral suffering, we pray that Thou wilt vouch safe to rescue our President from a threatening danger, and raise him again to lead us all uprightly.
	For the sake of a wife ennobled by womanly virtues, decree for her highly exalted husband a useful and long existence.
	For the sake of the hoary-headed mother revered by her illustrious son and beloved by his seed, deliver James Abram Garfield from the consuming grave.
	Before the month of Elul shall have passed away and we, in deep solemnity shall welcome the day commemorative of the World’s creation, cause Thy servant to walk to enlargement. Like the Psalmist may he soon joyfully exclaim: ‘O Lord my God! I have cried unto Thee and Thou hast healed us. Thou hast brought up my existence from the nether world; Thou hast kept me alive that I should not go down to the pit.’ (Psalms 30:2-5) ‘To the end that my glorious soul may sing praises unto Thee and be not silent’. (Psalms 30:13 part)
	Oh! Grant this, our entreaty, to which a nation whose liberties Thou hast wonderfully protected, respond. Amen.

This prayer for the recovery of President James A. Garfield after he had been shot and his wound infected was offered by Rabbi Sabato Morais and recorded in the Jewish Record, “Prayers for Our Sick President. Synagogue Mickvé Israel” on 26 August 1881. It was preserved by Rabbi Morais in his ledger (p. 174, clipping 296), an archive of newsclippings recording material he contributed to the press, among other announcements. (Many thanks to the Library of the University of Pennsylvania for helping to make this resource accessible.)

Source(s)

Prayers for Our Sick President (Sabato Morais Ledger p. 174, clip no. 296) – a

Prayers for Our Sick President (Sabato Morais Ledger p. 174, clip no. 296) – b

Prayers for Our Sick President (Sabato Morais Ledger p. 174, clip no. 296) – c

Prayer for the Recovery of President James A. Garfield, by Rabbi Sabato Morais (after 2 July 1881)

Sabato Morais — Sat, 02 Dec 2023 21:13:14 +0000

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	Eternal God, in the days of old Thou didst hearken to the petition of a ruler who sought to do right in Thine eyes. Hezekiah wished to live longer that his people might be guided on to righteousness.^[1] 2 Kings 20:1-6.
	Oh, hear this day the entreaty of Thy servant, James Abram Garfield, the chief of our land.^[2] James A. Garfield (1831-1881), the 20th President of the United States, served from 8 March 1881 until 19 September 1881, after being mortally injured in an assassination attempt on 2 July that year. His prayer finds a responsive echo in the breast of this great people of America.
	Endow his physicians with extraordinary skill to allay his bodily pains, and the precious patient with strength to bear the suffering that will restore him to his vigorous health and to the Republic.
	Spare us, O God, the sorrow we once experienced in the unnatural death of a martyred President,^[3] A reference to the assassination of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865). and show the world that where equality reigns anarchy does not setup its horrid ensign. Close the pit in which political dishonesty strives to cast our banner of political honor, and let us come forth from this trial purified sevenfold, as a government ever progressive and supremely glorious.
	For the sake of humanity, which America has assumed to defend, grant that in our places of worship we may speedily bring thanksgiving for the recovery of the Executive. For Thou healest the diseases of Thy creatures, and Thou alone can say to the Angel of Death, “Stay thy hand.’’ May Thou bid him away from our chieftain, who lies prostrate at the National Capital. Then will our perturbed spirits gain confidence, and we shall rejoice in the joy and prosperity of a united country, even this country, dearest to Israel because the most generous and free. Amen.

This prayer by Rabbi Sabato Morais for the recovery of President James Garfield after his being shot on 2 July 1881 is recorded in a newspaper clipping preserved on page 236 of the Sabato Morais Ledger, “‘A Nation Wounded.’ Opinions as Expressed in the Synagogue by a Prominent Rabbi.” The origin and date of the clipping is not indicated, however, the prayer was offered during the dedication of a synagogue in the then newly built Philadelphia Jewish Foster Home and Orphan Asylum on 12 June 1881 in Germantown. If you know the date of this synagogue dedication or the newspaper from which this clipping was taken, please leave a comment or contact us. We know a handful of prayers for President Garfield offered by Rabbi Morais over the course of the former’s lingering death, and this prayer seems to us to be the earliest of them, probably given sometime in July following the assassination, and recorded in the Philadelphia Inquirer or another newspaper.

Source(s)

Prayer after attempted assassination of Garfield [1881-07] (Sabato Morais Ledger p. 236)

Notes

Notes
1	2 Kings 20:1-6.
2	James A. Garfield (1831-1881), the 20th President of the United States, served from 8 March 1881 until 19 September 1881, after being mortally injured in an assassination attempt on 2 July that year.
3	A reference to the assassination of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865).

Prayer in Eulogy for Vice President Henry Wilson, by Rabbi Sabato Morais (1 December 1875)

Sabato Morais — Fri, 24 Nov 2023 20:13:27 +0000

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	Almighty God! Eternal Father! in whose hand is the soul of all living, and the spirit ef all men’s flesh— we approach Thy altar this morning with humility, and implore Thy grace on behalf of Thy servant Henry Wilson,^[1] Henry Wilson (1812-1875) the 18th vice president of the United States from 1873 until his death in 1875, and a senator from Massachusetts from 1855 to 1873. He was a fierce opponent of slavery and its institutions. whom Thou hast called unto Thee amidst high and important duties.
	In the days of old Thou didst incite Israel’s teachers to instruct us in the belief that the righteous of all people will have ashare in the kingdom of heaven; and this liberal imparting, joined with the knowledge of Thy mercy, inspires us with glowing, hope and confidence.
	Verily, there is no man, however good he may have been, who sinned not; but great were the temptations which beset the path of the deceased Vice-President of these United States, and he rose superior to them all, that he might fulfil the dictates of morality promulgated at Horeb. Grant that the merits with which he enriched his character may be his advocates, and bear up his soul to the regions of bliss.
	Grant, O Lord! that when his sun went down on our political horizon, other luminaries may have arisen to lighten it brightly. For we do stand sadly in want of individuals who may serve as a pillar of fire to guide the nation in the way of integrity. We need personages of that simplicity of life, and of that unswerving uprightness which distinguished the founders of this republic.
	Raise for us, O, Lord! a Washington to wash away official impurities; Adams to beget a new generation of incorruptible beings. And grant that when the auspicious event which we all anticipate with joyful emotions shall have arrived; when the national jubilee will be celebrated, men may come hither from distant lands, and see a community resting securely not upon drawn swords and fointed bayonets; not upon standing armies but upon the wisdom and exemplary rectitude of their rulers.
	Oh! happy the people whose shield is honesty, happy the people whose buckler is heaven-loved Truth.

This prayer in eulogy for Vice President Henry Wilson was preserved on page 78 of the Sobato Morais Scrapbook (a/k/a, the Morais Ledger) in a clipping from the Evening Telegraph on 1 December 1875, “The Late Vice-President: A Eulogy by Rev. S. Morais, of the Seventh Street Synagogue.”

