neohasid.org (cc) 2023, David Mevorach Seidenberg
The traditional prayer for the State of Israel, more literally titled “A Prayer for Peace for the State,” was written in 1948 by the chief rabbis of what had up until then been Palestine, in a time when the state was under direct attack by the Arab armies. There was no distinction between peace, survival and victory.
As I wrote at Israel’s 70th birthday, it is time to make such distinctions. Israel and the Jewish people live in a much more complex reality today, a democratic reality, where the triumph of one political party or set of goals can change the outlook for peace and the possibility of justice. In our time, praying for peace for Israel must include praying for democracy and for the rectification of Israel’s relationships with neighboring countries, as well as with the Palestinian people, and most of whom are in some way under Israel’s control.
This prayer assumes that the best reality for the Jewish state is also the best reality for all of her citizens and for everyone who lives “in the land,” no matter where they are in relation to the Green Line or Areas A, B and C.
אָבִינוּ | אֹמְנֵנוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ,
צוּר יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹאֲלוֹ, בָּרֵךְ אֶת מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל,
כְּדֵי שֶׁתְּהֵא לְרֵאשִׁית צְמִיחַת גְּאֻלָּתֵנוּ.
הָגֵן עָלֶיהָ בְּאֶבְרַת חַסְדֶּךָ, וּפְרֹשׂ עָלֶיהָ סֻכַּת שְׁלוֹמֶךָ,
וּשְׁלַח אוֹרְךָ וְצִדְקֶךָ לְרָאשֶׁיהָ שָׂרֶיהָ וְיוֹעֲצֶיהָ
וְלַלְּאוֹם שֶׁבּוֹחֵר בָּם
וּלְשׁוֹפְטֶיהָ, שֶׁיִהְיוּ אֵיתָנִים לִשְׁפֹט צֶדֶק
וְחָזֵק קוֹל תוֹמְכֵי הַדֶּמוֹקְרָטִיָה.
תַקֵּן כֻּלָם בְּרוּחַ מִשְׁפָּט מִלְּפָנֶיךָ
שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״צִיּוֹן בְּמִשְׁפָּט תִּפָּדֶה וְשָׁבֶיהָ בִּצְדָקָה.״
הָצֵל נָא אֶת כָּל אַרְצֶךָ בֵּין יַרְדֵּן לַיָּם מִשְּׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים
וְכָל הַיּוֹשְׁבִים בָּהּ תַּחַת כָּל שִׁלְטוֹן
מִשׂוֹנְאִים בַּחוּץ וּמִשִּׂנְאָה בִּפְנִים
וְנָתַתָּ שָׁלוֹם וְשֶׁפַע בְּכָל הָאָרֶץ וְשַׁלְוָה לִמְגִנֶיהָ,
שִׂמְחַת עוֹלָם לְכָל יוֹשְׁבֶיהָ וְתִקְוָה טוֹבָה לְכָל עַמֶּיהָ.
וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן.
Our father|Our source in heaven and on Earth,
Rock of Israel and its redeemer, bless the State of Israel, so that she may become the beginning of the flowering of our redemption.
Shield her with Your embrace of love and spread over her Your sukkah-shelter of peace, and send Your light and Your righteousness to her heads, ministers, advisers and to the nation that elects them, and to her judges, may they be stalwart to bring Justice, and strengthen the voice of those who support democracy. Align them all with the spirit of justice from You, as it says, Zion through justice will be redeemed and her captives through righteousness (Isaiah 1:27).
Rescue all of Your land, from the Jordan River to the sea, from the spilling of blood, and all of her inhabitants, under every government, from haters without and hatred within, and grant peace and abundance in all the land, and secure calm to her defenders, lasting joy to all her inhabitants and true hope for all her peoples. And let us say: Amen.
