Eleazar's
Prayer for Rain
Remember
Abraham drawn to You like water.
You blessed him like a tree by streams of water.
You sheltered and saved him from fire and water.
You loved him for his children who would drink
of righteousness like water.
For his sake do
not deny us water.
Remember
Isaac whose birth was announced over a bit of water.
You instructed his father to spill his blood like
water.
He too instructed him to pour out his heart like
water.
Later he dug for and found wells of water.
For his righteousness,
grace us with ample water.
Remember
Jacob with staff in hand crossing Jordan's water.
Alone he rolled the stone from the well of water.
When he wrestled with an angel of fire and water,
You promised to be with him in fire and water.
For his sake, do
not deny us water.
Remember
Moses in his caulked wicker basket drawn from the water.
The daughters of Jethro reported: he provided
our sheep with water.
When your treasured people thirsted for water,
He struck the rock to produce water.
For his righteousness,
grace us with ample water.
Remember
the High Priest who on Yom Kippur immersed five times in water.
Who purified his hands and feet with holy water,
Reading from Scripture cleansed by water,
At a remove from the masses unstable like water.
For his sake, do
not deny me water.
Remember
the twelve tribes You brought through the split water.
You sweetened for them in the wilderness bitter
water.
For You, the blood of their descendants has flowed
like water.
Turn to us because we are about to go under in
water.
For their righteousness,
grace us with ample water.
______________________________________________________
A
Sukkot prayer for rain by Eleazar Kallir, Hebrew liturigical poet
translated to English by Dr. Ismar Schorsch, chancellor of the Jewish
Theological Seminary. Published in "Parasha Commentary"
Sukkot / Shemini Atzeret 5762
[title mine - Bruce Okkema]
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