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Prayer for Israel in Time of War
The following prayer for Israel was selected and revised from the internet by Rabbi Kimelman. The prayer was originally composed in English and a Hebrew translation appears below.
The linear translation setup below is from the Open Siddur Project (accessed 11/14/23). Shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International copyleft license.
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אלהינו ואלהי אבותינו.
גלוי וידוע לפני כסא כבודך שעם ישראל הוא עם אחד עם לב אחד, והיום, הלב נשבר. עם החדשות העגומות של אחינו שנהרגו, שנפגעו, ושנשבו, אנו פונים אליך. |
Eloheinu v’Elohei Avoteinu, Our God and God of our ancestors.
You know that the Jewish people are one nation with one heart, and today that heart is broken. With the grim news of so many of our sisters and brothers in Israel killed, wounded, and kidnapped, we turn to You. |
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הָרֹפֵא לִשְׁבוּרֵי לֵב
וּמְחַבֵּשׁ לְעַצְּבוֹתָם (תהלים קמז:ג) היה נא עם אחינו ואחיותינו שנשבו ועם משפחות הקורבנות. הגן על השבויים, פתח חרצובותם, והוציאם מאפלה לאורה. לִקְרֹא לִשְׁבוּיִם דְּרוֹר וְלַאֲסוּרִים פְּקַח־קוֹחַ (ישעיה ס:א) נחם משפחות הנרצחים יסתירם בסתר כנפיך. שלח רפואת הנפש ורפואת הגוף. |
Harofeh Lishvurei Lev, “O healer of broken hearts,
binder of their wounds” (Psalms 147:3) be with our brothers and sisters who have been taken captive and with the families of the victims. Watch over the hostages, break their bonds, and bring them out from darkness to light. “Proclaim release to the captives; liberation to the imprisoned” (Isaiah 61:1) Comfort the families of all those murdered bring them under the shelter of Your wings. Bring complete healing of body and spirit to all of the wounded, bind up our wounds and grant us healing. |
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צוּר יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹאֲלוֹ,
בָּרֵךְ אֶת מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, רֵאשִׁית צְמִיחַת גְּאֻלָּתֵנוּ. הָגֵן עָלֶיהָ בְּאֶבְרַת חַסְדֶּךָ, וּפְרֹשׁ עָלֶיהָ סֻכַּת שְׁלוֹמֶךָ, וּשְׁלַח אוֹרְךָ וַאֲמִתְּךָ לְרָאשֶׁיהָ, שָׂרֶיהָ וְיוֹעֲצֶיהָ, וְתַקְּנֵם בְּעֵצָה טוֹבָה מִלְּפָנֶיךָ. חַזֵּק אֶת יְדֵי מְגִנֵּי אֶרֶץ קָדְשֵׁנוּ, וְהַנְחִילֵם אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְשׁוּעָה וַעֲטֶרֶת נִצָּחוֹן תְּעַטְּרֵם, וְנָתַתָּ שָׁלוֹם בָּאָרֶץ וְשִׂמְחַת עוֹלָם לְיוֹשְׁבֶיהָ. |
Tsur Yisrael v’Go’alo, Rock and Redeemer of the people Israel,
bless the State of Israel, the initial manifestation of our redemption. Shield it with Your care; spread over it Your shelter of peace. Guide its leaders and advisors with Your light and Your truth; grace them with Your good counsel. Strengthen the hands of those who defend our holy land; crown their efforts with victory. Bless the land with peace; its inhabitants with lasting joy. |
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שׁוֹמֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל
שמור והצל את חילינו מכל צרה וצוקה הָעוֹמְדִים עַל מִשְׁמַר אַרְצֵנוּ: בַּיַּבָּשָׁה, בָּאֲוִיר, וּבַיָּם ושלח ברכה והצלחה בכל מעשי ידיהם נְקוֹם לְעֵינֵֽינוּ נִקְמַת דַּם־עֲבָדֶֽיךָ ויקוים בנו הבטחת התהילה: הָפַכְתָּ מִסְפְּדִי לְמָחוֹל לִי פִּתַּחְתָּ שַׂקִּי וַתְּאַזְּרֵנִי שִׂמְחָה. (תהלים ל:יב) |
Shomer Yisrael, Guardian of Israel,
strengthen and bless the defenders of Israel who stand guard over our land: on the land, in the air, and on the sea. Deliver their murderers into their hands. Avenge before our eyes the blood of Your servants.[1] May we see the promise of the Psalmist: “You turned my mourning into dancing… my sackcloth into robes of joy” (Psalms 30:12) |
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אלהים,
הגן, שמור, והשב את השלום והשלמות לעמך ישראל. עוֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו הוּא יַעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן |
God,
protect, preserve, and restore peace and well-being to Israel Your people. Oseh Shalom bimromav (May the One who grants peace up above) hu ya’aseh Shalom aleinu (grant peace to us) v’al kol Yisrael (and to all of Israel)[2] v’imru Amen (and say: Amen) |
Eloheinu V’Elohei Avoteinu, Our God and God of our ancestors.
You know that the Jewish people are one nation with one heart,
and today that heart is broken.
With the grim news of so many of our sisters and brothers in Israel killed, wounded, and kidnapped, we turn to You.
Harofeh Lishvurei Lev,
“O healer of broken hearts, binder of their wounds” (Psalm 147:3)
be with our brothers and sisters who have been taken captive
and with the families of the victims.
Watch over the hostages, break their bonds,
and bring them out from darkness to light.
“Proclaim release to the captives; liberation to the imprisoned” (Isaiah 61:1)
Comfort the families of all those murdered
bring them under the shelter of Your wings.
