Prayer [after the massacres on Shemini Atseret 5784], by Dr. Melila Hellner-Eshed

Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=53139

open_content_license: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International copyleft license

Date: 2023-10-24

Last Updated: 2025-02-02

Categories: Terror, War

Tags: 2023-2024 Israel–Hamas war, 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., Israeli–Palestinian conflict

Excerpt: This prayer was offered by Dr. Melila Hellner-Eshed in the days following the attacks of Ḥamas and its allies from Gaza on southern Israel beginning Shemini Atseret 5784 (7 October 2023). The English translation was made Rabbi Zac Kamenetz and Rabbi Marc Margolius. . . .


Content:
Source (Hebrew) Translation (English)
אֵל אֱלֹהֵי הָרוּחֹת לְכָל בָּשָׂר
הִנֵּה אָנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ רוּחוֹת קְרוּעוֹת וְסוֹעוֹת מִצַּעַר
חֲמֹל נָא עָלֵינוּ, בְּנֵי הָאָדָם, הַבְּרוּאִים בְּצַלְמְךָ,
בִּפְקֹד אוֹתָנוּ עֵת שֶׁבֶר וְצָרָה,
אֵימָה, מָוֶת וּבֶהָלָה
Divine One – Source of the spirits for all [mortal] flesh
We are before you as spirits rent and weary from sorrow
Pity us, humanity, created in your image
Guide us in this time of fracture and tragedy,
fear, death and panic
יִגּוֹלּוּ נָא, אָנָּא, אָנָּא רַחֲמֵנוּ וְהָאַהֲבָה שֶׁבָּנוּ
עַל מִדּוֹת הַדִּין, הַנְּקָמָה וְהָרֹעַ שֶׁבָּנוּ.
שֶׁהִנֵּה בָּא הַכְּאֵב הָעַז וְהַבּוֹעֵר הַצּוֹעֵק וּמְבַקֵּשׁ נְקָמָה וְלֹא נֶחָמָה.
Please, please, we beg that you turn our own mercy and love
over the judgement, vengeance, and evil that lies within us.
For the pain is so severe, searing, screaming, that it only seeks inconsolable retribution
שִׁמְרִי עָלֵינוּ שְׁכִינַת עֻזֵּנוּ,
עַל רוּחוֹתֵינוּ הַצְּרוּבוֹת,
נִשְׁמוֹתֵינוּ הַמְּבֹהָלוֹת,
עַל בְּשָׂרֵנוּ שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה כֻּלּוֹ חִדּוּדִין
Keep watch, Shekhinah, over our strength,
over our scorched spirits,
our frightened souls,
our furious flesh
לְמַעַן יַעֲלֶה כַּשַּׁחַר וְיִזְרַח צֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים מִלִּבֵּנוּ הַמְּרֻסָּק.
וְנַאֲמִין שֶׁעוֹד נִזְכֶּה וְנִרְאֶה בְּטוּב ה׳
וְטוּב הָאָדָם בְּאֶרֶץ חַיִּים.
אָמֵן
May the Image of Divinity within our crushed hearts rise and shine like the dawn,
That we way yet still believe we deserve to see Hashem’s goodness,
and the goodness of humanity, in the land of the living.
Amen

This prayer was offered by Dr. Melila Hellner-Eshed in the days following the attacks of Ḥamas and its allies from Gaza on southern Israel beginning Shemini Atseret 5784 (7 October 2023). The English translation was made Rabbi Zac Kamenetz and Rabbi Marc Margolius.

 

Contributor: Zac Kamenetz (translation)

Co-authors:

Featured Image:
A_fractured_rock_near_Çuqurça-3_(Murun_Kır_mountain)
Title: A_fractured_rock_near_Çuqurça-3_(Murun_Kır_mountain)
Caption: A fractured rock near Çuqurça-3 (Murun Kır mountain) (credit: Eugene Badusev, license: CC BY-SA)