Avinu|Om’neinu shebashamayim uva’aretz, Tzur Yisrael v’go’alo, bareikh et m’dinat Yisrael k’dei shet’hei l’reishit tz’michat g’ulateinu. Hagein aleha b’evrat chasdekha, ufros aleha sukat sh’lomekha, ush’lach orkha v’tzidkekha l’rosheha sareha v’yo’atzeha v’lal’om shebocher bam, ul’shofteha, sheyihyu eitanim lishpot Tzedek. Chazeik kol tomkhei hademokratiyah v’takein kulam b’ru’ach mishpat milfanecha, shene’emar, Tziyon b’mishpat tipadeh v’shaveha bitz’dakah. Hatzeil na et kol ar’tzekha bein yardein layam mish’fichut damim, v’khol hayoshvim bah, tachat kol shilton, mison’im bachutz umisin’ah bifnim, v’natata shalom v’shefa ba’aretz v’shalvah lim’gineha, simchat olam l’khol yoshveha v’tikvah tovah l’khol ameha. (Amen.)
Underlined and bold phrases are changed from the standard prayer for the state (which uses only half of the 1948 prayer).
What’s left out: “Strengthen the hands of those who defend the land … and crown them with the crown of victory.”
Why: This was the only phrase in the original prayer specifically for the Israel Defense Forces. If in a time of war we want to say a prayer for the soldiers, we should say the full Mi Shebeirakh prayer that already exists (http://www.jr.co.il/prayers/hebrew-idf-prayer.htm). In other times, such prayer is included in the phrase “grant secure calm (shalvah) to her defenders,” which can include everyone fighting for peace, justice and security for the land and the state.
תפילה לשלום הארץ והמדינה
אָבִינוּ | אֹמְנֵנוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ,
צוּר יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹאֲלוֹ, בָּרֵךְ אֶת מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל,
כְּדֵי שֶׁתְּהֵא לְרֵאשִׁית צְמִיחַת גְּאֻלָּתֵנוּ.
הָגֵן עָלֶיהָ בְּאֶבְרַת חַסְדֶּךָ, וּפְרֹשׂ עָלֶיהָ סֻכַּת שְׁלוֹמֶךָ,
וּשְׁלַח אוֹרְךָ וְצִדְקֶךָ לְרָאשֶׁיהָ שָׂרֶיהָ וְיוֹעֲצֶיהָ
וְלַלְּאוֹם שֶׁבּוֹחֵר בָּם
וּלְשׁוֹפְטֶיהָ, שֶׁיִהְיוּ אֵיתָנִים לִשְׁפֹט צֶדֶק
וְחָזֵק קוֹל תוֹמְכֵי הַדֶּמוֹקְרָטִיָה.
תַקֵּן כֻּלָם בְּרוּחַ מִשְׁפָּט מִלְּפָנֶיךָ
שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״צִיּוֹן בְּמִשְׁפָּט תִּפָּדֶה וְשָׁבֶיהָ בִּצְדָקָה.״
הָצֵל נָא אֶת כָּל אַרְצֶךָ בֵּין יַרְדֵּן לַיָּם
מִשְּׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים
וְכָל הַיּוֹשְׁבִים בָּהּ תַּחַת כָּל שִׁלְטוֹן
מִשׂוֹנְאִים בַּחוּץ וּמִשִּׂנְאָה בִּפְנִים
וְנָתַתָּ שָׁלוֹם וְשֶׁפַע בְּכָל בָּאָרֶץ וְשַׁלְוָה לִמְגִנֶיהָ,
שִׂמְחַת עוֹלָם לְכָל יוֹשְׁבֶיהָ וְתִקְוָה טוֹבָה לְכָל עַמֶּיהָ,
וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן.
Prayer for the Land and State of Israel
Our father|Our source in heaven and on Earth, Rock of Israel and its redeemer, bless the State of Israel, so that she may become the beginning of the flowering of our redemption.
Shield her with Your embrace of love and spread over her Your sukkah-shelter of peace, and send Your light and Your righteousness to her heads, ministers, advisers and to the nation that elects them, and to her judges, may they be stalwart to bring Justice, and strengthen the voice of those who support democracy. Align them all with the spirit of justice from You, as it says, Zion through justice will be redeemed and her captives through righteousness (Isaiah 1:27).
Rescue all of Your land, from the Jordan River to the sea, from the spilling of blood, and all of her inhabitants, under every government, from haters without and hatred within, and grant peace and abundance in all the land, and secure calm to her defenders, lasting joy to all her inhabitants and true hope for all her peoples. And let us say: Amen.