Source(s)

Prayer in eulogy of Vice President Henry Wilson [Evening Telegraph, 1875-12-1] (Sabato Morais Ledger, p. 78)

Notes

Notes
1	Henry Wilson (1812-1875) the 18th vice president of the United States from 1873 until his death in 1875, and a senator from Massachusetts from 1855 to 1873. He was a fierce opponent of slavery and its institutions.

Opening prayer for the Ceremonies at the Site of the Statue of Religious Liberty by the Independent Order of B’nai Brith, by Rabbi Sabato Morais (5 July 1875)

Sabato Morais — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 22:01:27 +0000

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	Almighty God! Thy spirit pervades the universe, but Thou vouchsafest notably to manifest it amidst multitudes assembled to do that which is pleasing in Thy sight.
	Lo! “the Sons of the covenant” have gathered round the spot they chose as a witness of their gratitude for Thy loving kindness to Israel of America. May thy Divinity hover above them and give stability to the one in which they are fraternally engaged.
	Grant that a united action, betokening sentiments which ennoble human nature, may draw down Thy blessing and this may be seen in the extinction of religious prejudices and in a brotherly blending of men of various races and creeds.
	Let Thy gracious looks, O Lord, rest on Thy servant, the skilful artificer, who, at our bidding, labors to fashion a monument designed to prove our patriotism. Oh, may the statue his hands shall have engraven speak to us and to generations yet unborn, of the wisdom wherewith Thou didst endow the father of this country, and by which, under Thy Providence, our wrongs were avenged and our rights fully recognized.
	Let Thy protection of the seed of Abraham be further shown, O Eternal, through the representative body here convened. Let it be felt in a closer union among all the Hebrews of this dear land of our birth or adoption; in a union founded upon historic memories; even upon long-cherished and undying hopes. May the unswerving fidelity of the free unto Thy revealed truths enhance in the estimation of their less favored co-religionists the franchises they enjoy and add beauty to liberty.
	And now, with all the fervency of prayer, with every pulsation of our hearts, we ask of Thee, O, Omnipotent being, to bestow the richest treasures of Thy goodness upon our regenerated republic, steadily leading the van of human progress because unencumbered^[1] An archaism that meant, “boundless and free” by the trammels of barbaric ages. Grant that not one of the bright stars in her political horizon may be dimmed. Deign to make her still more luminous, until all the inhabitants of the earth shall behold and acknowledge that Thou, who settest enthroned among the liberal-minded and generous, sheddest rays of glory upon the asylum of the oppressed, that Thou hast appointed Peace as her watchful guardian and Prosperity as the tutelary angel thereof. So may it be. Amen.

This was the opening prayer offered by Rabbi Sabato Morais at the “Ceremonies at the Site of the Statue of Religious Liberty by the Independent Order of B’nai Berith” for the Celebration of the Ninety-Ninth Anniversary of American Independence in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, July 5th, 1875 and published in a booklet containing the same. The site of the ceremonies was “the Walnut Street Railway, near the Centennial grounds.” The statue, “Religious Liberty,” was commissioned by B’nai B’rith and dedicated “to the people of the United States” as an expression of support for the Constitutional guarantee of religious freedom. It was created by Moses Jacob Ezekiel, a B’nai B’rith member and the first American Jewish sculptor to gain international prominence.

Source(s)

Notes

Notes
1	An archaism that meant, “boundless and free”

Prayer for the United States on Thanksgiving Day, by Rabbi Sabato Morais (27 November 1873)

Sabato Morais — Fri, 25 Nov 2022 03:41:56 +0000

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	Ruler of the Universe! Beneficent Lord! Thou hast satisfied us with the abundance of Thy house. Thou gavest for our heritage a country rich and extensive. The sea encircles it as a girdle of strength; mountains crown it with majesty. And to make it happy as it is powerful, and glorious as it is far-reaching, Thou didst set a throne in the midst thereof, for Heaven born freedom. His countenance, ever radiant with Thy celestial goodness, should smile upon the work of industry, and fire rare genius.
	And now, Omnipotent Being! this people Thou hast so signally blessed, prepare to show the family of nations Thy wonders, that with exalted spirits all may turn to their Creator and obtain salvation and support. Let our hearts, we beseech Thee, be cleansed from the dross of pride, and from the stain of vain glory. May the years preceding the determined festival find us engaged in deeds of self purification. Thus, when the season to which we joyfully look forward arrives, we will be declared by Thee worthy of securing millennial periods of greatness for America.
	We thank thee, O watchful Shepherd! for the sense of right that dictated improvements in the organic laws of this Commonwealth, and wholesome reforms in our courts of justice. Uphold the hands which grapple with bold wickedness, and let them not grow weary until virtue wins the victory.— Deign to accept our united acknowledgment of the Divine favors Thou didst bestow during the twelve months since we last nationally met. We own as Thy gifts the food which has sustained our bodies, the domestic pleasures which has sustained our souls, and the peace which unfolded and increased the resources of our cherished land.
	We recognize as a token of Thy paternal love, the temporary commercial stringency experienced, rebuking extravagance and teaching moderation.^[1] A reference to the economic depression resulting from the Panic of 1873.
	We are grateful unto Thee, also, for that all-elevating charity of which Thou hast made us capable, and which effectually assuaged the sorrows of our brethren in the far South. Grant that never again we may apply it to a purpose so grievous and distressing. May the ills that scourged Memphis and Shreveport be now and always a tale of the past. But let the feelings which our fraternal compassion engendered endure everlastingly, and bind in a silvery chain of affection the forty millions who jubilantly offer Thee thanksgiving. Amen.

This Thanksgiving Day prayer was offered by Rabbi Sabato Morais at the end of his sermon at Mikve Israel in Philadelphia on 27 November 1873, and reprinted in The Jewish Messenger on 5 December 1873. It was preserved by Rabbi Morais in his ledger (page 61), an archive of newsclippings recording material he contributed to the press, among other announcements. (Many thanks to the Library of the University of Pennsylvania for helping to make this resource accessible.)

Source(s)

Thanksgiving Day Prayer [1873-11-27] (Sabato Morais Ledger, p. 61)

Notes

Notes
1	A reference to the economic depression resulting from the Panic of 1873.

