Prayer on the Declaration of War [against Imperial Germany], by Rabbi Joseph H. Hertz (Office of the Chief Rabbi of the British Empire 1914)

Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=45186

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

Date: 2022-06-22

Last Updated: 2023-06-05

Categories: Armistice Day (November 11th), War, United Kingdom

Tags: 20th century C.E., 57th century A.M., British Jewry, German Empire, military, Second Reich, World War Ⅰ

Excerpt: "Prayer Composed by the Chief Rabbi on the Declaration of War. (August 1914.)," by Rabbi Joseph H. Hertz, was published in the Prayer Book for Jewish Sailors and Soldiers [of H.M. Forces] (Office of the Chief Rabbi 1914), p. 32. . . .


Content:
Source (Hebrew) Translation (English)
יְיָ אֱלֹהֵי צְבָאוֹת
מַחֲסֶה לָנוּ וָעֹז
עֶזְרָה בְצָרוֹת נִמְצָא מְאוֹד׃
בְּלֵב הֹמֶה
וְרוּחַ נִדְכָּאָה
נָבוֹאָה עָדֶיךָ הַיּוֹם
בִּתְפִלָּה וּבְתַחֲנוּנִים׃
מוֹט הִתְמוֹטְטָה אָרֶץ
חִיל אָחַז כׇּל יוֹשְׁבֶיהָ׃
קוֹל שָׁאוֹן
וְקוֹל תְּרוּעָה
נִשְׁמַע עַד יַרְכְּתֵי תֵבֵל
מִפְּנֵי חֲמַת הַמֵּצִיק׃
בִּעוּתֵי מִלְחָמָה יַעַרְכוּנוּ
עַד שְׁעָרֵינוּ הִגִּיעוּ׃
O Lord God of Hosts!
thou art our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
With anxious minds
and trembling hearts
we approach thee to-day
in prayer and supplication.
Kingdoms shake
and nations tremble.
The shout of the warrior
and the roar of battle
resound to the ends of the earth
because of the fury of the oppressor.
The terrors of war are upon us;
they have come close to our gates.
וּבְכׇל זֹאת לֹא נִירָא וְלֹא נִפְחָד׃
כִּי אַתָּה יְיָ הַבּוֹחֵן כְּלָיוֹת וָלֵב
וְיוֹדֵעַ תַּעֲלוּמוֹת סִתְרֵי כׇל חָי
תָּדִין אֶת דִּינֵנוּ וְתָרִיב אֶת רִיבֵנוּ׃
בְּךָ בָּטְחוּ אֲבֹתֵינוּ וַתְּפַלְטֵמוֹ׃
גַם הַיּוֹם לְךָ לְבַדְּךָ עֵינֵינוּ תְלוּיוֹת
כִּי אַתָּה יְיָ מַשְׁפִּיל גֵּאִים
וּמוֹשִׁיעַ יִשְׁרֵי לֵב׃
הוֹפַע רוּחַ חָכְמָה וְדַעַת עַל שָׂרֵינוּ וְיוֹעֲצֵינוּ
וְתַקְּנֵם בְּעֵצָה טוֹבָה מִלְּפָנֶיךָ׃
חַזֵּק וְאַמֵּץ אַנְשֵׁי צִבְאוֹתֵינוּ בַּיָּם וּבַיַּבָּשָׁה
וְהָיְתָה גְבוּרָה אֵזוֹר חֲלָצֵימוֹ׃
הָסֵר מֵעָלֵינוּ דֶבֶר וְרָעָב
וְהַרְחְק יָגוֹן וְאֲנָחָה מִגְּבוּלֵנוּ׃
Yet we will not fear.
Thou, who searchest the hearts of men
and knowest the innermost thoughts of rulers,
wilt judge our cause.
Our fathers trusted in thee and thou didst deliver them.
To thee alone our eyes are lifted up,
who bringest low the haughty
and protectest the upright in spirit.
With thine own wisdom direct the rulers and counsellors of our nation
[and correct them with your good counsel].
Gird our hosts with strength and courage on land and on sea
[and may Fortitude be their strength in the hour of affliction].
Keep thou far from us pestilence and famine;
and shield our homes from sorrow and hurt.
אָבִינוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ
שְׁמַע קוֹלֵנוּ חוּסָה עָלֵינוּ וְהוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ
וְהָיָה צֶדֶק וּמֵישָׁרִים אֱמוּנַת עִתֵּינוּ׃
קָרֵב יוֹם צִדְקָתְךָ לְהִגָּלוֹת
וְלֵב יְשָׁרִים הַרְנֵן
וּפְרוֹשׂ בִּמְהֵרָה סֻכַּת שְׁלוֹמֶךָ
עַל כׇּל יוֹשְׁבֵי תֵבֵל אַרְצֶךָ
אָמֵן וְאָמֵן׃
Our Father, our King!
hearken unto our cry; save us for thy name’s sake,
so that loyalty and faithfulness be indeed the stability of our times.
Speedily cause righteousness to triumph
and the lovers of justice to rejoice;
and hasten the day when thy tabernacle of peace
shall be spread over all the children of men for evermore.
Amen.

“Prayer Composed by the Chief Rabbi on the Declaration of War. (August 1914.),” by Rabbi Joseph H. Hertz, was published in the Prayer Book for Jewish Sailors and Soldiers [of H.M. Forces] (Office of the Chief Rabbi 1914), p. 32.

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Contributor: Office of the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth

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