[Prayer] for Peace Among the Nations, by Rabbi Morrison David Bial (1962)
Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=46537
open_content_license: Creative Commons Zero (CC 0) Universal license a Public Domain dedication Date: 2022-09-04
Last Updated: 2025-03-24
Categories: War
Tags: 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., anti-war, Cold War (1953–1962), English vernacular prayer, United States, universalist
Excerpt: "[Prayer] For Peace Among the Nations" by Rabbi Morrison David Bial was first published in his anthology, An Offering of Prayer (1962), p. 59, from where this prayer was transcribed. . . .
Content:
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O God,
Who hast made in one image
all the nations of men,
to Thee we offer our prayer of peace.
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Forgive us
that in our day
the nations have gone after strange gods,
worshiping the State
and offering human sacrifice
to the god of War.
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O God of love,
unite in opposition to war
all those who worship Thee
throughout the world.
Give us ever the higher courage
to take our stand with Thy teachings.
Remove from our hearts
the very seeds of war,
all enmity and selfishness,
bigotry and strife.
Give us humility
and goodwill
to every man,
to every nation.
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May the resounding words of Isaiah,
Thy prophet of ancient days,
ring loud in our ears and echo in our hearts,
until all men shall know their truth:
“And He shall judge between the nations
and shall decide for many peoples;
And they shall beat their swords into ploughshares
and their spears into pruning hooks;
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.” (Isaiah 2:4)
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“[Prayer] For Peace Among the Nations” by Rabbi Morrison David Bial was first published in his anthology, An Offering of Prayer (1962), p. 59, from where this prayer was transcribed.
Source(s)
Contributor: Aharon N. Varady (transcription)
Co-authors:
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Name: Morrison David Bial
Bio: Born in New York in 1917, Morrison David Bial studied at Princeton Theological Seminary, served as a chaplain at Mitchell Field during World War II, and was ordained from the Jewish Institute of Religion in 1945. Rabbi Bial spoke from pulpits in the United States as well as in Dublin, Glasgow, and London. He led a number of tours to Israel, and published thirteen books, including The Rabbi’s Bible: Torah and The Rabbi’s Bible: Prophets (began in 1966, co-authored with Solomon Simon), Liberal Judaism at Home: the Practices of Modern Reform Judaism (1971), and Your Jewish Child (1978). Rabbi Bial spent over thirty years serving Temple Sinai in Summit, New Jersey, from 1953 until he became Rabbi Emeritus in 1985. From 1985–1995, Rabbi Bial joined Temple Beth Shalom in Ocala, Florida, revitalizing its interfaith movement, and served as Rabbi Emeritus until his death in 2004.
Website:
Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/morrison-david-bial
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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
Featured Image:
Title: picasso-hands-entwined
Caption: Les mains liées III (Hands Entwined III) by Picasso, 1952
