Yizkor for a Soldier
(Recited in memory of Tom Christiansen z”l who gave his life in Vietnam. Thanks to the men and women who died protecting the lands I love: the U.S. Military and the Israel Defense Forces.)

G-d of the selfless,
G-d of the strong and the brave,
Grant a perfect rest among the souls of the righteous
To ______________________ (name in Hebrew or your native tongue),
My [father / mother / sister / brother / child / wife / dear one/ friend]
Who died in service to our country during the
_________________________________________________ [name of war or conflict].
May his / her dedication serve as a shining lamp of courage and love.
Bless the souls of all who have died in the name of liberty and democracy,
Soldiers and veterans,
Civilians and professionals,
Men and women who answered the call of honor and duty.
May his / her memory be sanctified with joy and love.
May his / her soul be bound up in the bond of life,
A living blessing in our midst.

Veterans Day Prayer

G-d of compassion,
G-d of dignity and strength,
Watch over the veterans of the United States
In recognition of their loyal service to our nation.
Bless them with wholeness and love.
Shelter them.
Heal their wounds,
Comfort their hearts.
Grant them peace.

G-d of justice and truth,
Rock of our lives,
Bless our veterans,
These men and women of courage and valor,
With a deep and abiding understanding
Of our profound gratitude.
Protect them and their families from loneliness and want.
Grant them lives of joy and bounty.
May their dedication and honor
Be remembered as a blessing
From generation to generation.

Blessed are You,
Protector and Redeemer,
Our Shield and our Stronghold.

To the Soldier, To the Veteran

These things I do not know:

The sound of a bullet.
The power of a blast.
The blood of a comrade.
The depth of your wound.
The terror at midnight.
The dread at dawn.
Your fear or your pain.

These things I know:

The sound of your honor.
The power of your courage.
The blood of your wound.
The depth of your strength.
The terror that binds you.
The dread that remains.
Your dignity and your valor.

For these things we pray:

The sound of your laughter.
The power of your voice.
The blood of your yearning.
The depth of your healing.
The joy that frees you.
The hope that remains.
Your wholeness and your love.

The Last Soldier

When the last soldier passes on,
When armies are disbanded and militias discharged,
When weapons are abandoned and armor discarded,
Your mission will, at last, be over.

For you know the soldier’s secret.
Yours was not a mission of war
Nor a mission of ruin.
Yours was not a mission of destruction
Nor a mission of death.
Your mission was safety, security, protection.
Your mission was honor, loyalty, service.
Your mission was to end violence, tyranny, despair.

When the last soldier passes on,
When the uniforms are retired and the final grave filled,
We will remember all who served and sacrificed for our nation.

Until then G-d of Old,
Watch over our soldiers and our veterans.
Renew their courage.
Rebuild their strength.
Heal their wounds.
Bind their hearts with Your steadfast love.
Remember them,
Bless them,
Sustain them,
And give them peace.

© 2011 Alden Solovy and www.tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: See also “In Times of War.” Here’s a link to more yizkor and memorial prayers. Thanks again to Rabbi Ruth Abusch-Magder, Ph.D., for her suggestion that I write prayers for Veterans Day. Here are links to other prayers written at Rabbi Ruth’s suggestion: “Be’chol Lashon (In Every Tongue)” and “A Liturgy for 9-11”.

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Inside the Light
A rainbow shines
Inside the light.
If you could be the dew drop
You would always see it.

Stillness waits
Inside the light.
If you could be the sky
You would always feel it.

The sunrise dawns
Inside the light.
If you could be the horizon
You would always find it.

Freedom flows
Inside the light.
If you could be the wind
You would always ride it.

Beauty rises
Inside the light.
If you could be the sparrow
You would always reach it.

Mystery pulses
Inside the light.
If you could be the wonder
You would always know it.

Majesty reigns
Inside the light.
If you could be the wisdom
You would always hear it.

Faith rests
Inside the light.
If you could be the eagle
You would always hold it.

Your soul glows
Inside the light.
If you could be yourself
You would never leave it.

