Prayer in the event of a sluggish Internet response, by Aharon Varady • the Open Siddur Project

Excerpt: A prayer for a friend who needs prompt and useful data in response to their Internet queries. . . .

Content:

Who here hasn’t been frustrated by some slow, intermittent, or unreliable Internet communication. As a friend writes, “sometimes the Internet is not connective, sometimes the wifi is on the fritz, sometimes your own computer is having issues, sometimes the website is down. While there are many diagnoses for this illness, sometimes the page just fails to load.” When all else fails, or perhaps to supplement all the effort of one’s troubleshooting, here is a prayer I’ve written. The story in Genesis 8:6-12 of the raven and the dove sent out as messengers by Noaḥ to relay helpful and trustworthy news of the life sustaining conditions outside the Ark, provided a much needed prompt in composing the following petition. The prayer may be useful for the secure relay of all messages, whether they be carried by data packets, pneumatic tubes, or appropriately compensated messengers. In the case of human or non-human animal messengers, please add a prayer for their safety that their going and returning be watched over as the angels in their רָצוֹא וָשׁוֹב (going and returning) per Ezekiel 1:14.

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָּנֶיךָ, ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְאִמּוֹתֵינוּ, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהֶחְזַרְתָּ אֶת הַיּוֹנָה שֶׁשָּׁלַח נֹחַ מִן־הֶחַלּוֹן הַתֵּבָה אָז אוּלַי תַּחְזֹר הַשְּׁאֵלָה שֶׁשָּׁלַחְתִּי לַחַלּוֹן שֶׁלִּי עִם תְּשׁוּבָה מוֹעִילָה שֶׁכַּתוּב: ”וַתָּבֹא אֵלָיו הַיּוֹנָה לְעֵת עֶרֶב וְהִנֵּה עֲלֵה־זַיִת טָרָף בְּפִיהָ וַיֵּדַע נֹחַ כִּי־קַלּוּ הַמַּיִם מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ“ (בראשית ח:יא).	May it be your will Hashem our elo’ah, and elo’ah of our ancestors, that just as you returned the dove that Noaḥ sent out from the window of the tévah ^[1] This is the window or skylight, alternately identified as the tsohar of the Ark in Genesis 6:16. so may you return the query I sent out back to my window, with useful information, as it is written: “The dove came back to him toward evening, and there in its bill — a plucked olive leaf! Then Noaḥ knew that the waters had subsided from upon the earth. (Genesis 8:11)

Source (Hebrew)

Translation (English)

יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָּנֶיךָ,
ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְאִמּוֹתֵינוּ,
כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהֶחְזַרְתָּ אֶת הַיּוֹנָה
שֶׁשָּׁלַח נֹחַ מִן־הֶחַלּוֹן הַתֵּבָה
אָז אוּלַי תַּחְזֹר הַשְּׁאֵלָה שֶׁשָּׁלַחְתִּי
לַחַלּוֹן שֶׁלִּי עִם תְּשׁוּבָה מוֹעִילָה
שֶׁכַּתוּב:
”וַתָּבֹא אֵלָיו הַיּוֹנָה לְעֵת עֶרֶב
וְהִנֵּה עֲלֵה־זַיִת טָרָף בְּפִיהָ
וַיֵּדַע נֹחַ כִּי־קַלּוּ הַמַּיִם
מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ“ (בראשית ח:יא).

May it be your will
Hashem our elo’ah, and elo’ah of our ancestors,
that just as you returned the dove
that Noaḥ sent out from the window of the tévah
so may you return the query I sent out
back to my window, with useful information,
as it is written:
“The dove came back to him toward evening,
and there in its bill — a plucked olive leaf!
Then Noaḥ knew that the waters had subsided
from upon the earth. (Genesis 8:11)

Notes

Notes
1	This is the window or skylight, alternately identified as the tsohar of the Ark in Genesis 6:16.

Featured Image:

Title: Baldus de Ubaldis. Lectura super Institutionibus. 1480-1481
Caption: Baldus de Ubaldis. Lectura super Institutionibus. 1480-1481