Prayer offered in response to the Great Boston Fire of 1872, by Rabbi Sabato Morais

Sabato Morais — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 07:19:24 +0000

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	God of Israel! Lord of Truth! In the pages of the heavenly book given for our guidance, we have been unequivocally shown the cause of Thy preference for Abraham our father. Thou knowest that be would “command his children and his household after him to keep Thy way,” (Genesis 18:19) which is to follow righteousness and justice. These holy attributes that the founder of our race brought demonstrably into action have been engrafted upon his descendants. The heart of Thy chosen people is ever moved at the sight of misery. Even the tidings of human suffering awaken in them an earnest wish to hasten to the relief of the unfortunate. Grant, O Most High, that the virtue of charity, inherent in the Hebrews, be now exercised in a manner which may challenge commendation.
	From the charred bones, from the smouldering edifices of a sister city, a voice is heard that calls for help. Alas! in one night have the industrial palaces of Boston changed into crumbling ruins. In one night and at a fell swoop were riches and beauties carried away. Messengers of fire scattered destruction around. Man’s inventive genius could not cope with that formidable host. But Thou, O God, who hast suffered a dire calamity to come, didst prepare in advance the means of reparation. The sentiment of pity which thrilled the national heart is a reflection of Thy Divine Goodness. Thou hast breathed those feelings of compassion through which myriads of human beings left homeless and destitute will be mercifully cared for; those feelings by the stirring of which the city of high renown will rise anew in all its former greatness.
	Grant, O Lord! that Thy suppliants may jointly labor to that end. May the example of the faithful patriarch bear evidence of its efficacy in the deeds of his posterity. For the sake of Thy name, let it be known among the Gentiles that the doleful cry of the children of America strikes a responsive chord within the breasts of their Jewish brethren. Let it be known abroad that we lament for the victims of a terrific disaster; that we are pained because of the mourners and the impoverished, and that we eagerly desire to bring to a common altar our free-will offerings, for the restoration and prosperity of a place woefully devastated.
	And do Thou, O God! spare this land of our affection. Severe have of late been the trials thereof. To the loss of means by reason of an extraordinary disease among the dumb creatures that subserve our wants and heighten our pleasure has been added the loss of the young, of the good, and of the illustrious^[1] George Gordon Meade (December 31, 1815 – November 6, 1872) was a United States Army officer and civil engineer best known for decisively defeating Confederate General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War. among mankind. Therefore gloom lodges where joyfulness held its habitation, and the gleeful song has turned into a dirge.
	Almighty and everlasting Being! Thou who didst whilom bid the destroying angel stay his hand, rebuke him that he may depart from our borders. And vouchsafe to let the ministers of thy loving kindness encircle us around and watch over our homes by day and by night, so that no evil may befall us, nor any plague come nigh onto our tents.
	Grant, also, we pray thee, that the absence of agitation and the calmness of spirits which recently signalized the accomplishing of a momentous event in the history of this republic^[2] The election of Ulysses S. Grant, 18th President of the United States, for a second term in 1872. may prove a rainbow of promise, foreshadowing a long period of tranquillity and of progress in our social relations, and in our intercourse with all the people of the earth. So may it be and let us say— Amen.

This prayer offered by Rabbi Sabato Morais in response to what became known as the Great Boston Fire of 1872, was recorded in an article in Philaedlphia’s Evening Telegraph, “Boston’s Fire. A Prayer by a Hebrew Minster,” reprinted from the Boston Transcript. It was preserved by Rabbi Morais in his ledger (p. 234, clipping 406), an archive of newsclippings recording material he contributed to the press, among other announcements. (Many thanks to the Library of the University of Pennsylvania for helping to make this resource accessible.)

Source(s)

Boston’s Fire [1872] (Sabato Morais Ledger, p. 234, clipping 406) – a

Boston’s Fire [1872] (Sabato Morais Ledger, p. 234, clipping 406) – b

Notes

Notes
1	George Gordon Meade (December 31, 1815 – November 6, 1872) was a United States Army officer and civil engineer best known for decisively defeating Confederate General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War.
2	The election of Ulysses S. Grant, 18th President of the United States, for a second term in 1872.

Prayer offered in response to the Great Chicago Fire, by Rabbi Sabato Morais (1 December 1871)

Sabato Morais — Thu, 24 Nov 2022 18:50:25 +0000

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	Flaming fire, minister of the Creator; stormy winds, messengers of the Most High, withhold your rage. Enough have we been scourged. A city, resting on the bosom of tranquillity, was aroused by the violence of your strokes. Chicago awoke to see horror in your train, havoc mark your footsteps. She gave forth a shriek that pierced the heart of mankind; but with it still mingled the sound of anguish from vale and forest. For there, also, ye agents of the Divine rule, spread devastation.
	Did sin lend you velocity? Did human iniquities point to the doomed spots you should lay waste? Oh! let the agony of your victims, the writhing pains of those buried beneath smouldering palaces, the misery of the homeless, the distress of the impoverished, the pitiful cry of the famishing and the naked, curb your fury.
	Turn ye tempestuous winds into a gentle breeze restoring life, and thou consuming fire, lay upon the altar of the Supreme Judge the substance devoured, as an offering of universal atonement. For, verily, we all have transgressed.
	A superabundance of good begat disbelief, therefore it has become ashes. Ease engendered pride, therefore the sons of man have been burdened with trouble. Like Israel of yore they had set up an idol of gold, which they conceived would lead them to the haven of their desires. They feasted and grew mirthful before that imaginary god, and called it almighty, but they were made to feel its utter impotence; they tasted how bitter was the water with which it blended when reduced to dust.
	Oh, Sovereign Maker! let the sufferings of those Thou hast tried in a fiery ordeal, benefit our souls. For, not by reason of our superior virtues, hast Thou averted from us, the people of Pennsylvania, a woful calamity, but that we might learn wisdom from that which befell our unhappy sister cities: that we might cease to trust in what makes itself wings and is borne away in one night, and put faith solely in Thee, whose support will never fail.
	Grant, O Lord! that we receive the timely warning ere we be sorely afflicted by a celestial visitaion. For Thy judgment is already storming at the gate. A disease, fatal because of its virulence, dreaded because of its loathsomeness, threatens to poison the channels of life.^[1] From 1865-1873, a series of recurring epidemics of Smallpox, Typhus, Typhoid, Scarlet Fever, and Yellow Fever all impacted Philadelphia, as well as New York, Boston, New Orleans, Baltimore, Memphis, and Washington DC. Thy hand, O Omnipotent, can chase it away. For the sake of Thy suppliants, who acknowledge Thy justice; for the sake of the noble deeds of charily which have recently illustrated Philadelphia, cast around her walls Thy invulnerable shield, and the inhabitants thereof will be saved. Death shall not triumph over her victories nor the grave gorge with our children’s flesh his insatiable longings.
	Grant, O God, that the elements thou hast created may subserve our will and conduce to our happiness. Let air bring daily unto us a renewal of health, earth gratify our natural craving with its products, water slake our thirst and preserve the purity of our bodies, and fire impart warmth and vivacity.
	Grant, O Lord! that in each of us be fulfilled the entreaty of Thy inspired Psalmist, as it is written: He shall call on me, and I will answer him. I shall be with him in distress. I will deliver him and grant him honor. I will satisfy him with length of days, and show him my salvation. (Psalms 91:15) Amen.

This prayer offered by Rabbi Sabato Morais in response to what became known as the Great Chicago Fire was offered at the end of his sermon reprinted in The Philadelphia Inquirer on the following day 1 December 1871. It was preserved by Rabbi Morais in his ledger (page 47), an archive of newsclippings recording material he contributed to the press, among other announcements. (Many thanks to the Library of the University of Pennsylvania for helping to make this resource accessible.)

Source(s)

Notes

Notes
1	From 1865-1873, a series of recurring epidemics of Smallpox, Typhus, Typhoid, Scarlet Fever, and Yellow Fever all impacted Philadelphia, as well as New York, Boston, New Orleans, Baltimore, Memphis, and Washington DC.

