On Thursday I posted a new prayer for the safety of soldiers serving in the IDF. Since then, I’ve received several requests for a Hebrew version of this prayer. Here it is. As I wrote in the original post, most of it is new, although I’ve taken three lines from “Gilad, Home at Last” and a paragraph from “In Times of War.” This prayer can also used as part of a three-prayer liturgy. The second is for terrorists to find a new path called “To the Terrorist.” The third is for peace, called “For Peace in the Middle East.” RJ Blog posted the entire three-part liturgy.
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Right now, there are young men and women in the IDF who have come alone to Israel, without their families, to live the dream of building lives in Israel and serving our people in the military. The term is chiyal boded – Lone Soldier – and Israel embraces them with love and care. I was touched last week, after posting “For the IDF: Operation Pillar of Defense,” when the mother of a Lone Soldier emailed to say that it gave voice to her prayers. These young men and women are the inspiration for this prayer, but the idea came from a soldier’s mother. It’s a prayer for Lone Soldiers and all soldiers of the IDF.
Lone Soldier, Operation Pillar of Defense
Guardian of Israel,
Young men and women
Have left their homes and families
Throughout the world
To find their place in the Land,
To build lives of hope,
And to serve Your People in the IDF.
Bless them,
And bless all soldiers
Of the Israel Defense Forces,
With strength and skill,
Compassion and determination,
The hallmarks of our military.
Let comradeship bolster their courage.
Let them keep faith with their vision
Of a strong and vital Jewish state.
Look with compassion on their families
And the families of all our military.
Ease their minds.
Console their hearts.
Grant their deepest prayers
For the well-being of their children.
Source of Peace,
Grant a swift and successful end to Operation Pillar of Defense.
Shield our soldiers from the traumas of war.
Keep them safe,
So that they may keep us safe.
Return them swiftly in life and in health
To the loving arms of our people.
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Here’s a new prayer for safety of soldiers serving in the IDF. Most of it is new, although I’ve taken the three lines from “Gilad, Home at Last” and a paragraph from “In Times of War.” This prayer can also used as part of a three-prayer liturgy. The second is for terrorists to find a new path called “To the Terrorist.” The third is for peace, called “For Peace in the Middle East.” The liturgy moves from the immediate need for the safety of our soldiers and citizens to our hopes for the future.
For the IDF, Operation Pillar of Defense
Rock of Israel,
Our sons and daughters,
Our brothers and sisters,
Our family and friends,
Have been called to serve
In the name of peace and justice
In Operation Pillar of Defense
To defend and to protect our land
From violence and assault,
From kidnappers and terrorists,
From the rain of missiles from Gaza.
We stand with the defenders of Israel.
We honor the guardians of Zion.
We hold dear the sentries of Am Kadosh.
Grant our leaders insight and strength
To guide our nation on a path of wisdom,
Using our power and might with courage, with caution and with care.
Bless the injured and wounded with Your healing hand
And their families with Your loving grace.
G-d of Old,
We know the price of safety,
We know the cost of security,
We know the dangers ahead.
This is not easy.
This is not desired.
And yet, we cannot be held captive
To hatred and violence.
How much longer should we wait?
Source of Peace,
Grant a swift and successful end to this operation.
Keep our soldiers safe,
And let our soldiers keep us safe.
Return them swiftly in life and in health
To the loving arms of our people.
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This piece is as much a song as a prayer, written on a train from Acco to Tel Aviv in June, 2011, a trip that ultimately led to my aliyah one year later. Readers will recognize the allusion to the Israeli National Anthem, Hatikvah, ‘The Hope.’ Here’s a link to the original post, including audio of the prayer in English.
ADDENDUM, September 28, 2016: This song comes to mind as I think about the life and legacy of Shimon Peres z”l, who passed away this morning.
Postscript: This is my first attempt at a translation of one of my pieces into Hebrew. It’s not meant as a literary translation. This was an exercise that I completed at Ulpan-Or, a wonderful program of Hebrew study with amazing staff and resources. The idea came from Maytal Ganor. I worked on this translation with Yaakov Tayeb. I suspect that I’ll take another look at this translation at some point. If you have any suggestions, feel free to email them to me. Or, if you want to read some other lovely pieces about Israel, here are two links: “Israel: A Meditation” and “Jerusalem: A Meditation.”
For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.If you like this prayer, please post a link to Facebook, your blog or mention it in a tweet.
For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.If you like this prayer, please post a link to Facebook, your blog or mention it in a tweet.
