Tag Archive for "war" | To Bend Light

Posts Tagged ‘war’

War on Simchat Torah

Posted on: October 7th, 2023 by Alden

Shabbat Simchat Torah 5784 / 2023. I’ve been inside a bomb shelter more today than in the entire 11.5 years I’ve been in Israel combined. ‘This is not a situation, or a round of fighting,’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. ‘ We are at war.’ This is a multi-prayer liturgy on this difficult day, and for the days ahead. It begins with a new prayer, ‘War on Simchat Torah,’ then moves to ‘For the Soldiers of the IDF’ and concludes with ‘Israel: A Meditation.’

War on Simchat Torah
On the ground,
We rejoice with the Torah.
In the air,
The missiles fly.
On the ground
The attack has come, as well.
Some still dance
With the Torah,
While others shelter in place.

We are at war,
Even as we remember
The blessings of G-d’s word,
Even as we pledge
To be true to our faith
And to live according
To G-d’s instructions.

כי נר מצוות ותורה אור ודרך חיים
For mitzvot are a lamp
And Torah is light
And the way of life. (Proverbs 6:23)

G-d of Israel,
Bless this nation
And protect us
Even as the sirens blare
And combat has come
To our streets.

Let peace be close at hand,
So that we dance
In the gardens and the groves,
In the heights and in the deserts
Once more
In joyous celebration
Of Torah and life.

For the Soldiers of the IDF
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 the name of sovereignty and survival,
To defend and to protect our land
From violence and assault,
From kidnappers and terrorists,
From missile and mortar,
From those who would destroy our nation and our people.

We stand with the defenders of Israel.
We honor the guardians of Zion.
We hold dear the sentries of Am Kadosh.

G-d of Old,
We know the price of safety,
We know the cost of security.
Bless the injured and wounded
In every generation
With Your healing hand.
Bless the dead and the bereaved
With Your love and consolation.
Bless the heroes of our past
And the heroes of the future
With a share in the world to come.

Source of Peace,
Keep our soldiers safe,
And let our soldiers keep us safe,
So that they return in life and in health
To the loving arms of our people.

Israel: A Meditation
Israel,
You are my people.
You are my heart and you are my hope.
We waited together at the mountain
When G-d revealed the Holy Word.
We wandered together through the desert
On the path to sacred soil.
We watched the sea part.
We heard the heavens roar.
We stood at the doorway to freedom,
At the border of a Promised Land.

Israel,
You are my destiny.
You are my joy and you are my truth.
We were victorious at Jericho,
Unyielding at Masada.
We defied empires
For Torah.
We defied kings
For justice and freedom.
We’ve traveled the earth,
Wandered the millennia,
Refugees of the ages,
Homeless and hopeful,
Waiting to return
To native ground.

Israel,
You are my brother in history,
My sister in fortune,
The mother of my courage,
The father of my heart,
The child of my longing,
And the light of generations.
To you I pledge my right arm
And my voice in song.
To you I pledge my soul.
To you I pledge my spirit.

Israel,
You are my nation.
You are my inheritance.
You are my home.

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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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Photo Source: Times of Israel / AP

For Three Leaders, For the World

Posted on: March 15th, 2022 by Alden

A new prayer for Ukraine and the world. The intention of this prayer is flexibility in use. The three middle stanzas can be removed from the prayer as the situation changes, or if a particular individual or congregation does not want to specifically name world leaders in prayer. It seems to me, however, that in this precarious moment prayers for key leaders are critical. They’re offered here as important, but optional as we all yearn for peace. Along with my “Hero of Ukraine,” this could be part of a multi-prayer liturgy for peace in the region and the world.

For Three Leaders, For the World
G-d of compassion,
Put an end to the war in Ukraine
And all wars throughout the world.
Look with favor on the refugees,
The homeless, the wounded,
The suffering, the starving,
And the newly bereaved.
Grant a perfect rest
Under Your canopy of peace
To those who have perished
At the ugly hand of war.
Extend Your canopy of peace
From the highest heavens
To this earth.

Bless Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
With continued strength and resolve
To defend his people against the onslaught,
Inspiring world sympathy and support.

Bless U.S. President Joe Biden
With wisdom and skill to face the challenge of history
As Europe prepares for a broader conflict
And fears world war.

Bless Russian President Vladimir Putin
With a change of mind,
A change of heart and soul,
To release the tools of war,
To pick up the tools of peace.

