Prayers for the State of Israel
אָבִינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם, צוּר יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹאֲלוֹ, בָּרֵךְ אֶת מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, רֵאשִׁית צְמִיחַת גְּאֻלָּתֵנוּ. הָגֵן עָלֶיהָ בְּאֶבְרַת חַסְדֶּךָ, וּפְרֹשׂ עָלֶיהָ סֻכַּת שְׁלוֹמֶךָ, וּשְׁלַח אוֹרְךָ וַאֲמִתְּךָ לְרָאשֶׁיהָ, שָׂרֶיהָ וְיוֹעֲצֶיהָ, וְתַקְּנֵם בְּעֵצָה טוֹבָה מִלְּפָנֶיךָ. חַזֵּק אֶת יְדֵי מְגִנֵּי אֶרֶץ קׇדְשֵׁנוּ, וְהַנְחִילֵם אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְשׁוּעָה וַעֲטֶרֶת נִצָּחוֹן תְּעַטְּרֵם, וְנָתַתָּ שָׁלוֹם בָּאָרֶץ, וְשִׂמְחַת עוֹלָם לְיוֹשְׁבֶיהָ. וְאֶת אַחֵינוּ כָּל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל, פְּקׇד נָא בְּכָל אַרְצוֹת פְּזוּרֵיהֶם, וְתוֹלִיכֵם מְהֵרָה קוֹמְמִיּוּת לְצִיּוֹן עִירֶךָ וְלִירוּשָׁלַיִם מִשְׁכַּן שְׁמֶךָ, כַּכָּתוּב בְּתוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה עַבְדֶּךְ (דברים ל,ד-ו): "אִם יִהְיֶה נִדַּחֲךָ בִּקְצֵה הַשָּׁמָיִם, מִשָּׁם יְקַבֶּצְךָ יהוה אֱלֹהֶיךָ וּמִשָּׁם יִקָּחֶךָ. וֶהֱבִיאֲךָ יהוה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יָרְשׁוּ אֲבֹתֶיךָ וִירִשְׁתָּהּ, וְהֵיטִבְךָ וְהִרְבְּךָ מֵאֲבֹתֶיךָ. וּמָל יהוה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת לְבָבְךָ וְאֶת לְבַב זַרְעֶךָ, לְאַהֲבָה אֶת יהוה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכׇל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכׇל נַפְשְׁךָ, לְמַעַן חַיֶּיךָ". וְיַחֵד לְבָבֵנוּ לְאַהֲבָה וּלְיִרְאָה אֶת שְׁמֶךָ, וְלִשְׁמֹר אֶת כׇּל דִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָתֶךָ, וּשְׁלַח לָנוּ מְהֵרָה בֶּן דָּוִד מְשִׁיחַ צִדְקֶךָ, לִפְדּוֹת מְחַכֵּי קֵץ יְשׁוּעָתֶךָ. הוֹפַע בַּהֲדַר גְּאוֹן עֻזֶּךָ עַל כׇּל יוֹשְׁבֵי תֵּבֵל אַרְצֶךָ, וְיֹאמַר כֹּל אֲשֶׁר נְשָׁמָה בְּאַפּוֹ: "יהוה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֶלֶךְ, וּמַלְכוּתוֹ בַּכֹּל מָשָׁלָה!" אָמֵן סֶלָה.
Our Father in Heaven, the Rock and Redeemer of Israel! Bless the State of Israel, the first sprouting of our redemption. Protect it with Your great kindness, spread over it the shelter of Your peace, grant Your light and truth to its leaders, ministers, and advisors, and provide them with Your good counsel. Strengthen the hands of the defenders of our Holy Land, bequeath deliverance to them, our God, crown them with the crown of victory, and give peace to the land and everlasting joy to its inhabitants. And remember all our brethren of the House of Israel, in all the lands of their dispersion, and bring them quickly to Zion, Your city, and to Jerusalem, the domicile of Your name, as it is written in the Torah of Moses, Your servant: Even if your outcasts are at the end of the heavens the Lord, your God, will gather you and take you from there. And the Lord, your God, will bring you to the land that Your forefathers inherited, and you shall inherit it, and He shall benefit you and make your numbers greater than your fathers. Then the Lord, your God, will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your offspring, to love the Lord, your God, with all your heart and with all your soul, in order that you may live (Deuteronomy 30:4-6). Unify our hearts to love and be awed by Your name, and to keep all the words of Your Torah, and may You dispatch the son of David, Your righteous Messiah, to us, to redeem those awaiting Your final salvation. Appear with the glory and pride of Your strength before all the inhabitants of Your world, and may all who have breath in them say, "The Lord, God of Israel, is the King, and His kingdom is over everything." Amen, selah.
by Hannah Ellenson
אלוהינו ואלוהי אמותינו ואבותינו
Our God and God of our ancestors,
We ask your blessing for the State of Israel
Lit. ''the one who struggles with God.'' Israel means many things. It is first used with reference to Jacob, whose name is changed to Israel (Genesis 32:29), the one who struggles with God. Jacob's children, the Jewish people, become B'nai Israel, the children of Israel. The name also refers to the land of Israel and the State of Israel.
and for all of Israel’s inhabitants.
מקור חיים
Source of Life, bless and strengthen those who defend the land and ensure their safe and speedy return home.
Protect them and guide them.
קדוש ברוך הוא
Holy and Blessed One, show Israel’s leaders your path so they may act with wisdom, courage, and dedication and that they may be unwavering in their pursuit of peace. Strengthen their hearts, but keep them from hardening.
מתיר אסורים
Freer of the Captives, return all those who are kidnapped safe and sound to their homes, without the spilling of more innocent blood, without any more souls being tarnished by horrific acts.