והביאנו לשלום מארבע כנפות הארץ, ותוליכנו קוממיות לארצנו
Bring us in peace from the four corners of the earth and lead us upright to our land…
On reciting this line, worshipers traditionally gather the four tzitzit that are draped around them on their talitot. The act reflects the historic longing for reunification as a people in our homeland. After my visit to Israel in June 2011, I began to see myself as the first tzitzit, thinking of my own return to the land as I held that first fringe. Then, each fringe took on a new meaning. The result is a meditation with a dreamlike quality, beginning with the yearning for Israel that’s in each of us. Here’s my dream, one tzitzit at a time. To listen along, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.
Gathering: A Dream of Reunion והביאנו לשלום מארבע כנפות הארץ ותוליכנו קוממיות לארצנו
Bring us in peace from the four corners of the earth
And lead us upright to our land…
First Tzitzit – Gathering fringes
The first knotted string in hand,
I imagine the journey home,
Home to the land of our mothers and fathers,
Holy and full of promise, labor and love,
To build a life of wonder and awe.
This is me.
This is my pilgrimage to sacred soil.
This is my dream of holiness and redemption.
I am the first tzitzit.
I am returning home.
Second Tzitzit – Gathering hearts
The second fraying string in hand,
I imagine my children, my family, my household
Returning with me to our homeland
To build and to renew our ancestral blood.
This is my family.
This is our journey to hallowed ground.
This is our wholeness and rebirth.
We are the second tzitzit.
We are returning home.
Third Tzitzit – Gathering moments
The third worn string in hand,
I imagine you, my community, my kahal,
Returning together to our Source and Shelter,
To consecrate the ancient land and our holy vow.
This is my village.
This is our journey to mystery and majesty.
This is our bond of ages.
We are the third tzitzit.
We are returning home.
Final Tzitzit – Gathering millennia
The final woolen string in hand,
I imagine all of us, from all corners of the Earth,
Returning with songs of praise and rejoicing,
To claim our place among the nation of Israel.
This is my people.
This is our journey of destiny.
This is our covenant.
We are the final tzitzit, separate no more.
We are returning home.
Postscript: I have since settled in Jerusalem. My children do not see themselves following. Still, this remains my wildest hope for them. And it will remain my deepest yearning for all of the people Israel. We will each arrive when the time is right. Click here for more prayers and meditations about Israel. Thanks to Rabbi Ruth Abusch-Magder for challenging me to think about how this meditation might be heard by those who are not on a path to aliyah.
For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.If you use or like this prayer, please post a link to Facebook, your blog or mention it in a tweet. Please consider making a contribution to support this site and my writing.
This is a prayer/poem about leaving Israel, Jerusalem in particular. I wrote it on July 3, 2011, on the drive from Jerusalem to Ben-Gurion Airport and was able to post it before my flight boarded. Here’s a list of the other prayers and poems I wrote on that trip: “To Find Home,” “Sages,” “The Way Home” and “A Song that Holds My Heart.” To listen along, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.
The Road Out
The road out of Jerusalem is down, always down.
Down from the steppes of beauty,
Down from the mount of glory,
Away from G-d’s voice
Still echoing through sacred ground.
The road out of Jerusalem is paved with exile,
With love,
With longing,
With tears.
G-d of our fathers and mothers,
Rachel still cries when we leave the land,
By force or by choice.
The soil still feels our exit,
One less Jewish soul,
One less Jewish heart,
One less Jewish spirit.
Holy One,
Bring us speedily back to the land of our ancestors,
Our dreams,
Our history.
Bring us speedily back to you,
G-d of ages,
In love.
Postscript: Click here for more prayers and meditations about Israel.
For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.If you use or like this prayer, please post a link to Facebook, your blog or mention it in a tweet.
“Alden has become one of Reform Judaism’s master poet-liturgists…" - Religion News Service, Dec. 23, 2020
“Mesmerizing, spiritual, provocative, and thoughtful, Alden was everything you would want in a guest scholar and teacher.” – Rabbi Denise L. Eger, Congregation Kol Ami, Los Angeles, and Past President, CCAR
"Alden Solovy has become one of the most revered liturgists of the last decade…" - Jewish Post & Opinion, March 29, 2023
“Alden left everyone feeling inspired.” – Cantor Jeri Robins, Shabbat Chair, NewCAJE6
On Thursday I posted a new prayer for the safety of soldiers serving in the IDF. Since then, I’ve received several requests for a Hebrew version of this prayer. Here it is. As I wrote in the original post, most of it is new, although I’ve taken three lines from “Gilad, Home at Last” and a paragraph from “In Times of War.” This prayer can also used as part of a three-prayer liturgy. The second is for terrorists to find a new path called “To the Terrorist.” The third is for peace, called “For Peace in the Middle East.” RJ Blog posted the entire three-part liturgy.