Prayer for the United States on Thanksgiving Day, by Rabbi Sabato Morais (24 November 1870)

Sabato Morais — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 20:06:33 +0000

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	Lord of all flesh! infuse within us sentiments of commiseration for suffering humanity: for, verily, the practice of beneficence is the highest worship the creatures can offer their Creator. By it our nature becomes spiritualized even while we tread the earth, for that genial virtue is the reflection of Thy Divine self in the soul of man.
	It does behoove the people Thou hast bountifully cared for to sing Thy praises in unison of hearts and show forth Thy loving kindness.
	It is meet that the children of the land Thou hast enlarged and strengthened, and enriched and exalted, should acknowledge that from Thy hand all this hath come.
	It is proper that they should recognize as Thy highest favor the rising of deliverers in the time of their danger, and the great salvation their eyes beheld; that they should glory in the wisdom Thou didst impart to their ancestors; in the might wherewith Thou didst gird their defenders; in the exhaustless treasures Thou didst place within their reach for the weal of generations yet unborn. But Thy inspired servant of old hath taught that he who glorieth should glory mainly in this: That he understandeth and knoweth that Thou art the Lord, doing mercy, justice and charity upon earth, and that in those things Thou delighteth. (Jeremiah 9:23)
	We therefore beseech thee, oh! Source of all good, to purify our lives that we may copy Thy heavenly attributes, and spread broadcast the seeds of happiness. Let nations rejoice that righteousness hath a sanctuary in America, and at its shrine her children bend.
	Grant, O Most High God, that from this country of our inheritance, peace go forth, shadowing beneath its pavilion all the inhabitants of the globe. For, then will Thy kingdom be established, and the Messianic era we long to hail gloriously dawn. So may it be. Amen.

This Thanksgiving Day Prayer for 24 November 1870 was reprinted in The Philadelphia Inquirer on the following day 25 November 1870. It was preserved by Rabbi Morais in his ledger (page 44, clipping 057), an archive of newsclippings recording material he contributed to the press, among other announcements. (Many thanks to the Library of the University of Pennsylvania for helping to make this resource accessible.) Unfortunately, due to the fragility of the paper, a bit of the newsclipping providing the beginning of the prayer was lost. Thankfully, the missing text was recovered from a scan of the newspaper page made by the Fulton History project.

Source(s)

Thanksgiving Day Prayer [1870-11-24]

Prayer for the United States on Thanksgiving Day, by Rabbi Sabato Morais (27 November 1868)

Sabato Morais — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 16:46:28 +0000

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	Everlasting and Omnipotent God, what return can the creatures of the earth make for Thy celestial benefits? Behold! Lebanon might be divested of its majestic cedars to burn therewith incense on Thy altar; the beasts of the forest might be gathered to offer a holocaust unto Thee, but neither act could suffice to do Thee homage. For thine is the universe with the fulness thereof; and the brightest angels encircling the heavenly throne cannot adequately extol Thy name.
	But Thou hast taught us to believe that “the prayer of the upright is Thy delight,” (Proverbs 15:8 part) therefore have we this day approached Thee, O Lord, with sincere lips and grateful hearts. Deign to look down benignantly upon the people Thy hands have formed and sustained, and to grant their request. They crave for Thy divine presence, that it may dwell within them, and deliver their souls from the heinous sin engendered by prosperity: from pride, the downfall of nations.
	For verily Thou didst feed them with the abundance of Thy goodness, and Thy shield warded them from impending dangers. Because Thou lovest America with a mighty love, Thou didst open for her children treasures in distant climes, and cause people they knew not to seek their alliance. Therefore is Thy praise now rehearsed, in various forms but in unity of sentiments, by the millions whom Thy paternal care hath preserved, increased, enriched and magnified; therefore doth the broad sea on the west echo the hallelujahs wafted over the expansive ocean on the east.
	Grant, O beneficent God! that this yearly gathering may keep alive in our minds a sense of our dependence upon Thy Providence, and may it inspire us with humility. For unto Thee alone belongs the power, and the kingdom, and the exaltation, and at Thy bidding will the inhabitants of the world be lowered down or raised up. May we be ever deserving of the continuance of Thy favors by sharing them with the hapless and the oppressed.
	And grant, O God! who makest joy and peace, Thy pavilion, that to preserve peace through our Union and enhance our national joys, the wisdom and labors of our leaders may constantly be directed.
	Hosanna! O Sovereign of the world! Thou before whom there was no God, and besides whom there is none.

This Thanksgiving Day Prayer for 27 November 1868 was reprinted in The Philadelphia Inquirer on 27 November 1868. It was preserved by Rabbi Morais in his ledger (page 36, clipping 044), an archive of newsclippings recording material he contributed to the press, among other announcements. (Many thanks to the Library of the University of Pennsylvania for helping to make this resource accessible.)

Source(s)

Prayer for the United States on Thanksgiving Day, by Rabbi Sabato Morais (28 November 1867)

Sabato Morais — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 01:37:32 +0000

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	God of love. O Lord! Our hearts swell with gratitude, and we lay them open before Thy Divine Oracle. It is the only return which Thy creatures can make. Deign to accept and render it a blessing. Grant that this devotional gathering be a means to a great end. Grant that it may humble the proud in spirit, soften the obdurate, and infuse into all a spirit of lasting reconciliation. For, greatly exercised in mind, we are because of disputes that widen the breach which we long to repair— of a rupture that retards our progress and injures the cause of human freedom.
	We pray Thee, O Lord! to restore all the United States ot America to their former relations, through a well-combined effort of the legislative and executive authorities. May it soon proclaimed, that by Thy Divine aid, hatred has fled away, and peace reigns gloriously.
	Let it be Thy gracious will, Oh, Our Father! that the soil productive of earthly treasures, be truthful also of men replete with wisdom, who may guide us aright, and in accordance with the laws of truth. Then shall it be known among nations, that Thou hast called us to Thee, to be the hope of the oppressed, the beacon-light of the homeless and the exile.
	And vouchsafe, O Most High God! to fulfill in us, as in Israel, the prediction of Thy Seer, as it is written, “In a little wrath I hid my face from thee a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee.” “Enlarge the space of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitation, spare not; lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes.” “For thou shalt spread forth on the right hand and on the left, and thy seed shall inherit (the land of other) people, and make desolate cities inhabited.” So may it be, and our eyes behold it.
	And let the grace of our Lord rest upon all the creatures of the earth, that they may, like ourselves, enjoy existence, and yearly bring an offering of National Thanksgiving to the Bestower of all good. Amen.

This Thanksgiving Day Prayer was reprinted in The Philadelphia Inquirer on the following day, 29 November 1867. It was preserved by Rabbi Morais in his ledger (page 35, clipping 042), an archive of newsclippings recording material he contributed to the press, among other announcements. (Many thanks to the Library of the University of Pennsylvania for helping to make this resource accessible.)

