A Prayer for the Fallen Soldiers
Father of the fatherless and Judge of widows, give strength, we pray, to the mourners in the families of Goldwasser and Regev that in this day of their sorrow they be comforted from Heaven by You, Master of Comforts. Your people Israel has fulfilled the great mitzvah of Redemption of Prisoners at a painful and saddening cost. May it be Your pleasure that the reward of this mitzvah be that Eldad and Ehud rest in peace.
You who release the imprisoned, strengthen the resolve of those who wield power in our holy land that in wisdom and determination they bring about the release of Gilad Shalit from his dank prison and his wretched jail.
God in Heaven, fulfill speedily in our time the biblical verse: “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.” And yet another verse: “Then shall each person sit beneath his vine and his fig tree with none to make him afraid, for the mouth of the God of Arms has said it. May this be Your pleasure and let us respond Amen.
(Written by Rabbi Simchah Roth, head of the Virtual Bet Midrash of the Rabbinical Assembly in Israel and the Masorti Movement and Rabbi Emeritus of Torat Hayyim Congregation, Herzliyya.)
I am so sorry, I am so sorry, I am so sorry, I’m so sorry, I am really so sorry.
May Israel and the israeli people win peace and freedom one day.
—Andreas Willd · July 16th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
For a printable version to be used when you daven you may go to
http://www.masorti.org/Remembe.....ldiers.htm
It is so very difficult to know if the Israeli government did the correct thing today.
I am grateful that at least for two families, and for any Israelis,a door can be closed.
Let us pray that Gilad Shalit comes home soon and healthy.
—Meir Eynaim · July 16th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
http://www.masorti.org/Remembe.....ldiers.htm
Sorry for the error in the address above
—Meir Eynaim · July 16th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
yeesh. Our ‘holy land’? Strengthen our leaders’ hands on the helm of state? What would a non theocratic prayer for war dead look like?
—jew guevara · July 17th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
I find the above prayer misleading. The mitzvah of “redeeming captives” is subject to definitions and limitations. The mitzvah is not operative when the ‘redemption’ will motivate and assist the future kidnapping and murder of more innocent captives.
In this case the retrieval of the two soldiers’ bodies was achieved by freeing live murderers and hundreds of dead bodies. This price will not only encourage increased future abductions but will also motivate terrorist groups to murder their prisoners, since they can receive an extremely high price for the dead captive’s body and avoid the risk of the victim escaping or being rescued.
In other words the terrorists-for-corpses deal was profoundly immoral and will imperil the lives and freedom of many innocent people. It is incomprehensible that such an arrangement could be compatible with Jewish law and it obviously violates Jewish values.
IMO prayers should not be offered upon the commission of such gross sacrilege.
—Eric · July 17th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
I - a Gentile Christian - prayed for two years for Ehud and Eldad, and for their families.
I will keep on praying for Gilad Shalit - praying for a miracle.
—S McCosker · July 18th, 2008 at 5:21 am