Dear Friends,

At this moment, reports are coming in regarding strikes against Iran and sirens blaring in Israel.

We all know how important and fateful this moment is for our people - and the risks (heaven forbid) it carries.

In our times of need, we turn to G‑d with faith and prayer. The words of Tehilim are etched onto our Jewish consciousness: “Behold the Guardian of Israel will neither slumber nor sleep (Psalms 121:4).”

Please take a few minutes tonight - and over the next few days - to pray for our brothers and sisters in Israel. I suggest reciting Psalms 20 and 121 and a prayer for the IDF (which you can find below).

The Jewish people are one organism and one body. In situations like these the Lubavitcher Rebbe would always emphasize the incredible spiritual power we all have and our impact on each other’s safety and security. A Jew adding a Mitzvah anywhere brings protection, security and safety to Jews everywhere.

Here are some suggestions for a Mitzvah to add, or add your own:
  1. Give extra tzedakah
  2. Put on Tefillin (message me if you need assistance)
  3. Light Shabbat candles this Friday (8:10pm in Brooklyn)
  4. Study 15 minutes of Torah
  5. Do an extra act of kindness
  6. Install a Mezuzah (- if you don’t have one; or add to a doorway in your home that doesn’t have one; or encourage a friend to install one)
Let us pray, that with our efforts and the blessings of G‑d, there should be peace in Israel and around the world and the hostages should all return home. May we merit to see miracles and the ultimate redemption with the coming of Mashiach!

Rabbi Motty Rosenfeld
 

Tehilim (Psalms) 20

לַֽמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד: יַֽעַנְךָ֣ יְ֖הֹוָה בְּי֣וֹם צָרָ֑ה יְ֜שַׂגֶּבְךָ֗ שֵׁ֚ם | אֱלֹהֵ֬י יַֽעֲקֹֽב: יִשְׁלַ֣ח עֶזְרְךָ֣ מִקֹּ֑דֶשׁ וּ֜מִצִּיּ֗וֹן יִסְעָדֶֽךָּ: יִזְכֹּ֥ר כָּל־מִנְחֹתֶ֑יךָ וְ֜עוֹלָֽתְךָ֗ יְדַשְּׁנֶ֣ה סֶּֽלָה: יִֽתֶּן־לְךָ֥ כִלְבָבֶ֑ךָ וְֽכָל־עֲצָֽתְךָ֥ יְמַלֵּֽא: נְרַ֚נְּנָ֨ה | בִּ֘ישׁ֚וּעָתֶ֗ךָ וּבְשֵׁם־אֱלֹהֵ֥ינוּ נִדְגֹּ֑ל יְמַלֵּ֥א יְ֜הֹוָ֗ה כָּל־מִשְׁאֲלוֹתֶֽיךָ: עַתָּ֚ה יָדַ֗עְתִּי כִּ֚י הוֹשִׁ֥יעַ | יְהֹוָ֗ה מְשִׁ֫יח֥וֹ יַֽ֖עֲנֵהוּ מִשְּׁמֵ֣י קָדְשׁ֑וֹ בִּ֜גְבוּר֗וֹת יֵ֣שַׁע יְמִינֽוֹ: אֵ֣לֶּה בָ֖רֶכֶב וְאֵ֣לֶּה בַסּוּסִ֑ים וַֽאֲנַ֓חְנוּ | בְּשֵׁם־יְהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣ינוּ נַזְכִּֽיר: הֵמָּה כָּֽרְע֣וּ וְנָפָ֑לוּ וַֽאֲנַ֥חְנוּ קַּ֜֗מְנוּ וַנִּתְעוֹדָֽד: יְהֹוָ֥ה הוֹשִׁ֑יעָה הַ֜מֶּ֗לֶךְ יַֽעֲנֵ֥נוּ בְיֽוֹם־קָרְאֵֽנוּ:

 