Source(s)

A Penitential Prayer, by Rabbi Sabato Morais (October 1867)

Sabato Morais — Sat, 20 Aug 2022 22:51:44 +0000

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	Parent of good! compassionate Lord! we come unto Thee for pardon and for support, for strength and consolation. We have disregarded the appeals of conscience, and hearkened to the demands of our passions. We have gone astray from Thee, to follow the imaginations of a perverted mind, but we now return. Not by reason of our inability to sin, but because we seek Thy love more than life. Through it we have been undeservedly filled with the yielding of the earth, and we have given thereof to our children. Yet we longed for more, and to obtain it, we ran counter to Thy command. But Thy ungrateful servants are covered with shame. Oh! let that be an acceptable offering of atonement.
	And, as Thou didst vouchsafe to bestow Thy bounty upon us, when we slighted the Divine favor, so grant us undiminished sustenance and comforts and delights as a reward for our return. Smile upon our efforts to continue repentant, and infuse into us spiritual vigor, that we may drive back the enemy of our happiness— the lust of gain. Too long have we been its victim, that we may hope to succeed unaided; but with Thee, O God! at our right hand, we shall be made joyful over our victory.
	And those whose bright anticipations the past year has buried away; those whose hopes have been blighted; those whose eyes swell with tears at the thought of the beloved departed; those to whom the past year has brought but sorrow and sickness, inspire, O Lord! with a heart that leans on Thee for consolation; with a mind that acknowledges the righteousness of Thy decrees, and with a belief that they are tried as gold is tried, in order that they may return to Thee cleansed of all dross, and receive Thy Fatherly blessing. So may it be. Amen.

This penitential prayer dated “Tishri 5628 [October 1867]” was offered in conclusion to “A Penitential Sermon” reprinted in The Jewish Messenger on 25 November 1867. It was preserved by Rabbi Morais in his ledger (page 34, clipping 041), an archive of newsclippings recording material he contributed to the press, among other announcements. (Many thanks to the Library of the University of Pennsylvania for helping to make this resource accessible.)

Source(s)

Prayer for Tishrei [1867-10-25] (Sabato Morais Ledger, p. 34, clipping 041)

Prayer for the United States on Thanksgiving Day, by Rabbi Sabato Morais (29 November 1866)

Sabato Morais — Sat, 20 Aug 2022 15:23:22 +0000

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	Praise and thanksgiving belong to Thee, Omnipotent, God! Oh, deign to accept the feeble acknowledgment of Thy servants, who bow reverently at the footstool of Thy mercy.
	We thank Thee, O, Father, for having created us with an intelligent mind, capable of appreciating Thy goodness. We are grateful to Thee for having nourished us with care, and sustained us with benignity. It was Thy hand that brought healing to our diseases, and shielded us from death, it was Thy watchful providence that averted from us many ills to which we have been exposed.
	Let Thy loving kindness, O, Lord, be ever shown to Thy children, who unitedly extol Thy name. With one sweet accord of voices they acknowledge that from Thee have proceeded the unlimited blessings showered down upon this land. For, verily, Thou hast upheld its institutions, improved and enlarged their usefulness, and drawn toward them the respect of enlightened nations.
	Grant, O God, that the glory attained may never be tarnished by the fumes of anger or passion. Let, we fervently beseech Thee, harmony and forbearance direct the highest as the lowest authorities of this Republic, so that they may labor with one mind and with one heart, to restore it to perfect stability and peace.
	Parent of all good! withhold not Thy countenance from the lowly of the earth, and teach us to raise them from their abject state, by means of a fostering education.
	Bless all the inhabitants of the United States. May the law of progress ever be the standard of their actions, adding sublimity to their greatness, and enhancing their happiness.
	Bless all the human race, and may it all soon be linked into one bond of brotherhood, acknowledging that Thou art the only God and Savior, who takest delight in Thy children’s united thanksgiving. Amen!

This Thanksgiving Day prayer by Rabbi Sabato Morais was offered in conclusion to a sermon reprinted the following day in The Philadelphia Inquirer on 30 November 1866. It was preserved by Rabbi Morais in his ledger (page 25, clipping 031), an archive of newsclippings recording material he contributed to the press, among other announcements. (Many thanks to the Library of the University of Pennsylvania for helping to make this resource accessible.)

Source(s)

Thanksgiving Day Prayer [1866-11-29] (Sabato Morais Ledger, p. 25, clipping 031)

Prayer after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln by Rabbi Sabato Morais (18 April 1865)

Sabato Morais — Thu, 18 Aug 2022 17:22:53 +0000

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	Omnipotent God! not for our sake, not for our sake, but for that of Thy Infinite mercy, be with us in our woeful calamity. We dare not rely upon man’s strength, which continually faileth, for “man withereth like grass, he fleeth like a shadow, and we see him no more.”^[1] Cf. Job 14:2 and Psalms 102:12 But upon Thine arm do we lean, for that which supporteth the whole universe, will also be our stay. Oh! guide us with Thy wisdom, and show us, amid the gloom wherein we are inshrouded, the hour of our national deliverance.
	Grant, oh Lord, that a twofold portion of the lovely spirit with which was endowed the illustrious dead we lament, may rest upon his successor. He supremely needs it. He needs his unflinching rectitude, his generous instinct, his forgiving disposition, his noble forbearance and discretion to an infinite degree, in order that he may complete the blessed work marked out by our sainted President.
	Sovereign Creator! open wide the portals of eternal bliss, and let the righteous Abraham of the Western world enter. Remember his suffering for the sake of principles, and let it be a propitiation for the sins of the people he so dearly loved and so faithfully served. May he I ever sit at Thy right hand, imparadised in the contemplation of Thy divine essence. Grant, from the highest heavens he may soon behold our unalloyed joy, when the pavilion of peace shall again spread its folds over us, and an indissoluble bond of brotherhood unite together all the inhabitants of this country.
	And to the beloved relief of one so good, to the bereaved sons and disconsolate widow, speak, Oh Lord, of the unending delights he now enjoys in the land of life. It will infuse into their hearts fortitude and resignation. The voice of religion and the grateful expressions of a reconstructed nation, will then be a solace to their minds and a soothing balm to their souls.
	We now offer supplications unto Thee for Thy servant, the Secretary of State, stricken by the hand of treason. “May he not die, but live and declare to posterity the works of the Lord.” And may all our powers, our energies and endeavors be devoted to benefit mankind, in accordance with Thy will, and that of the lamented Executive of the American nation. Amen.

This prayer by Rabbi Sabato Morais was offered in conclusion to a sermon delivered at some point days after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln on 15 April 1865, and reprinted in The Philadelphia Inquirer on 20 November 1865. The time of the assassination corresponded to motsei shabbat and the beginning of the 6th day of Passover 5625, and so we can imagine this prayer having been delivered at some point over the remaining two festival days of Pesaḥ, on April 17th or 18th. The prayer was preserved by Rabbi Morais in his ledger (page 24, clipping 029), an archive of newsclippings recording material he contributed to the press, among other announcements. (Many thanks to the Library of the University of Pennsylvania for helping to make this resource accessible.) Next to the clipping, Rabbi Sabato has written, “Andrew Johnson proved anything but a worthy successor to the sainted Abraham Lincoln.”

