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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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
| 1 | 2 Kings 20:1-6. |
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| 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). |
