Our prayer tonight was written on Saturday, on the ground in Jerusalem, by my cyber friend, Alden Solovy.
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
In joyous celebration
Of Torah and life.
* Simchat Torah (rejoicing with the Torah) is a Jewish holiday celebrated with singing and dancing at the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings and the beginning of a new cycle.
** In Judaism, Torah is the law of God as revealed to Moses and recorded in the first five books of the Hebrew scriptures (the Pentateuch).
Tonight’s song is a musical setting of the verse from the Book of Proverbs quoted (in Hebrew and English) in Alden’s prayer. The verse is Proverbs 6:23, the song is Proverbs 6:20-23, so be sure to play through to the end.
Printed by licensed agreement #336804
