Prayer for National Holiday, by Rabbi Morrison David Bial (1962)

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Date: 2022-09-08

Last Updated: 2025-02-18

Categories: 🇺🇸 Abraham Lincoln's Birthday (February 12th), 🇺🇸 George Washington's Birthday (3rd Monday of February), 🇺🇸 Independence Day (July 4th), 🇺🇸 Thanksgiving Day (4th Thursday of November), 🇺🇸 United States of America

Tags: 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., civil rights, English vernacular prayer, United States

Excerpt: "Prayer for National Holiday" by Rabbi Morrison David Bial was first published in his anthology, An Offering of Prayer (1962), p. 71, from where this prayer was transcribed. . . .

Content:

Contribute a translation	Source (English)
	O Lord, our God, Creator and Judge of all Mankind: To Thee we come with prayers of thanksgiving for the blessings Thou hast showered upon us. We call upon Thy great name and ask Thy benison upon our homes and families and all those we love. We thank Thee for the privilege of living in our glorious land of America, fountainhead of liberty and example of democracy to the nations of the world.
	As we celebrate this historic day, we turn our hearts and our minds to Thee, O Lord, to recall Thy teachings of wisdom. Thus Thou hast spoken through Thy prophet, “Not by might and not by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord.” (Zechariah 4:6)
	So we would bring Thy spirit into our homes, our places of work, our courts of law, understanding that as we live lives of peace and brotherhood, as we judge in equity and truthfulness, so we establish Thy reign upon earth.
	May we preserve our traditions of justice for all men, tempered by mercy and guided by regard for the rights of all our citizens. Help us to dedicate ourselves to strive for liberty under law for all in our beloved country.
	May we be worthy to continue the noble heritage of the founders of our nation, that Thy blessing may rest upon us and upon all Thy children.
	Amen.

“Prayer for National Holiday” by Rabbi Morrison David Bial was first published in his anthology, An Offering of Prayer (1962), p. 71, from where this prayer was transcribed.

Source(s)

Contributor: Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Co-authors:

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

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