Tefilah Lameshalah/Prayer for the Country

1 Tishri 5769
September 30, 2008

by Steven Shankman

Sovereign of the Universe, mercifully receive our prayer for our country at this time of deep uncertainty and imminent change.

May the severity of the current financial crisis offer us an opportunity to reflect on the meaning and purpose of wealth. May we retreat from the all-consuming pursuit of what Your prophet Isaiah, in words of dire warning, called the wealth of nations, chel goyim. Instruct us from Your Torah's laws, enable us to see that the true wealth of nations consists in their devotion to justice, righteousness, and goodness, to a generous caring for others, for the less fortunate.

May we learn, once again, the lesson of the Tower of Babel, in our multi-lingual, multi-cultural world. May we learn that what we are required to seek is not distant, that it is not in heaven, but rather, as Your prophet Moses insistently reminded our ancestors, that it is very near to us, as near as our neighbor, whom You have commanded us to love. May we learn that the truth of Your Torah is in our hearts.

May You bless an America that shows its appreciation for the beauty of the world You created by inspiring us to change our wasteful and destructive habits of the consumption of such a disproportionately large part of Your world's resources.

May You bless an America that sees itself as a caring participant in a global family, an America that, when it leads, leads with humility and wisdom, that listens to others and that is steadfast in its commitment to care for the stranger, the widow, and the orphan in our midst, both in our own nation and throughout the magnificent world You created.

As the presidential election nears, we fervently pray that racial and gender prejudice play no part in the voting process. We beseech You to incline the hearts of our citizens to choose our new leaders judiciously, to make our choices not out of fear, but rather out of hope, trust, and love.

May we be able, with our votes, to engage in a process of national teshuva. Grant us the courage to identify and admit to the mistakes that we, as a nation, have made, and grant us the humility to respond to our challenges in a spirit of peace. And let us say: Amen.