This work is in the Public Domain due to the lack of a copyright renewal by the copyright holder listed in the copyright notice (a condition required for works published in the United States between January 1st 1924 and January 1st 1964).
This work was scanned by Aharon Varady for the Open Siddur Project from a volume held in the collection of the HUC Klau Library, Cincinnati, Ohio. (Thank you!) This work is cross-posted to the Internet Archive, as a repository for our transcription efforts.
Scanning this work (making digital images of each page) is the first step in a more comprehensive project of transcribing each prayer and associating it with its translation. You are invited to participate in this collaborative transcription effort!
PREFACE
“Just as a man must ever find new sources of meaning and comprehension in the Torah, so in the Service of the Heart, which is prayer, must a man find new sources of love and devotion every day.” –Rabbi Menaḥem Mendel of Kosov
The traditional prayerbook is the bastion of Jewish living. Through the centuries the Jew would turn to it many times every dav at home and in the synagogue. To the Ḥasid, finding new sources of love and devotion in the Siddur was a labor of joy.
We who are not Ḥasidim still find in our prayerbooks the heart of our Service. Yet in our search for meaning in prayer we would turn from time to time to other books.
The purpose of An Offering of Prayer is to supplement the prayerbooks, to provide prayers on subjects that are not dealt with in traditional material or that reflect more exactly the temper of our day.
The great majority of the prayers included here are of Jewish origin, but I have included some work of non-Jews that seemed in consonance with the spirit of our religion.
To all of those who have allowed me to use their prayers, to all those who aided in the collecting and arranging of this material, or who assisted in its publication, I offer my gratitude.
Especially do I thank the members of Temple Sinai of Summit, whose Tenth Anniversary was the occasion of this publication. It has been a privilege for me to accompany them over the years to this milestone in our religious journey. To them An Offering of Prayer is dedicated.
Morrison David Bial
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Author (note) Page Number Our Temple’s Prayer Talmud Bavli Berakhot 12a 1 Preface Rabbi Morrison David Bial 7 Private Prayer and Meditation 9 A Meditation on Prayer Rabbi Alvin I. Fine 10 Man Is Here for the Sake of Others (excerpt) Albert Einstein 11 Prayer — Where Can We Find God? Rabindranath Tagore (adapted) 12 Meditation S. Michael Gelber 14 Meditation S. Michael Gelber 16 For Knowledge and Understanding Rabbi Louis M. Epstein 18 With All My Strength and Spirit Judah haLevi (translated by Olga Marx) 19 A Meditation on Man and the World Jacob Kahan 20 I Must Praise God Epictetus 21 Prayer — On Seeking for God Rabbi Morrison David Bial 22 May the Will Come from Thee Rebbi Nahman of Bratzlav (translated by Jacob Sloan) 23 From a Yemenite Prayer Book (translated by Herbert Weiner) 24 A Prayer to the Great Spirit Black Elk 26 Petition for Prayer Rabbi Morrison David Bial 27 Sabbath Eve (In the Home) Rabbi Ely E. Pilchik 28 A Song for the Sabbath Rebbi Aharon haGadol of Karlin (translated by Rabbi Morrison David Bial) 29 Apologia on the Sabbath Rabbi Morrison David Bial 31 A Mother’s Prayer at the Close of the Sabbath from the Yiddish (translated by Rabbi Morrison David Bial) 32 Meeting with God Moses of Evreus (13th century) 33 A Meditation on Charity various authors 34 A Prayer of Thanks Rev. A. Powell Davies 35 Teach Us to Be Thankful Rabbi Louis M. Epstein 36 From the Dead Sea Scrolls, The Psalms of Thanksgiving (Millar Burroughs) 37 Prayer Before a Journey Talmud Bavli Berakhot 29b 38 Prayer for One Far from Home Rabbi David de Sola Pool 39 An Early Greek Prayer Attributed to Eusebius, Bishop of Caesarea (260?-340? CE) 40 On Prayer Rav Abraham Isaac Kuk 42 The Open Door of the Heart Rabbi Morrison David Bial 43 A Prayer for the Despondent Rabbi Morrison David Bial 45 A Prayer for the Ill Rabbi Morrison David Bial 46 Public Prayer 47 Benediction at the Inauguration of President John F. Kennedy Rabbi Nelson Glueck 48 Synagogue Consecration Prayer The Hon. Lily H. Montagu 50 Installation Prayer Rabbi W. Gunther Plaut 51 Temple Anniversary Prayer Rabbi Roland Gittelsohn 52 Sabbath Meditation Rabbi Alvin I. Fine 53 Thou Who Art Spirit Rabbi Morrison David Bial 54 Interdependence Dorothy Canfield Fisher 55 We Pause in Reverence Rev. Jacob Trapp 56 Memorial Prayer (for those lost through human strife) Rabbi Alexander Goode 57 For the Freedom of Mankind (excerpt) Stephen Vincent Benet 58 For Peace Among the Nations Rabbi Morrison David Bial 59 The Music of Humanity Rev. Jacob Trapp 60 O Holy and Eternal Spirit Rev. A. Powell Davies 60 Prayer for Music Service Rabbi Morrison David Bial 61 For Largeness of Spirit Temple Sinai of Summit Youth Group 62 Learning Rabbi Ely E. Pilchik 63 A Prayer for Our Teachers Rabbi Albert G. Baum 64 Invocation for Women’s Group Rabbi Louis J. Swichkow 65 New Year’s Prayer Rabbi Morrison David Bial 66 Prayer for Dedication of Hospital Chapel Rabbi Morrison David Bial 67 Invocation for Temple Meeting Rabbi Morrison David Bial 69 Invocation for United Jewish Appeal Rabbi Morrison David Bial 70 Prayer for National Holiday Rabbi Morrison David Bial 71 Prayer for High School Graduation Rabbi Morrison David Bial 72 Benediction for Charity Meeting Rabbi Morrison David Bial 74 Meeting Invocation Rabbi Morrison David Bial 75 “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” (Liqutei Tefilot I:7 part) Rebbi Nahman of Bratzlav (translated by Rabbi Morrison David Bial) 76 Childrens Prayers and Meditations 77 Morning Prayer for Children Moshe ibn Machir and unknown 78 Night Prayer Psalms 4 78 Children’s Morning Prayer Dr. Norman Schanin (“Prayers and Holidays for the Student”) 79 Children’s Nighttime Prayer Dr. Norman Schanin (“Prayers and Holidays for the Student”) 80 It Is Not Enough Only to Pray Rabbi Daniel L. Davis 81 When Things Go Wrong Rabbi Daniel L. Davis 82 A Student’s Prayer Rabbi Nahman of Bratzlav (translated by Rabbi Morrison David Bial) 83 The Father and the Mother Henri Frederic Amiel 84 Analecta of Prayer 85