© 2012 Alden Solovy and www.tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: I wrote this on the airplane from Chicago to Newark on my way to Israel to make aliyah. Other songs of the spiritual traveler include: Come Walk,” “Bird is Bird,” “River,” “Soarbird” and “I am Breathing.”

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Season of Sorrow
This is my season of sorrow.
A time when struggles begin,
When challenges arrive,
When endings occur.
Moments of pain.
Moments of sadness.
Moments of confusion.
Times of loss. Times of grief.
Moments that stripped me of wisdom
And left me crushed and breathless,
Cold and in deepening shadow.

Holy One,
Help me recall my seasons of joy,
To recall with hope and praise
Your gifts and blessings.
Moments of laughter.
Moments of kindness.
Moments of peace.
Times of health. Times of clarity.
Moments that lifted my spirit
And comforted my heart.

In truth,
These joys and sorrows
Are gifts of holiness,
Gifts of mystery,
Gifts beyond my wisdom,
My knowledge,
My understanding.

Rock of Old,
You are my comfort and my strength,
My light and my truth.

© 2012 Alden Solovy and www.tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: Here are other prayers about transitions and transformations: “Leaving,” “River” “Rhythms” and “Transitions.”

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Powerful Men
Men of honor,
Men of strength,
The world yearns for you.
Your wisdom, your courage, your vitality.
The call has come.

Men of conscience,
Men of understanding,
Summon the energy that is deep in your belly,
Steeped into your bones,
That heats your blood and fires your eyes,
And hold it as rod and staff,
Guide and compass,
To build, to heal,
To honor, to bless.

G-d of Majesty,
Teach me to use this power
In service to others
In the name of holiness and love,
So that I become a source of compassion and grace,
A light of awe and wonder.

© 2012 Alden Solovy and www.tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: Click here for a list of prayer and meditations for men. Two of my favorites are: “My Courage” and “My Work Remains.”

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For some, this is a shehciyanu moment. For others, perhaps it’s a Kaddish moment. It can be a time of pain, fear or emotional ambiguity. Some will use this prayer in a solitary setting. Others may use it as part of a healing ceremony of their own design that takes place in the company of friends or family. These considerations led to another goal for this piece: creating a simple and concise prayer focused on healing.

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This Ring: An Ending
When I put your ring on my finger
I wrapped it around my heart.

In removing this ring from my finger
I release my heart
With grief and joy,
Uncertainty and faith,
In unequal measures.

Ancient One,
G-d of compassion and grace,
Let this moment be a blessing
So that healing continues
To flow into my hours and days.
Grant me the strength and insight
To honor the past and embrace the future
With dignity and passion,
Wisdom and thanksgiving,
Kindness and charity.
Then, G-d of wholeness and healing,
I will return to song and dance,
Laughter and praise,
As a beacon of Your light,
A source of joy, hope and love.

© 2012 Alden Solovy and www.tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: This prayer might also be used after removing an engagement ring. Thanks to my friend Rabbi Ruth Abusch-Magder for the idea for this prayer. Thanks to my dear cousin Irwin Keller for his comments and suggestions on an early draft of this prayer. Here’s a prayer “For Bereaved Children,” for healing the grief of our children, appropriate for parents to say whether the loss is by death or divorce.

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Israel, Our Home
These prayers resonate with love for Zion:

• Israel: A Meditation – Our hearts and souls yearn for the land
• Jerusalem: A Meditation – For peace to come to reign in the City of Gold
• A Song that Holds My Heart – Hatikvah, of course
• The Road Out – The land itself cries whenever we leave
• Oh You Hills, Oh You Sands – The beauty of the land speaks
• Gathering: A Dream of Reunion – A vision of our people together and home
• Bechol Lashon (In Every Tongue) – For the unity of the Jewish people

For Gilad Shalit
These prayers were written for his freedom:

• Gilad: Home at Last – Rejoicing and healing, with a prayer for all defenders of Israel
• For Gilad’s Homecoming – Said between news of his pending release and his return

For Peace
These prayers are for peace in Israel and for wisdom and democracy to be the hallmark of all governments in the region:

• For Peace in the Middle East – A prayer for peace
• To the Terrorist – For terrorists to choose a new path
• For Egypt – For wisdom in Egypt’s new government and freedom for all
• For Libya – A prayer for the people

Please use these prayers.