בעל הרחמים,
Master of Compassion, help us hold the humanity and the heartache of the Jewish people while also holding the humanity and the dignity of the Palestinian people.
As we are made in your image, remind us of your ways. Spread over us your shelter of peace and fulfill the vision of your prophets:
“They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not take up sword against nation; they shall never again know war.”
Together, we say: Amen
Prayers for Captives
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְפָנֶיךָ יהוה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֶאֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁתְּחַזֵּק וְתִשְׁמוֹר וְתִנְצוֹר אֶת אֲחֵינוּ בֵּית יִשְֹרָאֵל, הַשְּׁבוּיִים וְהַשְׁבוּיוֹת, בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁאָנוּ מִתְפַּלְּלִים בַּעֲבוּרָם. הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יִמָּלֵא רַחֲמִים עֲלֵיהֶם, יִשְׁמְרֵם מִכָּל צָרָה וְצוּקָה וּמִכָּל נֶגַע וּמַחֲלָה, וְיִשְׁלַח בְּרָכָה וְהַצְלָחָה בְּכָל מַעֲשֵׂי יְדֵיהֶם, יוֹצִיאֵם מֵחֹשֶׁךְ וְצַלְמָוֶת וִישִׁיבֵם מְהֵרָה לְחֵיק מִשְׁפְּחוֹתֵיהֶם, ונֹאמַר אָמֵן.
We pray on this night to God, who we call Podeh u’Matzil, the One who rescues and saves, who redeems and protects. Guide our loved ones home. Teach us the tools to Rescue and Save, to Redeem and Protect.
Strengthen, God, the hearts of those kidnapped, to help them hold on and be brave through this ordeal, to know resilience and hope through it all, to feel in their bones that they will not be abandoned.
Soften, God, the hearts of their captors to see humanity in themselves and in those they have taken from their homes, that they may release them soon and in good health.
And focus, God, the hearts of the soldiers and officials who will themselves enact the mitzvah of pidyon shvuyim. Make them wise and clearsighted and ready them for this task in which they will act while holding all of Israel’s heart in their hands.
Ana Adonai Hoshianah. Ana Adonai Hatzlichana. May the ancient words in our scrolls amplify our voices as we cry out for the safe return of our people. We pray for the peace of Israel and for the safety of all innocent lives in danger on this night.
אַחֵֽינוּ כָּל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל הַנְּ֒תוּנִים בַּצָּרָה וּבַשִּׁבְיָה הָעוֹמְ֒דִים בֵּין בַּיָּם וּבֵין בַּיַּבָּשָׁה הַמָּקוֹם יְרַחֵם עֲלֵיהֶם וְיוֹצִיאֵם מִצָּרָה לִרְ֒וָחָה וּמֵאֲפֵלָה לְאוֹרָה וּמִשִּׁעְבּוּד לִגְ֒אֻלָּה הַשְׁתָּא בַּעֲגָלָא וּבִזְמַן קָרִיב וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן:
Acheinu kol beit yisrael,
han'tunim b'tzara uvashivyah, haomdim bein bayam uvein bayabasha. Hamakom y'racheim aleihem v'yotziem mitzara lirvacha, umi'afaila l'orah umishibud lig'ulah, hashta ba'agala uvizman kariv.
[As for] our brethren, the entire House of Israel who [still] remain in distress and captivity, whether on sea or on land, may God have compassion on them, and bring them from distress to relief, from darkness to light, from servitude to redemption, at this moment, speedily, very soon; and let us say Amen.
Prayer for Israeli Soldiers
מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב הוּא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת חַיָּלֵי צְבָא הֲגַנָּה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל הָעוֹמְדִים עַל מִשְׁמַר אַרְצֵנוּ וְעָרֵי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מִגְּבוּל הַלְּבָנוֹן וְעַד מִדְבַּר מִצְרַיִם וּמִן הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל עַד לְבוֹא הָעֲרָבָה בַּיַּבָּשָׁה בָּאֲוִיר וּבַיָּם יִתֵּן יהוה אֶת אוֹיְבֵינוּ הַקָּמִים עָלֵינוּ נִגָּפִים לִפְנֵיהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יִשְׁמֹר וְיַצִּיל אֶת חַיָלֵינוּ מִכָּל צָרָה וְצוּקָה וּמִכָּל נֶגַע וּמַחֲלָה וְיִשְׁלַח בְּרָכָה וְהַצְלָחָה בְּכָל מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיהֶם יַדְבֵּר שׂוֹנְאֵינוּ תַּחְתֵּיהֶם וִיעַטְרֵם בְּכֶתֶר יְשׁוּעָה וּבְעֲטֶרֶת נִצָּחוֹן וִיקֻיַּם בָּהֶם הַכָּתוּב: כִּי יהוה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם הַהֹלֵךְ עִמָּכֶם לְהִלָּחֵם לָכֶם עִם אֹיְבֵיכֶם לְהוֹשִׁיעַ אֶתְכֶם וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן
May He who blessed our fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob bless the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces, who are standing guard over our land and over the cities of our God, from the border of Lebanon to the Wilderness of Egypt, and from the Great Sea to the Approach of the Aravah — on land, in the air, and in the sea. May the Lord give plagues before our enemies who arise against us. May the Holy One, blessed be He, guard and rescue our soldiers from all trouble and distress, and from all affliction and illness; and may He grant blessing and success to all the acts of their hands. May He crush beneath them those who hate us and crown our soldiers with the crown of salvation and with the crown of victory. And may the verse be fulfilled through them: For it is the Lord, your God, who walks with you to fight for you against your enemies to save you (Deuteronomy 20:4). And let us say, Amen.