Bring complete healing, of body and spirit, to all of the wounded,
bind up our wounds and grant us healing.
Tsur Yisrael veGo’alo, Rock and Redeemer of the people Israel,
bless the State of Israel, the initial manifestation of our redemption.
Shield it with Your care; spread over it Your shelter of peace.
Guide its leaders and advisors with Your light and Your truth;
grace them with Your good counsel.
Strengthen the hands of those who defend our holy land;
crown their efforts with victory.
Bless the land with peace; its inhabitants with lasting joy.
Shomer Yisrael, Guardian of Israel,
strengthen and bless the defenders of Israel
who stand guard over our land: on the land, in the air, and on the sea.
Deliver their murderers into their hands.
May we see the promise of the Psalmist:
הָפַכְתָּ מִסְפְּדִי לְמָחוֹל לִי פִּתַּחְתָּ שַׂקִּי וַתְּאַזְּרֵנִי שִׂמְחָה
“You turned my mourning into dancing…
my sackcloth into robes of joy” (30:12)
God, protect, preserve, and restore peace and well-being to Israel Your people.
עוֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו הוּא יַעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן
ֵOseh Shalom Bimromav Hu Ya’aseh Shalom, Aleinu Ve’Al Kol Yisrael.
And let us say: Amen.
א-להינו וא-להי אבותינו.
גלוי וידוע לפני כסא כבודך שעם ישראל הוא עם אחד עם לב אחד,
והיום, הלב נשבר.
עם החדשות העגומות של אחינו
שנהרגו, שנפגעו, ושנשבו, אנו פונים אליך.
הָרֹפֵא לִשְׁבוּרֵי לֵב וּמְחַבֵּשׁ לְעַצְּבוֹתָם
היה נא עם אחינו ואחיותינו שנשבו
ועם משפחות הקורבנות.
הגן על השבויים, פתח חרצובותם,
והוציאם מאפלה לאורה.
לִקְרֹא לִשְׁבוּיִם דְּרוֹר וְלַאֲסוּרִים פְּקַח־קוֹחַ
נחם משפחות הנרצחים
יסתירם בסתר כנפיך.
שלח רפואת הנפש ורפואת הגוף.
צוּר יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹאֲלוֹ,
בָּרֵךְ אֶת מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, רֵאשִׁית צְמִיחַת גְּאֻלָּתֵנוּ.
הָגֵן עָלֶיהָ בְּאֶבְרַת חַסְדֶּךָ,
וּפְרֹשׁ עָלֶיהָ סֻכַּת שְׁלוֹמֶךָ,
וּשְׁלַח אוֹרְךָ וַאֲמִתְּךָ לְרָאשֶׁיהָ, שָׂרֶיהָ וְיוֹעֲצֶיהָ,
וְתַקְּנֵם בְּעֵצָה טוֹבָה מִלְּפָנֶיךָ.
חַזֵּק אֶת יְדֵי מְגִנֵּי אֶרֶץ קָדְשֵׁנוּ,
וְהַנְחִילֵם אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְשׁוּעָה וַעֲטֶרֶת נִצָּחוֹן תְּעַטְּרֵם,
וְנָתַתָּ שָׁלוֹם בָּאָרֶץ וְשִׂמְחַת עוֹלָם לְיוֹשְׁבֶיהָ.
שׁוֹמֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל
שמור והצל את חילינו מכל צרה וצוקה
הָעוֹמְדִים עַל מִשְׁמַר אַרְצֵנוּ: בַּיַּבָּשָׁה, בָּאֲוִיר, וּבַיָּם
ושלח ברכה והצלחה בכל מעשי ידיהם
נְקוֹם לְעֵינֵֽינוּ נִקְמַת דַּם־עֲבָדֶֽיךָ
ויקוים בנו הבטחת התהילה:
הָפַכְתָּ מִסְפְּדִי לְמָחוֹל לִי פִּתַּחְתָּ שַׂקִּי וַתְּאַזְּרֵנִי שִׂמְחָה.
א-לוהים, הגן, שמור, והשב את השלום והשלמות לעמך ישראל.
עוֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו הוּא יַעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן
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One of the founding members of the UTJ, Reuven Kimelman is a professor of classical rabbinic literature at Brandeis University, specializing in the history and meaning of Jewish liturgy.
Prior, Professor Kimelman was Joseph Shier Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Toronto, and Five College Professor of Judaic Studies at Amherst College.
He also has taught courses at numerous other educational institutions, including: Mt. Holyoke Smith, Trinity and Williams Colleges, as well as the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, Yeshiva University and Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
A recognized scholar of Talmud, Midrash and liturgy, Professor Kimelman has written on the interaction between Judaism and Christianity in antiquity and modernity. His interest further expands to the thematic connections between Greek and Biblical literature from Homer to Plato and from Genesis to Matthew. In the field of Jewish ethics, his focus is on the ethics of war, statecraft, conflict, and genocide.
Professor Kimelman is a prolific writer whose works have been published in scholarly and popular journals. He is author of the Hebrew work, The Mystical Meaning of “Lekhah Dodi’ and ‘Kabbalat Shabbat’ (Hebrew University Press) and the forthcoming, “The Rhetoric of Jewish Prayer: A Historical and Literary Commentary on the Prayerbook.”
He also has authored two audio course books:
He also wrote the introduction to Abraham Joshua Heschel’s The Mystical Element in Judaism. A list of Professor Kimelman's courses and publications can be found here.
Professional Kimelman lectures frequently at academic conferences, synagogues and national Jewish organizations. He has served as scholar in-residence for many groups, including the former UJA Young Leadership Cabinet, the Wexner Heritage Foundation, and the General Assembly of the Jewish Federations of North America.