A Prayer for Two Armed Forces

There are so many people to be grateful towards and concerned for

This week my son’s unit went into Lebanon, to protect us from the Hezbollah terrorists who want to kill us. Meanwhile, one of my nephews, who has five children under the age of ten and has been repeatedly called up for reserve duty due to the manpower shortage, this time was not (yet) called up - but his wife was called up, to the Home Front.

Yet we have to remember that it’s not only the men and women of the IDF who are making sacrifices that keep us all safe. It’s also the men and women of the US armed forces, which tragically suffered six losses this week.

I am therefore posting a modified version of the prayer for the IDF, shared by my former teacher Rabbi Dr. Jeffrey Woolf. I encourage you to print it and have it recited in your shul this Shabbos.

מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב, הוּא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת חַיָּלֵי צְבָא הַהֲגַנָּה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל ואֶת ידידינו האמיצים חַיָּלֵי צְבָא ארצות הברית. הָעוֹמְדִים עַל מִשְׁמַר אַרְצֵֽנוּ וְעָרֵי אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ, מִגְּבוּל הַלְּבָנוֹן וְעַד מִדְבַּר מִצְרַֽיִם, וּמִן הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל עַד לְבוֹא הָעֲרָבָה וּבְכׇל מָקוֹם שֶׁהֵם, בַּיַּבָּשָׁה, בָּאֲוִיר וּבַיָּם. יִתֵּן ה׳ אֶת אוֹיְבֵֽינוּ הַקָּמִים עָלֵֽינוּ נִגָּפִים לִפְנֵיהֶם. הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יִשְׁמְרֵם וְיַצִּילֵם מִכׇּל צָרָה וְצוּקָה, וּמִכׇּל נֶֽגַע וּמַחֲלָה, וְיִשְׁלַח בְּרָכָה וְהַצְלָחָה בְּכׇל מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיהֶם. יַדְבֵּר שׂוֹנְאֵֽינוּ תַּחְתֵּיהֶם, וִיעַטְּרֵם בְּכֶֽתֶר יְשׁוּעָה וּבַעֲטֶֽרֶת נִצָּחוֹן. וִיקֻיַּם בָּהֶם הַכָּתוּב כִּי ה׳ אלוהיכם הַהֹלֵךְ עִמָּכֶם לְהִלָּחֵם לָכֶם עִם אֹיְבֵיכֶם לְהוֹשִֽׁיעַ אֶתְכֶם. וְנֹאמַר: אָמֵן

He Who blessed our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, may He bless the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces, and our brave friends the soldiers of the United States Armed 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 to the approach of the Aravah, and wherever they are, on the land, in the air, and on the sea.
May God cause the enemies who rise up against us to be struck down before them. May the Holy One, Blessed is He, preserve and rescue our fighting men from every trouble and distress and from every plague and illness, and may He send blessing and success in their every endeavor. May He lead our enemies under their sway and may He grant them salvation and crown them with victory. And may there be fulfilled for them the verse: For it is Hashem, your God, Who goes with you to battle your enemies for you to save you. Now let us respond: Amen.

As I type these words, I am hearing massive booms, which are hopefully missiles being intercepted rather than hitting. We are so indebted to all the people who work in countless ways to keep us safe. May Hashem keep them safe.