Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=57295
open_content_license: Creative Commons Zero (CC 0) Universal license a Public Domain dedicationDate: 2024-07-16
Last Updated: 2024-07-20
Categories: Congregation & Community
Tags: 18th Century C.E., 56th century A.M., English vernacular prayer, Prayers of Freemasons
Excerpt: This undated 18th century prayer (before 1756) by an unknown author for "the opening of [a] lodge, etc., and used by Jewish Freemasons" was published in "Old Forms of Lodge Prayers," The Hebrew Leader (31 December 1889), p. 4. (The Hebrew Leader regularly included news of interest to Jewish member of masonic fraternities.) The provenance of the prayer is offered in the lede: "Appended to a copy of the Constitutions of the Ancient and Honorable Fraternity of F. and A. Masons, published in 1801, by Bro. D. Longworth, at the Shakespeare Gallery, New York City (kindly loaned to us by R.W. Henry C. Banks), we find a number of forms which at the present day appear unique. These forms are spoken of as having been in use for a long period during the last century; and from them we extract two or three Prayers, one or the other of which it was customary to repeat, according to the religious faith of the members of the lodge’ which had assembled. We give them for the benefit of our readers." The source for the prayer in its re-printed form is a 1756 work, Ahiman Rezon: or, a help to a brother; shewing the excellency of secrecy, ... Together with Solomon's temple an oratorio, as it was performed for the benefit of free-masons by Laurence Dermott (1756). . . .
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O Lord,
excellent art thou in thy truth, and there is nothing great in comparison to Thee; for thine is the praise from all the works of thy hands, forevermore. |
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Enlighten us, we beseech thee,
in the true knowledge of Masonry; by the sorrows of Adam, thy first made man; by the blood of Abel, the holy one; by the righteousness of Seth, in whom thou art well pleased; and by thy covenant with Noah, in whose architecture thou wast pleased to save the seed of thy beloved, number us not among those who know not thy statutes, nor the divine mysteries of thy secret Cabala. |
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But grant, we beseech thee,
that the ruler of this lodge may be embued with knowledge and wisdom, to instruct us and explain his secret mysteries, as our holy brother Moses did (in his lodge) to Aaron, to Eleazer and Ithamar (the sons of Aaron), and the several elders of Israel. |
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And grant that we may understand, learn and keep
all the statutes and commands of the Lord, and this holy mystery, pure and undefiled unto our lives’ end. Amen, Lord. |
This undated 18th century prayer (before 1756) by an unknown author for “the opening of [a] lodge, etc., and used by Jewish Freemasons” was published in the newspaper article “Old Forms of Lodge Prayers,” The Hebrew Leader (31 December 1889), p. 4. (The Hebrew Leader regularly included news of interest to Jewish member of masonic fraternities.) The provenance of the prayer is offered in the lede: “Appended to a copy of the Constitutions of the Ancient and Honorable Fraternity of F. and A. Masons, published in 1801, by Bro. D. Longworth, at the Shakespeare Gallery, New York City (kindly loaned to us by R.W. Henry C. Banks), we find a number of forms which at the present day appear unique. These forms are spoken of as having been in use for a long period during the last century; and from them we extract two or three Prayers, one or the other of which it was customary to repeat, according to the religious faith of the members of the lodge’ which had assembled. We give them for the benefit of our readers.” The author of the article also included the following annotation to the prayer:
Appended to this prayer we find the following annotation:—In the preface to the “Mishna” we find this tradition of the Jews explained as follows: “God not only delivered the law to Moses on Mount Sinai, but the explanation of it likewise. When Moses came down from the Mount and entered into his tent, Aaron went to visit him, and Moses acquainted Aaron with the laws he had received from God, together with the explanation of them. After this Aaron placed himself at the right hand of Moses, and Eleazer and Ithamar (the sons of Aaron), were admitted, to whom Moses repeated what he had just before toldto Aaron. These being seated, the one on the right hand the other on the left hand of Moses, the seventy elders of Israel who compose the Sanhedrim came in, and Moses again declared the same laws to them, with the interpretation of them, as he had done before to Aaron and his sons. Lastly, all who pleased of the common people were invited to enter, and Moses instructed them likewise in the same manner as the rest. So that Aaron heard four times what Moses had been taught by God upon Mount Sinai; Eleazer and Ithmar three times, the seventy elders twice, and the people once. Moses afterwards reduced the laws which he had received into writing, but not the explanation of them. These he thought it sufficient to trust to the memories of the above mentioned persons, who, being perfectly instructed in them, delivered them to their children, and these again to theirs, from age to age.”
The source for the prayer in its re-printed form is a 1756 work, Ahiman Rezon: or, a help to a brother; shewing the excellency of secrecy, … Together with Solomon’s temple an oratorio, as it was performed for the benefit of free-masons by Laurence Dermott (1756). Many thanks to Shawn Eyer for this detail. –Aharon Varady
Contributor: Unknown Author(s)
Co-authors:
Featured Image:
Title: star of david, masonic symbol, wreath – tombstone in Hollywood Cemetery (Tess Dixon, CC BY-NC-ND)
Caption: star of david, masonic symbol, wreath - tombstone in Hollywood Cemetery (Tess Dixon, CC BY-NC-ND) -- retouched by Aharon Varady to recenter and make symmetrical the originally oblique photograph