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Slavery & Captivity

This is an archive of prayers composed for, or relevant to, forced labor and captivity endured under a variety of conditions spanning chattel slavery, forced marriages and the plight of agunot, unjust imprisonment and hazardous living conditions of prisoners, and the welfare of hostages taken captive by terrorists and unlawful combatants in contravention of the laws of war.

Click here to contribute a prayer you have written, in concern for those enduring slavery and captivity.

Resources filtered by TAG: “מי שברך mi sheberakh” (clear filter)

Sorted Chronologically (old to new). Sort most recent first?

מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ לְהַתָּרַת עֲגוּנוֹת וּמְסֹרְבוֹת גֵּט | Mi sheBerakh for the Release of Agunot and Women Denied a Writ of Divorce, by Dr. Yael Levine (2006)

“Mi she-Berakh Prayer for Agunot and Women who are Denied a Writ of Divorce (mesorvot get)” was written by Dr. Yael Levine in the summer of 2006 and first published in the journal De’ot in advance of Purim 2007. The Hebrew version of the prayer was subsequently reprinted in the monumental Sefer ha-Shabbat, edited by Yonadav Kaploun and issued by Yediot Aharonot in 2011 (p. 260). The English translation was first published in The Jerusalem Post 16 March 2016 (Comment & Features), p. 13. The Hebrew annotation of the sources appeared already in the initial article in De’ot, and was subsequently published, inter alia, in an article published on kipa.co.il on 13 March 2019. . . .

Tags: 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., agunot, divorce, מסרבות גט mesorvot get, מי שברך mi sheberakh

Contributor(s): Yael Levine

מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ | Mi sheBerakh for Victims of Slavery, by Rabbi Joshua Boettiger (2009)

We are grateful to Rabbi Joshua Boettinger and Rabbis for Human Rights–North America (RHR-NA) for sharing the following petitionary prayer, A Misheberakh for Victims of Slavery. Originally published by RHR-NA on their website in 2009, the prayer attends to the desperate need to eradicate all forms of slavery that persist today, especially in advance of the holiday celebrating our Z’man Cheruteinu, the season of our freedom, every Spring, every Pesaḥ. . . .

Categories: After the Aliyot, Pesaḥ Yamei Ḥag, Slavery & Captivity

Tags: 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., human trafficking, מי שברך mi sheberakh, Needing Vocalization, North America, slavery

Contributor(s): Joshua Boettiger and T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights

מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ לְפִדְיוֹן שְׁבוּיִם | Mi sheBerakh for the redemption of those in captivity (or whose whereabouts are unknown)

This mi sheberakh was published by the Office of the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of Great Britain and the Commonwealth in June 2014, as “Prayer Issued for Missing Israeli Teenagers,” writing: “The prayer…currently being recited across Israel for missing teenagers Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Shaar and Eyal Yifrach, was issued today to Rabbanim of the United Hebrew Congregations by Chief Rabbi Mirvis.” Recitation of this psalm and mi sheberakh seem appropriate to me in the case of unconscionable, immoral, and unjust state policies that separate children from their caregivers. To help fulfill the mitsvah of ransoming captives, please contribute to funds paying out bail bonds and demonstrate your opposition to these policies. . . .

Categories: After the Aliyot, Slavery & Captivity

Tags: 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., abduction, Arabic translation, מי שברך mi sheberakh, Needing Translation (into Arabic), געולה ge'ulah (redemption)

Contributor(s): Ephraim Mirvis, Office of the Chief Rabbi of the UHC of the UK & the Commonwealth and Unknown Author(s)

מי שברך לעגונות | Mi sheBerakh to Support Agunot and Call Get Refusers to Account, by Isaac Gantwerk Mayer

This prayer, following the structure of the Mi Sheberakh supplications during the Torah service, is meant to call get refusers to account, by name, and make a statement that their behavior is evil and will not be tolerated. . . .

Categories: After the Aliyot, 🌐 Agunah Day (Adar 13), Slavery & Captivity

Tags: 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., agunot, divorce, מסרבות גט mesorvot get, מי שברך mi sheberakh, שבת זכור Shabbat Zakhor

Contributor(s): Isaac Gantwerk Mayer

תְּפִלָּה לְשִׁחְרוּר הַחֲטוּפִים | Prayer for the Release of the Hostages, by Rabbi Noa Mazor

This prayer for the safe return of the captives taken by HAMA”S and its allies on 7 October 2023 was offered by Rabbi Noa Mazor in the period anticipating the release of the surviving captives in January 2025 as part of a larger ceasefire agreement between the State of Israel and HAMA”S in Gaza. It was first published on her Facebook page on 13 January 2025. . . .

Categories: Slavery & Captivity

Tags: 2023-2024 Israel–Hamas war, 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., מי שברך mi sheberakh, Needing Translation (into Arabic), Three-phase Israel–Hamas war ceasefire agreement

Contributor(s): Noa Mazor and Aharon N. Varady (translation)

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ויהי נעם אדני אלהינו עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננהו "May the pleasantness of אדֹני our elo’ah be upon us; may our handiwork be established for us — our handiwork, may it be established." –Psalms 90:17

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