G-d of peace,
Release the citizens of Ukraine
From occupation and war.
Grant them resilience and vitality.
Give them comfort and hope.
End this violence and suffering.
For life renewed.
For healing and building.
For a better world.
“Let justice come in waves like water
And righteousness flow like a river” (Amos 5:24),
So that “nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
Neither shall they learn war anymore” (Isaiah 2:4).

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Postscript: See also: “Hero of Ukraine.”

Please check out my CCAR Press Grateful/Joyous/Precious trilogy. The individual books are: This Joyous Soul , This Grateful Heart, and This Precious Life. Here’s a link to my ELItalk, “Falling in Love with Prayer..” For reprint permissions and usage guidelines and reprint permissions, 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.

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Photo Source: News Sites

Hero of Ukraine

Posted on: February 25th, 2022 by Alden

This prayer-poem for the people of Ukraine incorporates a quote from Ukrainian poet and artist Taras Shevchenko, writing from St. Petersburg Citadel Prison in May, 1847, who spent years imprisoned for his pro-Ukrainian independence activities in tsarist Russia. There’s a statue in his honor on the National Mall. The title, “Hero of the Ukraine,” is from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky who called the soldiers killed today defending Snake Island “heroes of the Ukraine.”

Hero of Ukraine
Defenders of Ukraine,
You each will be called Hero,
Posthumous honor
For those who have died
In a war that has never ended,
Spanning centuries
Of Russian invasions and occupations.

How much blood and war
Has the Dnieper seen,
As the majestic river flows
From Kyiv to the Black Sea?
“Evil folk and wicked men
Attack our Ukraine, once so free.”

G-d of All,
Protector and Redeemer,
Watch over the people of the Ukraine
As their land is invaded,
Once again,
And war returns to the land.
Grant them safety and security,
Independence, freedom, and peace.
Watch over the soldiers
Forced into combat
To defend the nation,
And to protect their land and their homes.

G-d of Peace,
Bring a speedy end to this conflict,
And full restoration of the sovereignty to Ukraine.
Bring an end to all war, conflict, and strife,
So that Your promise of peace is fulfilled.

New here? Subscribe here to get my newest prayers by email.

Please check out my CCAR Press Grateful/Joyous/Precious trilogy. The individual books are: This Joyous Soul, This Grateful Heart, and This Precious Life. Here’s a link to my ELItalk, “Falling in Love with Prayer..” For reprint permissions and usage guidelines and reprint permissions, 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.

Please consider making a contribution to support this site and my writing.

Photo Source: NYT

Yizkor for a Lone Soldier

Posted on: July 22nd, 2014 by Alden

Young men and women from all over the world leave their families and come alone to Israel to live the dream of building lives here and serving our people in the military. The term is chayal boded – Lone Soldier – and Israel embraces them with love and care and, proudly but sadly, we also bury them with love and care. This is a new yizkor prayer for Lone Soldiers in the IDF, posted here in memory of Sgts. Nissim Sean Carmeli and Max Steinberg.

Yizkor for a Lone Soldier
G-d of the selfless,
G-d of the strong and the brave,
Grant a perfect rest among the souls of the righteous
To ______________________ [full name],
A chayal boded who died in service to Israel.
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 our safety and security,
Fighting violence and terror in the name of our people.
Men and women who,
Like ______________________ [first name],
Answered the call of honor and duty.
Grant him / her a share in the world to come.
Bless his / her family with solace.
Ease their minds and console their hearts.
We stand with the defenders of Israel.
We honor the guardians of Zion.
We hold dear the sentries of Am Kadosh.
And we stand with their bravery and their sacrifice.
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.

Postscript: Here’s a link to more prayers for Israel.

Please check out my ELItalk video, “Falling in Love with Prayer,” and This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day. For reprint permissions and usage guidelines and reprint permissions, 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.

Photo Source: WikiMedia Commons

To the Soldier, To the Veteran

Posted on: November 5th, 2013 by tobendlight

This is a prayer of honor for veterans. It’s a three-stanza prayer/poem with a parallel structure in each stanza. It is from a liturgy for Veterans Day. To listen along, click on the triangle in the bar below. This prayer was read at a Veterans Day commemoration at Elon University. Click here to see the video.

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.

