Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Moshe E. Bomzer on 18 April 1978

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Date: 2024-04-14

Last Updated: 2025-03-27

Categories: 🇺🇸 United States of America, Opening Prayers for Legislative Bodies

Tags: 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., 95th Congress, Education & Sharing Day USA, English vernacular prayer, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, U.S. House of Representatives, חבּ״ד ḤaBaD Lubavitch, תחינות teḥinot

Excerpt: The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. House of Representatives on 18 April 1978. . . .

Content:
Guest Chaplain: Rabbi Moshe E. Bomzer, Young Israel of Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Sponsor: Rep. J. Herbert Burke (R-FL)
Date of Prayer: 18 April 1978

Contribute a translation Source (English)
I offer this prayer on the day
which has been proclaimed
by the President of the United States
and both Houses of Congress
as Education Day, U.S.A.,[1] Education & Sharing Day, established by the United States Congress in honor of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Since 1978, Education & Sharing Day, USA, has been proclaimed by the president each year on the Rebbe’s birthday on the Jewish calendar, 11 Nissan, which is four days before Passover and thus generally can fall between March 21 and April 21 on the Gregorian calendar. 
in celebration of the 76th birthday
of the illustrious and revered leader of world Jewry—
the Lubavitcher Rebbe, shlita,
whose selflessness and devotion have been a model
for the education of all mankind.[2] In 1978, the U.S. Congress asked President Jimmy Carter to designate the Rebbe’s birthday as the national Education and Sharing Day to recognize and pay tribute to his efforts for a better education for all American citizens. This prayer honoring Rabbi Schneerson was offered by Rabbi Moshe Bomzer, the son of Rabbi Herbert W. Bomzer (1927-2013), a modern Orthodox rabbi who also identified as a Lubavitch Ḥassid. 
In these trying times
we beseech You, our God,
to grant us the wisdom,
kindness,
patience,
and understanding
to educate ourselves and our children
in Your divine ways.
Bestow upon us the knowledge
to differentiate between
right and wrong,
good and evil,
sanctity and impurity.
Cast the rays of Your divine guidance
upon the President,
the Vice President,
the Members of the House of Representatives,
and all the leaders of our beloved country.
Enable them to find solutions
for the problems
which plague our country
and the world.
As Jews throughout the world prepare for the holiday of freedom,
dedicated to the concepts of human rights
and devotion through education
as stated in Exodus 13:14 “And you shall teach your children,”
let this message of peace and freedom resound
through the Halls of this great Capitol of ours.
Make Your divine prophecy come to pass
when “nations shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks;”
when “nation shall not lift sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war anymore.” (Isaiah 2:4)
Let us learn
to teach the world
and educate our youth
so that we may merit to live in a world
permeated with love,
honesty,
ethics,
and morals
and to the realization of our potential
to establish a world
built on peace and knowledge.
Amen.

This prayer of the guest chaplain was offered in the fourth month of the second session of the 95th US Congress in the House of Representatives, and published in the Congressional Record, vol. 124, part 8 (18 April 1985), page 10394.

Source(s)

 

Notes

Notes
1 Education & Sharing Day, established by the United States Congress in honor of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Since 1978, Education & Sharing Day, USA, has been proclaimed by the president each year on the Rebbe’s birthday on the Jewish calendar, 11 Nissan, which is four days before Passover and thus generally can fall between March 21 and April 21 on the Gregorian calendar.
2 In 1978, the U.S. Congress asked President Jimmy Carter to designate the Rebbe’s birthday as the national Education and Sharing Day to recognize and pay tribute to his efforts for a better education for all American citizens. This prayer honoring Rabbi Schneerson was offered by Rabbi Moshe Bomzer, the son of Rabbi Herbert W. Bomzer (1927-2013), a modern Orthodox rabbi who also identified as a Lubavitch Ḥassid.

Contributor: Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Co-authors:

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