Since Covid, reciting the festival Hallel — Psalms 113-118 — in times of distress has been a recurrent theme in my work, which first resulted in “Hallel in a Minor Key,” a liturgy with music by Sue Radner Horowitz. The idea for “Hallel for the Hostages” was inspired during the recitation of Hallel on Shavuot yesterday.
Hallel for the Hostages
Today, we sing Hallel
As a demand.
Our pleas without please.
Redeem them, O Redeemer.
Protect them, O Protector.
Hear our voices.
Bless us and save us.
Bless them and save them.
Remember us all.
So that our praises
To You
Have not been sung
In vain.
© 2024 Alden Solovy and ToBendLight
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Postscript: A PDF of the full “Hallel in a Minor Key” liturgy is available for download, including sheet music.
Please check out These Words: Poetic Midrash on the Language of Torah and my other CCAR Press volumes: This Grateful Heart, This Joyous Soul, and This Precious Life, which can also be purchased as the Grateful/Joyous/Precious trilogy. For reprint permissions and usage guidelines, see “Share the Prayer!” To receive my latest prayers via email, please subscribe (on the home page). You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter. For a taste of my teaching, see my ELItalk video, “Falling in Love with Prayer.”
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