1. For the conductor, a song of David.
2. May the Lord answer you on a day of distress; may the name of the God of Jacob fortify you.
3. May He send your aid from His sanctuary, and may He support you from Zion.
4. May He remember all your meal offerings and may He accept your fat burnt offerings forever.
5. May He give you as your heart [desires], and may He fulfill all your counsel.
6. Let us sing praises for your salvation, and let us assemble in the name of our God; may the Lord fulfill all your requests.
7. Now I know that the Lord saved His anointed; He answered him from His holy heavens; with the mighty acts of salvation from His right hand.
8. These trust in chariots and these in horses, but we-we mention the name of the Lord our God.
9. They kneel and fall, but we rise and gain strength.
10. O Lord, save [us]; may the King answer us on the day we call.

Tehilim (Psalms) 121
 

שִׁיר לַמַּעֲלוֹת אֶשָּׂא עֵינַי אֶל הֶהָרִים מֵאַיִן יָבֹא עֶזְרִי: עֶזְרִי מֵעִם יְהוָה עֹשֵׂה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ: אַל יִתֵּן לַמּוֹט רַגְלֶךָ אַל יָנוּם שֹׁמְרֶךָ: הִנֵּה לֹא יָנוּם וְלֹא יִישָׁן שׁוֹמֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל:  יְהוָה שֹׁמְרֶךָ יְהוָה צִלְּךָ עַל יַד יְמִינֶךָ:  יוֹמָם הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ לֹא יַכֶּכָּה וְיָרֵחַ בַּלָּיְלָה: יְהוָה יִשְׁמָרְךָ מִכָּל רָע יִשְׁמֹר אֶת נַפְשֶׁךָ:  יְהוָה יִשְׁמָר צֵאתְךָ וּבוֹאֶךָ מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם:

 

1. A song for ascents. I shall raise my eyes to the mountains, from where will my help come?
2. My help is from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
3. He will not allow your foot to falter; Your Guardian will not slumber.
4. Behold the Guardian of Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
5. The Lord is your Guardian; the Lord is your shadow; [He is] by your right hand.
6. By day, the sun will not smite you, nor will the moon at night.
7. The Lord will guard you from all evil; He will guard your soul.
8. The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from now and to eternity.
 
 

Mi Sheberach Prayer for the IDF

מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב הוּא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת חַיָּלֵי צְבָא הֲגַנָּה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל,הָעוֹמְדִים עַל מִשְׁמַר אַרְצֵנוּ וְעָרֵי אֱלהֵינוּ מִגְּבוּל הַלְּבָנוֹן וְעַד מִדְבַּר מִצְרַיִם וּמִן הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל עַד לְבוֹא הָעֲרָבָה בַּיַּבָּשָׁה בָּאֲוִיר וּבַיָּם. יִתֵּן ה׳ אֶת אוֹיְבֵינוּ הַקָּמִים עָלֵינוּ נִגָּפִים לִפְנֵיהֶם.הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יִשְׁמֹר וְיַצִּיל אֶת חַיָלֵינוּ מִכָּל צָרָה וְצוּקָה וּמִכָּל נֶגַע וּמַחְלָה וְיִשְׁלַח בְּרָכָה וְהַצְלָחָה בְּכָל מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיהֶם  יַדְבֵּר שׂונְאֵינוּ תַּחְתֵּיהֶם וִיעַטְרֵם בְּכֶתֶר יְשׁוּעָה וּבְעֲטֶרֶת נִצָּחוֹן  וִיקֻיַּם בָּהֶם הַכָּתוּב: כִּי ה׳ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם הַהֹלֵךְ עִמָּכֶם לְהִלָּחֵם לָכֶם עִם אֹיבֵיכֶם לְהוֹשִׁיעַ אֶתְכֶם:  וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן:‏

 

May He Who blessed our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, bless the fighters of the Israel Defense Force, 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 unto the approach of the Aravah, on the land, in the air, and on the sea.
May Hashem 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 our soldiers’ 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. And let us say: Amen.