Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. Senate: Rabbi Herbert W. Bomzer on 23 May 1967

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Date: 2024-05-12

Last Updated: 2025-04-25

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

Tags: 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., 90th Congress, English vernacular prayer, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, Six Day War, U.S. Senate, תחינות teḥinot

Excerpt: The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. Senate on 23 May 1967 on the eve of the Six Day between the State of Israel and its neighbors. . . .

Content:

Guest Chaplain: Rabbi Herbert W. Bomzer, Young Israel of Ocean Parkway, Brooklyn, New York
Sponsor: n/a
Date of Prayer: 23 May 1967

Contribute a translation	Source (English)
	Turn Thee towards me, and be gracious unto me, as is Thy wont to do unto those that love Thy name. (Psalms 119:132).
	Sovereign of the Universe, Thou hast granted us freedom to love Thy name and follow Thy divine attributes of loving kindness and mercy. We pray that we may fulfill Thy will, thus making us worthy of Thy presence among us.
	In this space age, help us to conquer the space we have permitted to develop between ourselves and our fellow men. Close the space which separates our principles from our practices, our creeds from our deeds, and the space of which the prophet Isaiah complained, “Your sins have separated between you and your God.” (Isaiah 59:2).
	Cast the rays of Thy divine guidance upon the President, the Vice President, the Senators and all the leaders of our beloved country. Enable them to solve in the light of Thine eternal truth the manifold social, economic, and political problems which plague our country and the world.
	In this era when our sincere desires for lasting peace are frustrated by events in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, when evil has captivated the attention of many of our generation, and mankind is living “As it is with the fishes of the sea, the one that is larger swallowing the others” (Abodah Zarah 4a.3) may it be Thy will to grant peace and mercy unto us.
	Make Thy divine prophecy soon come to pass when nations “shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks”; when “nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” (Isaiah 2:4) Spread, O Lord, the mantle of peace over all the earth,^[1] Cf. the prayer Hashkivenu with all mankind dwelling in brotherhood and tranquility. Amen.

This prayer of the guest chaplain was offered in the fifth month of the first session of the 90th US Congress in the Senate, and published in the Congressional Record, vol. 113, part 10 (23 May 1967), page 13458.

Source(s)

Congressional Record, vol. 113, part 10 (23 May 1967), p. 13458

Notes

Notes
1	Cf. the prayer Hashkivenu

Contributor: Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Co-authors:

Name: Herbert Bomzer
Bio: Rabbi Herbert W. (Chaim Zev) Bomzer (August 16, 1927 - February 8, 2013), born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York, was a prominent Orthodox rabbi in the United States. Ordained at Yeshiva University, he received smikhah from Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik and Rabbi Moshe Feinstein. As Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva University, he taught Talmud to over 3,000 students for over 50 years. He held a Doctorate in Jewish Education and Administration, as well as a Master of Arts in Jewish History and Philosophy. He was the President and Chairman of the Political Action Committee of the Vaad Harabonim of Flatbush and Assistant Professor of Judaic Studies at Yeshiva University, where he taught Talmud and Judaic Law. A recognized expert in Orthodox conversion to Judaism, Rabbi Bomzer was given approval to conduct conversion administration from the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rav Dvorkin, the Kaizmarker Rav, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, and Rabbi Aaron Soloveitchik. He published a book on conversion, The Chosen Road in 1996. Rabbi Bomzer also served as rabbi for Young Israel of Ocean Parkway and as a chaplain for the New York City Department of Corrections at Rikers Island. As a Rabbinical leader, he served twice as President of the Rabbinical Board of Flatbush, was Chairman and President of the Halakhic Committee of the Council of Young Israel Rabbis, was Chairman and an Officer of the Committee for Hizuk Hadat of the Rabbinical Council of America, was an Officer in the administration of the National Council of Young Israel, and a board member of various organizations including the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States and Canada (Agudath Harabonim), and the Iggud HaRabbonim and Poale Agudat Yisroel.
Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Bomzer
Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/herbert-bomzer

Name: the Congressional Record of the United States of America
Bio: The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress, published by the United States Government Printing Office and issued when Congress is in session. Indexes are issued approximately every two weeks. At the end of a session of Congress, the daily editions are compiled in bound volumes constituting the permanent edition. Statutory authorization for the Congressional Record is found in Chapter 9 of Title 44 of the United States Code. (wikipedia)
Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_Record
Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/united-states-congressional-record

Name: Aharon N. Varady (transcription)
Bio: Aharon Varady (M.A.J.Ed./JTSA Davidson) is a volunteer transcriber for the Open Siddur Project. If you find any mistakes in his transcriptions, please let him know. Shgiyot mi yavin; Ministarot naqeni שְׁגִיאוֹת מִי־יָבִין; מִנִּסְתָּרוֹת נַקֵּנִי "Who can know all one's flaws? From hidden errors, correct me" (Psalms 19:13). If you'd like to directly support his work, please consider donating via his Patreon account. (Varady also translates prayers and contributes his own original work besides serving as the primary shammes of the Open Siddur Project and its website, opensiddur.org.)
Website: https://aharon.varady.net
Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/aharon-varady-transcription

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Title: Flag_of_the_United_States_Senate.svg
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