Source(s)

prayer after the assassination of President Lincoln [1865-04-20] (Sabato Morais Ledger, p. 24 clipping 029)

Notes

Notes
1	Cf. Job 14:2 and Psalms 102:12

Prayer for the United States after the Civil War, by Rabbi Sabato Morais (8 December 1865)

Sabato Morais — Thu, 18 Aug 2022 18:15:52 +0000

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	Merciful Creator! How dreary the vastness of the universe would appear to us without the light Thou sheddest upon it. How soon, at the hiding of Thy countenance, would all that charms our vision wither and all flesh decay; but Thou art beneficent, and carest for the beings to whom Thou hast given existence. For their sake Thou daily renewest Thy work, and, so wisely directest it, that it transcends not the limits Thou hast assigned thereto.
	The refulgent luminaries and the dew-drop equally benefit the earth and its inhabitants. The surging billows and the piercing wind influence alike the abode of man. Therefore have the creatures of Thy love come before Thee for thanksgiving; for under Thy paternal guidance was this country gladdened with exuberance of food. Thou didst cover us under Thy protecting wings, and at thy rebuke pestilence hied away. Thus providentially shielded, we found energy to apply the mind to high callings. The vast fields of science were tended, and they rewarded human endeavors. General knowledge was diffused, and the institutions of public education received adequate support.
	Thou hast also, O God! vouchsafed to bless the precious inheritance of our fathers. Thou hast enlarged, strengthened and greatly enhanced its value in the eyes of the world. Oh, may we every revolving year exult over the attainment of the same blessings; over the health and plenty we enjoyed; over the freedom granted to all men of North America, and over the peace of the Union.
	And now we beseech Thee, O Lord! to inspire us with brotherly love, that we may be drawn together into one indissoluble bond. Uphold the counsel of our rulers, that it may be directed to the work of human civilization. Endow our Chief Executive with wisdom to frustrate the schemes of evil doers, and with capacity to fulfill the longings of the good. And may the boon of civil and religious liberty hasten the day when Thou shalt be acknowledged the only King and Lord in heaven and upon earth. Amen.

This prayer by Rabbi Sabato Morais was offered (possibly for Thanksgiving Day) in conclusion to a sermon delivered at some point prior to its printing in The Philadelphia Inquirer on 8 December 1865. It was preserved by Rabbi Morais in his ledger (page 24, clipping 030), an archive of newsclippings recording material he contributed to the press, among other announcements. (Many thanks to the Library of the University of Pennsylvania for helping to make this resource accessible.) Above the clipping, Rabbi Sabato has written, “Andrew Johnson proved anything but a worthy successor to the sainted Abraham Lincoln.”

Source(s)

Prayer [1865-12-08] (Sabato Morais Ledger, p. 24, clipping 030) – a

Prayer [1865-12-08] (Sabato Morais Ledger, p. 24, clipping 030) – b

Prayer for the United States on Thanksgiving Day during the Civil War, by Rabbi Sabato Morais (24 November 1864)

Sabato Morais — Thu, 18 Aug 2022 16:27:46 +0000

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	Oh, let us pray for the dawning of that joyous day when thirty-five reunited States shall offer a national thanksgiving while the symbol of their greatness shall proudly wave over every dome and spire. Let us pray for peace:—
	Parent of good! we lay prostrate at the footstool or Thy mercy and crave for peace. Grateful for Thy manifold favors at all times, and this year especially, we yet cannot fully rejoice in its fruition. Thou hast verily filled to overflowing the cup of our prosperity, but that of bitter sorrow is also brought nigh to our lips. The aspect of the dead, the agony of the wounded, the moaning of the sufferers, tear our hearts. From the ensanguined battle-field, from the chilly and dreary camps, from the bereaved and lonely hearth, a voice rises unto Thee, O, compassionate Lord! and “peace, peace,” it cries.
	Oh, send a ray of Divine wisdom to illumine the mind of our Chief Magistrate, that he may discover the instrument of peace. Let the gentle spirit of forbearance hover around the assembly of our Senators and Representatives and guide their deliberations. Repress the vehemence of zealots, and let the feelings of the obdurate be softened by tokens of brotherhood and love. May we speedily throng again Thy holy courts, to thank and praise Thy name, Oh, Most High God, for the longed-for peace of our beloved Union.
	And now I beseech Thee, O, Lord, to execute within us a sentiment of patriotism that we may enlist our names among those of our beneficent men and women who labor for the sakes of our defenders at sea and on land. May our hospitals, our Sanitary Commissions and our soldiers’ and societies obtain a ready and generous co-operation from those who have been taught to believe that “Charity delivereth from death.” (Proverbs 11:4) May such be Thy gracious will, Heavenly Creator. Amen.

This prayer by Rabbi Sabato Morais was offered on Thanksgiving Day at the conclusion of a sermon reprinted the following day in The Philadelphia Inquirer on 25 November 1864. It was preserved by Rabbi Morais in his ledger (page 23, clipping 028), an archive of newsclippings recording material he contributed to the press, among other announcements. (Many thanks to the Library of the University of Pennsylvania for helping to make this resource accessible.)

Source(s)

Thanksgiving Day Prayer [1864-11-24] (Sabato Morais Ledger, p. 23, clipping 028)

Prayer for the Protection of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania after the Battle of Gettysburg by Rabbi Sabato Morais (4 July 1863)

Sabato Morais — Thu, 18 Aug 2022 13:18:12 +0000

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	Almighty God! Suffer our entreaty to ascend Thy throne, and hearken unto it, as Thou didst hearken unto that of King Hezekiah and Isaiah the prophet. Our merits cannot, like theirs, intercede for us, but Thy mercy is not measured by human virtues, for, alas! we should then have long since been driven from Thy presence.
	Behold our confusion by reason of him that reproacheth and derideth. Uplift us from the dust into which our sins have cast us. Raise the horn of our salvation. Encircle Pennsylvania with Thy mighty shield, protect the lives of her inhabitants. Let her adversaries be foiled in their devices; let the fowler’s snare be broken, and the souls of Thy suppliants be delivered. Cause the din of war to cease from this our beloved State. But let the sound of Thy praises be heard in her borders, at the tidings of her success.
	Oh! return unto us! O God of our salvation, remove from Thy servants Thy fierce anger. Then this day which has brought us trouble, rebuke, and derision, will henceforth be celebrated with a joyful heart, with glory and national happiness.
	God, in Thee alone we trust, O Most High! and through Thy divine aid we shall again walk in enlargement. So may it speedily be, and say ye, Amen.

This prayer by Rabbi Sabato Morais was offered on US Independence Day (4 July 1863) at the conclusion of a sermon reguested by the “Philadelphia Union League” and delivered before Congregation Mikveh Israel, that was published in The Jewish Messenger on 10 July 1863. July 4th, 1863, was the day following the Battle of Gettysburg, and hand’t yet been recognized as the crucial turning point in the defeat of the Confederacy during the Slaveholder’s Revolt. It was preserved by Rabbi Morais in his ledger (page 22, clipping 023), an archive of newsclippings recording material he contributed to the press, among other announcements. (Many thanks to the Library of the University of Pennsylvania for helping to make this resource accessible.)

