“Ein Milim. There are no words.” These are the words that Rabbi Angela Buchdahl of Central Synagogue began her remarks to her congregation following the Hamas Terrorist attacks on innocent Israeli Citizens on October 7th. The loss of Jewish life, the violence and rise of antisemitism that has ensued in our own country since, and our despair for the victims and the hostages, leaves me with a deep ache in my heart and we can feel helpless.
Liturgy and Jewish texts as a whole span the human experience- when we cannot find the words themselves, turning to prayer helps us find the language to express the inner feelings of our souls. Prayer connects us to each other, to ourselves, and to the wider world. Prayer gives us rituals to ground us in sacred time and space. We can pray using the words in a siddur and we can pray with the words of our heart. We pray directed towards Jerusalem, physically and emotionally. Prayer is a shout and a whisper, a question and an answer, solemn and joyful, old and new, all at the same time.
Here are prayers for Israel to help you guide these uncertain times- to give hope, strength, and healing. Many of these tefilot have been written in response to the terrorist attacks on October 7th but based in traditional texts and prayer formulae.
A prayer to say when you are praying for the 220+ Israeli hostages taken captive by Hamas:
Prayer for Captives by Rabbi Stephanie Crawley
Mi Sheiberach Avoteinu v’Imoteinu
Avraham, Yitzhak, v’Yaakov
Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel, v’Leah
Senesh and Ben-Gurion,
Bialik and Rachel,
Meir and Rabin,
Magen Avraham – Protect these captives
Shield them from the worst of the pain
Guard them from torture
Deliver them from captivity
Ezrat Sarah – Help our sisters and brothers
Safeguard their souls
Comfort them in this darkness
Deliver them from this evil
Acheinu v’achoteinu
All of the people of Israel are our brothers, our sisters
We pray for all of them
we weep for all of them
we hope for all of us.
May tomorrow be more peaceful than yesterday.
הַמָּקוֹם יְרַחֵם עֲלֵיהֶם*
וְיוֹצִיאֵם מִצָּרָה לִרְוָחָה
וּמֵאֲפֵלָה לְאוֹרָה
וּמִשִּׁעְבּוּד לִגְאֻלָּה
הָשָׁתָא בַּעֲגָלָא וּבִזְמַן קָרִיב
וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן.
May God have mercy on them,
and bring them from distress to comfort,
from darkness to light,
from bondage to redemption,
now, swiftly, and soon.
Follow your prayer with calling your elected officials: https://tewnj.org/help-the-hostages/
A prayer before and after giving tzedakah to Israel:
Before giving tzedakah to Israel recite Proverbs 21:21 and Isaiah 56:1
רֹ֭דֵף צְדָקָ֣ה וָחָ֑סֶד יִמְצָ֥א חַ֝יִּ֗ים צְדָקָ֥ה וְכָבֽוֹד׃
One that follows righteousness and loyalty finds life, righteousness, and honor.
כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֔ה שִׁמְר֥וּ מִשְׁפָּ֖ט וַעֲשׂ֣וּ צְדָקָ֑ה כִּֽי־קְרוֹבָ֤ה יְשׁוּעָתִי֙ לָב֔וֹא וְצִדְקָתִ֖י לְהִגָּלֽוֹת׃
Thus says the Lord, Keep judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.
After giving tzedakah recite this bracha (blessing)
From Tzedakahbox.org
God of our ancestors,
Who listened as Abraham advocated for the innocent
Who heard the cries of the Israelites crushed by oppression
Who called us to stand with the widow, the orphan, the stranger
May our work today help to fulfill the call for justice and righteousness
May we remember that we alone cannot complete the work
May we share strength and courage
with everyone working for peace and dignity throughout the world. Amen
Baruch atah Ad-nai, eloheinu melech haolam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu lirdof tzedek.
We praise You, Eternal One, Sovereign of the universe, who calls us to holiness through mitzvot, commanding us to pursue tzedek (justice).
A prayer to say on behalf of murdered Israelis:
Eil Malei by Cantor Amnon Seelig, Translated by Oren Steinitz
A prayer to recite for IDF soldiers:
Prayer for IDF Soldiers composed by the late Chief Rabbi and Chief IDF Rabbi, Shlomo Goren
מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב הוּא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת חַיָּלֵי צְבָא הֲגַנָּה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, הָעוֹמְדִים עַל מִשְׁמַר אַרְצֵנוּ וְעָרֵי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מִגְּבוּל הַלְּבָנוֹן וְעַד מִדְבַּר מִצְרַיִם וּמִן הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל עַד לְבוֹא הָעֲרָבָה בַּיַּבָּשָׁה בָּאֲוִיר וּבַיָּם. יִתֵּן ה’ אֶת אוֹיְבֵינוּ הַקָּמִים עָלֵינוּ נִגָּפִים לִפְנֵיהֶם. הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יִשְׁמֹר וְיַצִּיל אֶת חַיָלֵינוּ מִכָּל צָרָה וְצוּקָה וּמִכָּל נֶגַע וּמַחֲלָה וְיִשְׁלַח בְּרָכָה וְהַצְלָחָה בְּכָל מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיהֶם. יַדְבֵּר שׂוֹנְאֵינוּ תַּחְתֵּיהֶם וִיעַטְרֵם בְּכֶתֶר יְשׁוּעָה וּבַעֲטֶרֶת נִצָּחון. וִיקֻיַּם בָּהֶם הַכָּתוּב: כִּי ה’ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם הַהֹלֵךְ עִמָּכֶם לְהִלָּחֵם לָכֶם עִם אֹיְבֵיכֶם לְהוֹשִׁיעַ אֶתְכֶם: וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן:
[God] Who blessed our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, [Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah]— may [God] bless the fighters of the Israel Defense Forces, who stand guard over our land and the cities of our God, from the border of the Lebanon to the desert of Egypt, and from the Great Sea unto the approach of the Aravah, on the land, in the air, and on the sea.
May the Almighty cause the enemies who rise up against us to be struck down before them. May the Holy One, Hakadosh Baruch Hu, preserve and rescue our fighters from every trouble and distress and from every plague and illness, and may [God] send blessing and success in their every endeavor.
May [God] lead our enemies under our soldiers’ sway and may [God] grant them salvation and crown them with victory. And may there be fulfilled for them the verse: For it is the Lord your God, Who goes with you to battle your enemies for you to save you.
A prayer to recite for the state of Israel:
Avinu Shebashamayim: from Mishkan Tefilah, our siddur at TEE
A prayer to recite when you have nothing left but tears:
Nothing Left but Tears– lyrics by Alden Solovy, Music by Sue Radner Horowitz
I must be made of water.
I have nothing left but tears.
Daughters. Mothers.
My spirit aching.
Sisters. Brothers.
A heart that’s breaking.
I must be made of water.
I have nothing left but tears.
Blood and terror.
Children dying.
Fear and anger.
So much crying.
I must be made of water.
I have nothing left but tears.
Oh this heartbreak,
Silence howling.
Oh this heart ache,
Terror prowling.
I must be made of water.
I have nothing left but tears.
Not just water.
These tears, they feed me.
My bones are iron.
My people need me.
There are times when we feel like we are in the midst of a living nightmare, when we cannot imagine that anything will ever look right again. When we cannot find the words, when there are no words, אין מילים (ein milim) we turn to ancient words hallowed by sacred time. We turn to new liturgies composed just for this unique moment in time, grounded in the wisdom that our people have seen heartbreak and devastation before. Adonai Oz l’aomo Yitein, Adonai Y’varech et amo vashalom– Adonai will give God’s people strength, Adonai will bless God’s people with peace.
Cantor Ilana Goldman