Postscript: Here’s a link to a related prayer called “In Times of War.” Click here for Memorial Day Prayers. I wrote the Veterans Day liturgy at the suggestion of my friend Rabbi Ruth Abusch-Magder, Ph.D., editor of HUC-JIR continuing ed blog Tzeh U’limad. Special thanks to Rabbi Ruth for her suggestions and encouragement. Here are links to other prayers written at her suggestion: “Be’chol Lashon (In Every Tongue)” and “A Liturgy for 9-11”.

Please consider making a contribution to support this site and my writing. 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.

Photo Source: WikiMedia Commons

The Last Soldier

Posted on: October 20th, 2013 by tobendlight

This is a prayer for peace that honors the soldier’s ultimate mission: peace. This prayer, and “Yizkor for a Soldier,” appear in This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day from CCAR Press. May G-d grant peace to us and the entire world.

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 mercy,
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.

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Postscript: Here’s a link to a related prayer called “In Times of War.”

Photo Source: WikiMedia Commons

A Prayer for Veterans Day

Posted on: November 4th, 2012 by tobendlight

Here’s a prayer for Veterans Day originally written for the HUC-JIR continuing ed blog Tzeh U’limad. Click here to read a set of three Veterans Day prayers. This piece appears in This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day from CCAR Press. Click here for a memorial (yizkor) prayer for soldiers. Click here for Memorial Day Prayers.

Veterans Day Prayer
G-d of compassion,
G-d of dignity and strength,
Watch over our veterans
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.

Postscript: Here’s a link to a related prayer called “In Times of War.” Thanks to Rabbi Ruth Abusch-Magder, Ph.D., editor of Tzeh U’limad, for her suggestions. This prayer, which also appeared on Beliefnet’s Prayables, was first published on November 10, 2011.

Photo Source: WikiMedia Commons

Memorial Day Prayers

Posted on: May 27th, 2012 by tobendlight

Here are two prayers for Memorial Day. One is a yizkor prayer for soldiers. The other, titled “The Last Soldier,” is a prayer for peace that honors the soldier’s journey. They appear in This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day from CCAR Press. To listen along to each prayer, click on the triangle in the bars below. The text of each prayer follows.

Yizkor for a Soldier
I say this prayer in memory of Tom Christiansen z”l, my grade-school swimming coach, who gave his life in Vietnam. Thanks to the men and women who died protecting both of the lands that 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],
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.
May his / her memory be sanctified with joy 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 their souls be bound up in the bond of life,
A living blessing in our midst.

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.

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.

Postscript: See also Here’s a link to more yizkor and memorial prayers.

Photo Source: U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs

Yizkor for a Soldier

Posted on: December 7th, 2011 by tobendlight

This is a yizkor prayer for soldiers. Thank you to the men and women who gave their lives in service to the lands I love: soldiers of the U.S. Military and the Israel Defense Forces. This is another in a series of focused yizkor prayer. I recite it for Tom Christiansen z”l who gave his life in Vietnam. It appear in This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day from CCAR Press.

Yizkor for a Soldier
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],
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 their souls be bound up in the bond of life,
A living blessing in our midst.

Postscript: This prayer was first posted for the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack. See also “In Times of War” and three Veteran’s Day Prayers. It’s one of several focused yizkor prayer including: “In Memory of an Organ Donor” and “At the Hand of Violence.” Here’s a link to more yizkor and memorial prayers.

Photo Source: WikiMedia Commons

Veterans Day Prayers

Posted on: November 10th, 2011 by tobendlight

Here’s a three-prayer liturgy for Veterans Day written at the suggestion of my friend Rabbi Ruth Abusch-Magder, Ph.D., editor of HUC-JIR continuing ed blog Tzeh U’limad. All three appear in This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day from CCAR Press. The photo is my grandfather, David Solovy z”l, who served in World War I.

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.

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.

Postscript: Here’s a link to a related prayer called “In Times of War.” Special thanks to Rabbi Ruth Abusch-Magder, Ph.D., yet again, for her suggestions and encouragement.

Photo Source: Alden Solovy

Posts Tagged ‘war’

War on Simchat Torah

For Three Leaders, For the World

Hero of Ukraine

Yizkor for a Lone Soldier

To the Soldier, To the Veteran

The Last Soldier

A Prayer for Veterans Day

Memorial Day Prayers

Yizkor for a Soldier

Veterans Day Prayers

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