Source(s)

Independence Day prayer [4 July 1863] (Sabato Morais Ledger p. 22, clip no. 023)

Prayer for the United States on a Civic Fast Day during the Civil War, by Rabbi Sabato Morais (30 April 1863)

Sabato Morais — Thu, 18 Aug 2022 14:43:18 +0000

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	Father of mercy! In the day of our National humiliation we have come to seek Thy countenance. Hide it not from Thy contrite suppliants, lest the people whom Thou didst cause to walk in light be enshrouded in utter darkness. Heavy is the gloom that surrounds us, but a benignant look from Thee.
	O Almighty Protector, can restore serenity to our horizon. Remember Thy compassion, O Lord, and Thy loving kindness, which are everlasting. For, surely, Thy watchful Providence signally exhibited towards this country has not departed therefrom. Thou hast not rejected the creatures whom Thou wast pleased greatly to exalt. Even from our primeval days, Thy invisible hand led us securely in grievous times. When earthly kings had conspired to crush us beneath the weight of their power, Thou didst raise a deliverer, and he brought us out to enlargement. And because he found grace in Thy sight, Thou didst endow him with superior knowledge to understand Thy will, and with a spirit of beneficence to execute it. Tutored by the counsel of Thy messenger, we rose to excellence and stood as a beacon to distant nations; nay, people we know not triumphed in our glory, and rejoiced at our happiness.
	But now, alas, O, Omnipotent! our delight has changed into mourning. Fear and shame have seized our hearts; for that which formed our national pride is awaning apace. This home, which our fathers had built for us to dwell in in brotherly union, threatens to fall. To whom shall we flee for help in our affliction? In whose hands shall we commit the preservation of our precious heir-loom? Unto Thee, O, Most High! we call, and at Thy altar we offer supplications. Suffer not the recipients of Thy infinite bounty to be now exposed to danger and sorrow. Oh, deign to cast Thy shield around the structure reared by the good and the faithful, that not a single stone thereof may over decay. For it is our shelter, it is our comfort; it is the laboratory where the hearts of men are fashioned in one mould, that they may beat in unison of feelings and desires.
	Return, O Lord, and repent Thee concerning Thy servants; and if the awful calamity which rages in our borders was decreed against us as a requital for our national misdeeds, let the suffering it has occasioned be deemed a sufficient atonement. Remove Thy chastisement from Thy hapless children, and grant, O Almighty Sovereign, that it may leave us wiser and purer in Thy sight. Grant that it may imbue us with a higher appreciation of the blessings Thou hast showered down upon this country and its inhabitants. Then shall we have drawn from Thy judgments a lesson of moderation, of forbearance and discretion.
	Ruler of the Universe, at this hour, when the tearful eyes of a whole nation are directed to Thy celestial throne, bid thence a spirit of harmony unto their souls, and be reflected in the work of their Senators and Legislators; for then will this land enjoy her Sabbath of rest; neither ruin, nor migration, nor complaint shall be heard of any more in our territories. God of Israel, in whose habitation reigns eternal peace, grant, we most fervently beseech Thee, peace unto us and all mankind, now and evermore. Amen.

This prayer by Rabbi Sabato Morais was offered on 30 April 1863 at the conclusion of a “A Sermon. Delivered in accordance with the Proclamation of the President of the United States, at the Synagogue in Seventh Street, above Arch, on the National Fast-day, by the Rev. S. Morais, Minister of the Congregation”, that was published in The Philadelphia Inquirer on 2 May 1863. It was preserved by Rabbi Morais in his ledger (page 23, clipping 026), an archive of newsclippings recording material he contributed to the press, among other announcements. (Many thanks to the Library of the University of Pennsylvania for helping to make this resource accessible.)

Source(s)

prayer for the day of national humiliation [1863-04-30] (Sabato Morais Ledger, p. 23 clipping 026)

Prayer for the United States and President Abraham Lincoln, by Rabbi Sabato Morais (15 April 1862)

Sabato Morais — Mon, 11 Jul 2022 09:08:55 +0000

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	Author of all good! We implore Thy almighty protection on behalf of the American Republic of the North. Let Thine eyes, which never slumber, be open upon her, that she may not be erased from among the family of nations. Be with her in this struggle for life, that she may survive it, and wax greater and happier.
	Speak to the hearts of her disaffected children, and let them again throb with undying affection.
	Let both the weapon of aggression and that of defense be buried into the bottomless ocean, and cast Thou with it the spirit of acrimony that has sharpened its edge.
	Direct the hands into which the temporal welfare of this people is entrusted. Sustain them that their strength may never flag. Bless the President of the United States: bless him for his sterling honesty. Bless him for his firmness and moderation. Rekindle with joy his domestic heart; pour on him the balm of divine consolation. Grant that the issues of his momentous obligations be a united and prosperous country. Grant that the end of his career be the maintenance of this Government, unimpaired and unsullied as bequeathed by our illustrious ancestors.
	So may it be. Amen.

This prayer by Rabbi Sabato Morais (1828-1897), of Congregation Mikveh Israel in Philadelphia, was initially delivered on 15 April 1862 (the first day of Passover) at the conclusion of a sermon later printed in The Philadelphia Inquirer on 23 April 1862. A copy of that sermon was preserved in the Sabato Morais Ledger (p. 22, clip no. 23). (The prayer was also read by President Abraham Lincoln, who sent Rabbi Morais an acknowledgment). The letter was read into the congressional record on 29 February 1944 by Arthur G. Klein (1904-1968, D-NY) after it was brought to light by Moshe Davis at the 44th annual meeting of the American Jewish Historical Society on 12-13 February 1944 (Lincoln’s Birthday).

Source(s)

Page A993 from Appendix to the Congressional Record (29 February 1944)

Page A994 from Appendix to the Congressional Record (29 February 1944)

Prayer on the 1st day of Passover [15 April 1862] (Sabato Morais Ledger p. 22, clip no. 023)

Prayer for the United States on Thanksgiving Day on the First Day of Ḥanukkah during the Civil War, by Rabbi Sabato Morais (28 November 1861)

Sabato Morais — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 15:06:11 +0000

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	Ruler of the Universe, manifold have been Thy favors towards the denizens of this Commonwealth.— When the nation, of which they form an integral portion, seemed fated to be plucked up, pulled down, and subverted, Thou didst stay the hand of the destroyer, and he entered not our dwellings; Thine eyes were ever upon us from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year. Thus we gathered in our corn and new oil, and lacked nought of that which we were wont to enjoy.
	Not because of our merits hast Thou dealt so mercifully with us, O Lord! but as a reward to the virtues of the departed. For the sake of the righteous who left among us a memorial of their enlightened judgment and equitable principles, Thou has vouchsafed to spare Philadelphia many of the sorrows which afflict other cities of this once happy land.
	Grant, O God, that while gazing upon the venerated Fane wherein former sages convened, we may become inspired by the feelings by which they were actuated. Grant that the admirable document they traced may not be rendered nugatory through blind fanaticism or narrow intolerance. May the religious liberty, to secure which they strenuously labored, be never abridged or restricted.
	Thou, who createst the utterance of the lips, dictate to the Senators and Legislators of these United States, words of reconciliation, and they will speedily redress all grievances, rectify differences, restore peace between those who are far and those who are near, and heal our national breach, as promised to the godly by the inspired son of Amos. May such be Thy gracious will. Amen.

