A Concord Pastor Comments: NIGHT PRAYER: Monday 10/9

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

Once more

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).

*** Mitzvot is the plural form of mitzvah, a Hebrew word that roughly translates to commandment and is commonly interpreted as a good deed.

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.