תפילה לשלום הארץ והמדינה
אָבִינוּ | אֹמְנֵנוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ,
צוּר יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹאֲלוֹ, בָּרֵךְ אֶת מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל,
כְּדֵי שֶׁתְּהֵא לְרֵאשִׁית צְמִיחַת גְּאֻלָּתֵנוּ.
הָגֵן עָלֶיהָ בְּאֶבְרַת חַסְדֶּךָ, וּפְרֹשׂ עָלֶיהָ סֻכַּת שְׁלוֹמֶךָ,
וּשְׁלַח אוֹרְךָ וְצִדְקֶךָ לְרָאשֶׁיהָ שָׂרֶיהָ וְיוֹעֲצֶיהָ
וְלַלְּאוֹם שֶׁבּוֹחֵר בָּם
וּלְשׁוֹפְטֶיהָ, שֶׁיִהְיוּ אֵיתָנִים לִשְׁפֹט צֶדֶק
וְחָזֵק קוֹל תוֹמְכֵי הַדֶּמוֹקְרָטִיָה.
תַקֵּן כֻּלָם בְּרוּחַ מִשְׁפָּט מִלְּפָנֶיךָ
שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״צִיּוֹן בְּמִשְׁפָּט תִּפָּדֶה וְשָׁבֶיהָ בִּצְדָקָה.״
הָצֵל נָא אֶת כָּל אַרְצֶךָ בֵּין יַרְדֵּן לַיָּם
מִשְּׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים
וְכָל הַיּוֹשְׁבִים בָּהּ תַּחַת כָּל שִׁלְטוֹן
מִשׂוֹנְאִים בַּחוּץ וּמִשִּׂנְאָה בִּפְנִים
וְנָתַתָּ שָׁלוֹם וְשֶׁפַע בְּכָל בָּאָרֶץ וְשַׁלְוָה לִמְגִנֶיהָ,
שִׂמְחַת עוֹלָם לְכָל יוֹשְׁבֶיהָ וְתִקְוָה טוֹבָה לְכָל עַמֶּיהָ,
וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן.
Prayer for the Land and State of Israel
Our father | Our source in heaven and on Earth, Rock of Israel and its redeemer, bless the State of Israel, so that she may become the beginning of the flowering of our redemption.
Shield her with Your embrace of love and spread over her Your sukkah-shelter of peace, and send Your light and Your righteousness to her heads, ministers, advisers and to the nation that elects them, and to her judges, may they be stalwart to bring Justice, and strengthen the voice of those who support democracy. Align them all with the spirit of justice from You, as it says, Zion through justice will be redeemed and her captives through righteousness (Isaiah 1:27).
Rescue all of Your land, from the Jordan River to the sea, from the spilling of blood, and all of her inhabitants, under every government, from haters without and hatred within, and grant peace and abundance in all the land, and secure calm to her defenders, lasting joy to all her inhabitants and true hope for all her peoples. And let us say: Amen.
[Transliteration]
Avinu |Om’neinu shebashamayim uva’aretz, Tzur Yisrael v’go’alo, bareikh et m’dinat Yisrael k’dei shet’hei l’reishit tz’michat g’ulateinu. Hagein aleha b’evrat chasdekha, ufros aleha sukat sh’lomekha, ush’lach orkha v’tzidkekha l’rosheha sareha v’yo’atzeha v’lal’om shebocher bam, ul’shofteha, sheyihyu eitanim lishpot Tzedek, v’chazeik kol tomkhei hademokratiyah. Takein kulam b’ru’ach mishpat milfanecha, shene’emar, Tziyon b’mishpat tipadeh v’shaveha bitz’dakah. Hatzeil na et kol ar’tzekha bein yardein layam mish’fichut damim, v’khol hayoshvim bah, tachat kol shilton, mison’im bachutz umisin’ah bifnim, v’natata shalom v’shefa b’khol ha’aretz v’shalvah lim’gineha, simchat olam l’khol yoshveha v’tikvah tovah l’khol ameha, v’nomar, Amen.