This Thanksgiving Day Prayer for 28 November 1861 was reprinted in The Jewish Messenger (vol. 10, no. 12, p. 91), on 13 December 1861. It was preserved by Rabbi Morais in his ledger (page 22, clipping 023), an archive of newsclippings recording material he contributed to the press, among other announcements. (Many thanks to the Library of the University of Pennsylvania for helping to make this resource accessible.) Unfortunately, that bit of clipping containing the prayer had disintegrated enough to make much of the prayer illegible. But thankfully, a microfilm copy of the The Jewish Messenger for the date of printing was available at the HUC-JIR Klau Library, Cincinnati.

Source(s)

Thanksgiving Day Prayer [1861-11-28] (Sabato Morais Ledger, p. 22, clipping 023)

Prayer for the United States on a Civic Fast Day to avert Civil War, by Rabbi Sabato Morais (26 September 1861)

Sabato Morais — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 08:10:36 +0000

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	Lord God! who didst bless this land with Thy favors, restore her, we beseech thee to unity. Cancel her iniquities, and let her be distinguished anew for the virginal purity of her pristine years. Grant that charity and truth may weave the garland that shall adorn her children, for, then will righteousness and peace be met in her midst clasped in each others embrace.
	Guide Thou the steps which are now wending toward the conquest of right, that they may not overreach the bounds prescribed. Let the mind which a misguided judgment has darkned, become penetrated with the light of truth, and it will amend its errors.
	Grant O God! that the nation thou triest in the crucible of affliction, may issue forth purified from the drop that has sullied it.
	Oh, Eternal Being, who didst rekindle feelings of love in the bosom of the fierce son of Isaac, breathe into us words of brotherly, reconciliation, and let the hand that wields the sword be fraternally seized with a mutual grasp.
	At this hour, when the heart of a whole nation is upheaved to thee, calm O Omnipotent! its inward perturbation. Regard the prayer, which in various strains, but in consonance of thoughts, is addressed to thee. Let the Angel of Mercy present it to the Throne of Grace, and bring down thy Fatherly blessing upon thy suppliants, even, honor, union and peace for evermore.— Amen.

This prayer by Rabbi Sabato Morais was offered on Shemini Atseret, the day decreed by President Abraham Lincoln for “public humiliation, prayer and fasting” (26 September 1861) as recorded in an “Address. Delivered by the Rev. S. Morais, Minister of the Congregation Mikveh Israel, Philadelphia, on the National ‘Fast Day.'” published in The Jewish Messenger on 4 October 1861. It was preserved by Rabbi Morais in his ledger (page 21, clipping 022), an archive of newsclippings recording material he contributed to the press, among other announcements. The annotation accompanying the clipping reads, “at the breaking out of the unfortunate Civil War.” (Many thanks to the Library of the University of Pennsylvania for helping to make this resource accessible.)

Source(s)

prayer for the national fast day at the outbreak of the civil war [1861-09-26] (Sabato Morais Ledger, p. 21 clipping 022) – a

prayer for the national fast day at the outbreak of the civil war [1861-09-26] (Sabato Morais Ledger, p. 21 clipping 022) – b

Prayer on the consecration of the new synagogue building for Ḳahal Ḳadosh Mikveh Israel in Philadelphia, by Rabbi Sabato Morais (1 June 1860)

Sabato Morais — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 06:58:21 +0000

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	O Lord! Open Thou my lips, and my mouth shall declare Thy praise. (Psalms 51:17) Thou who hast framed my being know at the thought, which pervades it at this solemn hour. Suffer me not to falter, Mighty Protector! when I seek to show forth Thy goodness, and teach its recipients the duties of life. Like the dew that falls gently on the surface of the earth, but sinks down into its bosom, and makes it fertile, so let my feeble imparting strike root into the hearts of my hearers, and yield exuberant fruit.
	God who hearkenest unto prayer! Grant that that the celebration of an event, which perhaps, none among us will again witness in our community, may add inspiring feelings of devotional awe. Grant that the impression it will create, may not be effaced until we cease to exist. When, lured by the passions, we waver in our faith, let the memorial of the day, on which we avowed it, before a vast multitude of Thy adorers, withhold us from defection; for, unto Thee O Everlasting King! we devote this comely habitation. As a tribute of allegiance to the code of laws that govern Israel, we laid the corner stone thereof, furthered its erection, and have now hallowed it with national psalmody.
	This monument O God! shall tell a generation yet unborn, that we have held fast unto the legacy of our fathers. Let then Thy spirit— though it fills the universe— deign to rest thereupon. In the volumes we revere has been written, that in what place soever, Thou wilt allow Thy name to be mentioned, on it will Thy Divinity descend, and bestow blessings.
	Oh! vouchsafe to fulfil in us that celestial promise. Let the radiance of Thy Glory illumine this tabernacle. Let it be reflected in our future demeanor. Grant that it may influence our course; that it it may prompt us to watch at these sacred portals, to enter therein, and worship therein in unison of sentiments and humble adoration.
	Let Thy invisible Spirit, O Lord! soothe the pangs of Thy suppliants; breathe hope into Thy forlorn children; uphold the repentant in the paths of righteousness; offer the pious a foretaste of immortality.
	Let it affect him also, who, bewildered by the turmoil of life, never communes with his Maker. Lo! incited by an outward impulse, he has this day bent his steps hither. Grant that the Spirit which I invoke may penetrate his inward soul, and he will own “that a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand” spent in the pursuit of gain.
	And now, O Omniscient God! Which of Thy gracious boons shall Thy servant, the son of Thy handmaid, implore from Thee? The longing of my heart is before Thine eyes continually. “O Lord! Open Thou my lips, and my mouth shall declare Thy praise.” (Psalms 51:17)

This prayer for the consecration of the new synagogue building of Mikve Israel by Rabbi Sabato Morais was recorded in an “[Account of…] the consecration ceremony of the new Synagogue of the congregation Mikveh Israel… [Excerpted…] from The Philadelphia Inquirer, of May 25th.” and reprinted in The Jewish Messenger on 1 June 1860. It was preserved by Rabbi Morais in his ledger (page 17b, clipping 017), an archive of newsclippings recording material he contributed to the press, among other announcements. (Many thanks to the Library of the University of Pennsylvania for helping to make this resource accessible.)

Source(s)

Prayer at the consecration of the new synagogue building for Mikve Israel [1860-05-25] (Sabato Morais Ledger, p. 17b clipping 017)