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תפלה לאל בכל שנה ושנה
על הישועה אשר עשה לארצנו עת כי גברו חילינו וחילי אנשי בריתנו ושבתה המלחמה הגדולה |
[Annual Prayer to God for the deliverance which he made for our country when our troops and the troops of our allies prevailed and the great war ceased.] |
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Armistice Day Prayer To be Recited at the Service on the Anniversary or on the preceding Sabbath, after the Prayer for the King and the Royal Family. |
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רִבּוֹן הָעוֹלָמִים
אֲשֶׁר לְךָ דֻמִיָּה תְהִלָּה בְּתוֹדָה נַזְכִּיר (On Nov. 11th add: בַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר הוּחַק לְזִכָּרוֹן בְּמִצְוַת הַמֶּֽלֶךְ) אֶת רַב טוּב אֲשֶׁר גָּמַֽלְתָּ לְאַרְצֵֽנוּ הָאֲהוּבָה׃ שְׁנוֹת מִסְפָּר עֶבְרָה וְשַׁמָּה סְבָבֽוּנוּ׃ בְּחָשְׁכֵּֽנוּ לְךָ הָיוּ עֵינֵֽינוּ תְלוּיוֹת וַתְּהִי זְרֹעֲךָ לָֽנוּ לְאוֹרָה וִישׁוּעָה׃ בָּא יוֹם בְּשׂוֹרָה וְקוֹל רַֽעַשׁ מִלְחָמָה כִּלִּֽיתָ מֵעָלֵֽינוּ יוֹם אֲשֶׁר בְּכָל שָׁנָה וְשָׁנָה אָב לְבָנִים יוֹדִֽיעַ אֶל אֲמִתֶּֽךָ אֲשֶׁר עָשִֽׂיתָ עִמָּֽנוּ לְהַפְלִיא׃ |
Lord of the Universe, to Whom silence is praise,[1] Psalms 65:2. we recall in thanksgiving (On Nov. 11th add: on this solemn day of remembrance) the abounding goodness which Thou hast bestowed on our beloved country. Wrath and desolation surrounded us for many years. In our darkness and distress we turned unto Thee, and Thy mighty arm became our light and our salvation. The day we hoped for came, when Thou didst cause the roar of battle to cease. On that day, year by year, fathers make known unto children how Thou hast dealt wondrously with us. |
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אַב הַשָּׁלוֹם
אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדְךָ נַפְשׁוֹת הַחַיִּים וְהַמֵּתִים זָכְרָה־נָּא לְטוֹבָה לַגִּבּוֹרִים אֲשֶׁר חֵרְפוּ נַפְשָׁם לָמוּת בְּעַד מַלְכָּם וְאַרְצָם׃ שְׁלַח רְפוּאָה לַחוֹלִים וּבְחִלּוּץ עֲצָמוֹת תְּבָרְכֵם׃ וַאֲשֶׁר אֵינָם עוֹד אִתָּֽנוּ בְּאֶֽרֶץ הַחַיִּים יִֽיקַר־נָא דָמָם בְּעֵינֶיךָ וּתְהִי מִיתָתָם סוֹף וְקֵץ לְכׇל מַשְׂטֵמָה וְעִוּוּת הַדִּין בֵּין הָעַמִּים׃ חַדֵּשׁ לֵב טָהוֹר וְרוּחַ נָכוֹן בְּקֶֽרֶב עָם וָעָם וְיַטּוּ שְׁכֶם אֶחָד לְהַשְׁבִּית מִלְחָמוֹת עַד קְצֵה הָאָֽרֶץ׃ |
Father of Peace, in Whose hand are the souls of the living and the dead,[2] from the Bedtime Shema liturgy. O remember for good all Thy brave children who were ready to lay down their lives at the call of King and Country. Send healing to the wounded, and bless them again with bodily vigour. And as for those who are no longer in the land of the living, may their sacrifice not have been in vain. May their death mean the end of all hatred and defiance of right among nations. Implant Thou a new heart and a faithful spirit in the peoples; so that, with one consent, they make wars to cease to the end of the earth. |
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שׁוֹמֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל
הַסְתֵּר עַמְּךָ וְנַחֲלָתְךָ בְּצֵל כְּנָפֶֽיךָ וְלֹא יוֹסִֽיפוּ עוֹד בְּנֵי עַוְלָה לְעַנּוֹתָם׃ קָרֵב הַיָּמִים אֲשֶׁר יִוָּדַע בַּגּוֹיִם כִּי אָב אֶחָד לְכֻלָּֽנוּ וְאֵל אֶחָד בְּרָאָֽנוּ׃ וּפְרוֹשׂ בִּמְהֵרָה סֻכַּת שְׁלוֹמֶֽךָ עַל כׇּל יוֹשְׁבֵי תֵבֵל אַרְצֶֽךָ אָמֵן וְאָמֵן׃ |
O Guardian of Israel, shelter the remnant of Thy people in the shadow of Thy love,[3] Cf. Psalms 17:8. safe from malice and massacre. Hasten the days when the children of men understand that they have One Father, that one God created us all; and spread Thy tabernacle of peace over all the dwellers on earth. Amen. |
This “Armistice Day Prayer” was composed in 1923 by the Office of the Chief Rabbi on the Anniversary of the cessation of conflict on November 11th marking the end of the Great War (later known as World War I). The prayer was likely written by Rabbi Joseph Herman Hertz who had been elected Chief Rabbi in 1913.
We are grateful to Jeffrey Maynard and his blog, Jewish Miscellanies, for sharing page images of this prayer.
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