Prayer for Israel Defense Force Soldiers

PRAYER FOR ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCE SOLDIERS

קָחְצִי םָהָרְבאַ וּניֵתוֹבֲא ךַרֵּבֶׁש יִמ אָבְצ יֵלָיַח תֶא ךֵרָבְי אוּה ,בֹקֲעַיְו תוֹחֹּכ יֵׁשְנאְַו לֵאָרְׂשִיְל הָנָגֲהַה וּנֵצְראַ רַמְׁשִמ לַע םיִדְמוֹעָה ,ןוֹחָּטִּבַה דַעְו ןוֹנָבְלַה לוּבְגִמ ,וּניֵהֹלֱא יֵרָעְו דַע לוֹדָגַה םָיַה ןִמוּ ,םִיַרְצִמ רַּבְדִמ ,םֵהֶׁש םוֹקָמ לָכְבוּ ,הָבָרֲעָה אוֹבְל .םָיַבוּ ריִוֲאָּב ,הָׁשָּבַיַּב

וּניֵלָע םיִמָקַה וּניֵבְיוֹא תֶא הוהי ןֵּתִי אוּה ךוּרָּב שׁוֹדָקַה .םֶהיֵנְפִל םיִפָגִנ הָרָצ לָּכִמ וּניֵלָיַח תֶא ליִצַיְו רֹמְׁשִי חַלְׁשִיְו ,הָלֲחַמוּ עַגֶנ לָּכִמוּ ,הָקוּצְו .םֶהיֵדְי יֵׂשֲעַמ לָכְּב הָחָלְצַהְו הָכָרְּב May the One who blessed our ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, bless the members of Israel’s Defense Forces and its security services, who stand guard over our land and the cities of our God, from the border of Lebanon to the Egyptian desert, and from the Mediterranean Sea to the Aravah, and wherever else they are, on land, in the air, and at sea. May Adonai cause the enemies who rise against us to be struck down before them. May the Holy One of Blessing protect and rescue our soldiers from every trouble and distress, affliction and illness, and send blessing and success in their every endeavor.

THINK

“The purpose of the IDF is to protect the existence of the State of Israel, its independence, and the security of its citizens and residents.”8

CONNECT

The Israel Defense Force’s code of ethics, called “RuachTzahal– The Spirit of the IDF” includes the following: “The IDF and its soldiers are obligated to preserve human dignity. All human beings are of inherent value regardless of race, faith, nationality, gender or status.”9

Soldiers need to brave many challenges and can face trying conditions, so in praying for God to “send blessing and success in their every endeavor,” we are asking that IDF soldiers succeed in protecting citizens and residents and that they do so with the ethical code of “the Spirit of the IDF.”

REFLECT

What is your prayer for the soldiers of the IDF? Where else when you pray for success can you include an ethical code? Lihi Lapid writes, “To be an Israeli mom is to know that all you want to give your children is security, and to realize that this is the one thing you cannot actually promise them.”10 Have you ever spoken with an Israeli parent about what it’s like to have children in the IDF?

PERSONAL PRAYER

Dear God, Thank you for giving our generation the privilege to return to Israel after two thousand years. Holding this gift requires us to create a protective shield – our holy Israeli army. Please protect each soldier – physically, mentally, spiritually, and psychologically. Infuse them with understanding of their unique role and grant them success in protecting and building our beloved Israel to shine the light of Oneness into the world.

— Pamela Claman,

Jerusalem, Israel

8 https://www.idf.il/en/minisites/israel-defense-forces/. 9 https://www.idf.il/en/minisites/israel-defense-forces/. 10 Excerpted from “To Be an Israeli Mom.” To read the full piece, see https://israelforever. org/interact/blog/to_be_an_israeli_mom/.