* Translation by Yehoshua Siskin ([email protected])
Rami Goren found a prayer that his grandfather Shlomo Goren -- who was the Chief Rabbi of the IDF from 1948-1968 -- composed for the safe return of prisoners captured in the Yom Kippur War 50 years ago. Rami revised his grandfather's prayer a little, feeling that we could benefit from reciting it now:
"May the One who blessed our forefathers, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya'akov, Moshe, Aharon, David and Shlomo, may He bless and protect and rescue our dear sons, soldiers of the IDF, and all others fighting for the security of our nation and our land, and our citizens -- young and old, men, women, and children -- who are in terrible distress, and subject to grave danger in captivity.
May the Holy One blessed be He be filled with compassion for them, sustain them and strengthen them, revive their spirit and their hope, rescue them from prison, bring them from constriction to comfort, from enslavement to redemption, and may the Lord send healing from heaven to the wounded among them, healing of the body and of the soul, and may all of them return quickly to their homes and to their land, healthy and whole, for long life and for peace, and may the words of the prophet come true for them: 'To bind the wounded of heart, to proclaim release of the captives.' And let us say amen."
AMEN.
