Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Dr. Isidore Lewinthal on 1 July 1912

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open_content_license: Creative Commons Zero (CC 0) Universal license a Public Domain dedication date_src_start: 1912-07-01 date_src_end: 1912-07-01 languages_meta: [{"name":"English","code":"eng","standard":"ISO 639-3"}] scripts_meta: [{"name":"Latin","code":"Latn","standard":"ISO 15924"}]

Date: 2024-06-19

Last Updated: 2025-04-11

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

Tags: 20th century C.E., 57th century A.M., 62nd Congress, anti-corruption, English vernacular prayer, integrity, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, U.S. House of Representatives, תחינות teḥinot

Excerpt: The Opening Prayer given in the U.S. House of Representatives on 1 July 1912. . . .

Content:
Guest Chaplain: Dr. Isidore Lewinthal,[1] The Congressional Record spelled his name has “J. Lewenthal”  rabbi, Vine Street Temple, Nashville, Tennessee
Sponsor: n/a
Date of Prayer: 1 July 1912

Contribute a translation Source (English)
Almighty God,
may Thy loving kindness be upon us
and establish Thou the works of our hands,
yea, the work of our hands,
firmly establish Thou it.[2] Cf. Psalms 90:17 
We pray Thee to look down
in Thy infinite kindness
upon the Members of this House;
be graciously inclined toward them
and endow them with a good heart,
with wisdom and understanding,
and with a just and willing mind
so that they may acquit themselves of
and discharge their duties as fully
as their hearts desire to do so.
We thank Thee, O God,
for the preservation of this great and glorious Republic,
in its national integrity and unity,
and humbly do we pray Thee
for strength and courage
that we may purge wherever it exists
our citizen States of the deep causes of corruption
which so often make sin profitable
and uprightness hard.
Do Thou grant unto our public men
the faith and daring of the kingdom of God in their hearts
so that they may enlist in the sacred warfare
for the freedom and the rights of the people.
Into Thy keeping, O Father,
do we commend the President of these United States
and Members of this House
and all the constituted authorities,
so that through them order may be preserved
and right and liberty be fostered.
Do Thou strengthen
the bonds of loyalty and friendship
between all the inhabitants of our great country.
Bless all mankind, Thy children,
now and forevermore.
Amen.

This prayer of the guest chaplain was offered in the eighth month of the second session of the 62nd US House of Representatives, and published in the Congressional Record, vol. 48 part 9 (1 July 1912), page 8531.

Source(s)

Congressional Record, vol. 48, part 9 (1 July 1912), p. 8531

 

Notes

Notes
1 The Congressional Record spelled his name has “J. Lewenthal”
2 Cf. Psalms 90:17

Contributor: Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Co-authors:

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