Guest Chaplain: Rabbi Moshe Feller, Upper Midwest Merkos-Lubavitch House, St. Paul, MN
Date of Prayer: 11 June 2013
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By the grace of God,
Almighty God, I invoke Your blessing today on this august body, the U.S. Senate. |
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In their divinely inspired wisdom,
the Founding Fathers of our blessed country, the United States of America, established a policy of separation of church and state. However, it was never their intention to separate our country from You, sovereign ruler of all mankind. Hence, both legislative bodies of our blessed country begin their sessions invoking Your divine presence and guidance in their legislation. Hence, in our Pledge of Allegiance we declare “one Nation under God,” on our currency is printed “In God We Trust,” and on the walls of this very Senate hall in which we invoke Your blessing is engraved in bold letters “In God We Trust.” |
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Grant, Almighty God,
that the Senators realize that in legislating just laws they are fulfilling one of the seven commandments[1] Sanhedrin 56a; cf. Tosefta Avodah Zarah 9:4 and Genesis Rabbah 34:8. Six items were commanded to Adam: concerning idolatry, blasphemy, bloodshed, illicit sexuality, theft, and laws…God added to Noah, the law of not eating from the flesh of a live animal.” (Mishneh Torah, Kings and Wars 9:1). The impetus behind sharing the sheva mitsvot in the context of ḤaBaD Lubavitch originates with the following teaching of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson: “We must do everything possible to ensure that the seven Noahide laws are observed. If this can be accomplished through force or through other kinder and more peaceful means through explaining to non-Jews that they should accept God’s wishes [we should do so]…Anyone who is able to influence a non-Jew in any way to keep the seven commandments is obligated to do so, since that is what God commanded Moses our teacher,” (“Sheva Mitzvot Shel Benai Noach,” Hapardes 59:9 7-11, 5745). which You issued to Noah and his family after the great flood as related in the book of Genesis and its sacred commentaries– the command that every society govern by just laws. |
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Almighty God,
I beseech You today to bless the Senate in the merit of one of the spiritual giants of our time and our Nation, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson of saintly blessed memory, who passed away 19 years ago today. The Rebbe labored with great love, dedication, and self-sacrifice to make all mankind aware of Your sacred presence. |
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May his memory be for a blessing
and his merit be for a shield for our government and our Nation, which he always referred to as “a nation of kindness.”[2] lit. medina shel ḥesed. |
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אָמֵן׃
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Amen.
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Source(s)
113th Congress, 1st Session. Congressional Record, Issue: Vol. 159, No. 82 — Daily Edition (June 11, 2013)
Notes
| 1 | Sanhedrin 56a; cf. Tosefta Avodah Zarah 9:4 and Genesis Rabbah 34:8. Six items were commanded to Adam: concerning idolatry, blasphemy, bloodshed, illicit sexuality, theft, and laws…God added to Noah, the law of not eating from the flesh of a live animal.” (Mishneh Torah, Kings and Wars 9:1). The impetus behind sharing the sheva mitsvot in the context of ḤaBaD Lubavitch originates with the following teaching of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson: “We must do everything possible to ensure that the seven Noahide laws are observed. If this can be accomplished through force or through other kinder and more peaceful means through explaining to non-Jews that they should accept God’s wishes [we should do so]…Anyone who is able to influence a non-Jew in any way to keep the seven commandments is obligated to do so, since that is what God commanded Moses our teacher,” (“Sheva Mitzvot Shel Benai Noach,” Hapardes 59:9 7-11, 5745). |
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| 2 | lit. medina shel ḥesed. |