 If you like any of them, please post links to your Facebook page, your blog or as part of a tweet. For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!”

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To Pray
G-d, bless me with a heart of prayer:
To lift my voice,
To sing Your praise,
To extol Your wisdom,
To recall Your deeds,
To proclaim Your glory,
To declare Your majesty,
To recount Your ways,
To remember Your works,
To delight in Your gifts,
To rejoice in Your Word.

Let prayer flow from my lips.
Let me join the song of my people,
Filling the realms above
And the realms below
With joy and wonder,
So that holiness, radiance and awe,
Walk with us
Throughout our days.

© 2012 Alden Solovy and www.tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: See also: “Quick Meditation for Today,” “Quick Meditation at Noon,” “Your Name: Quick Prayer at Dusk,” and “Quick Meditation at Night.”

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Shoah Memorial Prayer
Creator of all,
Source and shelter,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace
To those who perished in the Holocaust,
Our fathers and mothers,
Our sisters and brothers,
Our rabbis and teachers,
Our neighbors and children,
The named and the unnamed,
Whose lives were cut off by
Brutal, vicious, cunning and calculated violence.
May they find peace in the world to come.
Remember the survivors who have since passed away,
And the virtues of our people who’ve died at the hand of malice
In every generation.
We remember the works of their hands
And the messages of their hearts.
Bless the defenders of Israel with safety and strength,
And the righteous of all nations who provide
Protection, shelter and comfort to the Jewish people.
Let their deeds be a source of favor in heaven
And healing on earth.
Put an end to anger, hatred and fear
And lead us to a time when no one will suffer at the hand of another,
Speedily, in our days.
May the memories of all who faced these horrors
Be sanctified with joy and love.
May their souls be bound up in the bond of life,
A living blessing in our midst.

© 2012 Alden Solovy and www.tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: This prayer is adapted from “At the Hand of Anti-Semitism: A Yizkor Prayer.” Thanks to my friend Brenda Epstein for the suggestion. Here are two prayers appropriate for use commemorating Kristallnacht, Yom HaShoah and Tisha b’Av: “After the Horror” and “Tears of Crystal, Tears of Broken Glass.”

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For First Responders
Crisis and chaos,
Confusion and loss,
A scene of sweeping destruction,
The first responders arrive
Among the breathless and dazed,
The frenzied, driven wild with fear and grief,
The incapacitated, the dead,
The weary, the lost, the injured,
And survivors forcing themselves
Beyond their limits
To fight devastation.

G-d whose ways are secret,
Bless these first responders with endurance
To be of maximum service in this moment of immeasurable need.
Bless their limbs with strength,
Their eyes with courage,
Their hands with gentleness,
So that they become a source of hope and love.
Give them the tools they need in the days and hours ahead.
Protect them from physical harm,
Shield them from emotional pain,
And guard them from taking this trauma into themselves.

G-d of justice and mercy,
May the deeds of the first responders
Find favor in Heaven
And bring healing on earth.

© 2011 Alden Solovy and www.tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: See also “Yizkor for First Responders” and “Memorial Prayer for 9/11 First Responders.”

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Ethics
Strong and sure.
Gentle and soft.
The ethics of my hands.

Awake and bright.
Aware and kind.
The ethics of my eyes.

Brave and true.
Solid and steady.
The ethics of my legs.

Open and willing.
Able and ready.
The ethics of my arms.

Present and engaged.
Receiving. Giving.
The ethics of my mind.

Joy and tears.
Comfort and hope.
The ethics of my heart.

© 2012 Alden Solovy and www.tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: Here are three yoga meditations that have a similar rhythm to this prayer: “Breath: Yoga Meditation I,” “Strong: Yoga Meditation II” and “Pray and…: Yoga Meditation III.” See also: “For Service” and “On Making a Mistake.”

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