A PRAYER FOR DEMOCRACY ~ response to the Jan 6th hearings in the U.S. Congress for the week of July 4th and beyond, and to the war against Ukraine's democracy.
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May You tear out autocracy, tyranny and despotism,
break those who cheat and deceive,
and upend those who oppress the vulnerable.
Make the reign of the arrogant disappear from all lands.
May the people attacking democracies everywhere
stumble and fail, and may their plans be as nought
Stop them, humble them, bring on their downfall,
soon, in our days.
May You give to all peoples of the world
the strength and will to pursue righteousness
and to seek peace as a unified force,
so that violence be uprooted, and healing, good life
and peace may flourish,
for You are the Ruler who loves
righteousness and justice.
(And let us say, Amen.)
תְעַקֵּר טִירוּנִיָא וָעָרִיצוּת
וּתְשַׁבֵּר רַמַאִים
וּתְמַגֵּר עֹשְׁקֵי נִדְכָּאִים
תַעֲבִיר מֶמְשֶׁלֶת זָדוֹן מִן הָאָרֶץ
תַּכְשִׁיל פּוֹגְעִים בְּדֵמוֹקרָטִיָה וְתָּפֵר תַחְבּוּלוֹתָם
תְכַלֵּם וְתַשְׁפִּילֵם וְתַכְנִיעֵם בִּמְהֵרָה בְיָמֵינו
תִּתֵּן לְכָל אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם הָכֹּחַ וְהַרָצוֹן
לִרְדֹף צֶדֶק וּלְבַקֵּשׁ שָׁלוֹם כְּאַגֻדָה אַחַת
לֲעַקֹר חָמָס וּלְהַצְמִיחַ רְפוּאָה וְחַיִים טוֹבִים וְשָׁלוֹם
כִּי אַתָּה הוּא מֶֽלֶךְ אֹהֵב צְדָקָה וּמִשְׁפָּט
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This prayer first appeared as an addition to neohasid's voting prayer for the 2020 U.S. election. Since Russia attacked Ukraine, it has been used as a prayer for Ukraine, and then it was renewed as a prayer (and all democracies) in response to the Jan 6th hearings — especially in the U.S. for July 4th. Some words have been added to make it an appropriate prayer for Israel's democracy protests. The prayer for democracy fits in the liturgy after the Torah service, in the place of a prayer for the country, or in any place you might add a kavvanah.
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For the shabbat before July 4th 2022, parshat Korach: Korach famously rebelled against the hierarchy of the priests by saying that "all the people are holy" – but his only intention was to use the rhetoric of equality to amass power for himself. Kind of like the way rhetoric about election integrity was used by MAGA-world to undermine our democratic elections.
You can also copy and paste the Hebrew to the right to edit. Please modify and reprint in any way you need to fit your own hopes and prayers.
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