This is a mother’s prayer, my prayer for my son…for all my sons and daughters. This is every mother’s prayer from here in Israel and around the world. Pray for my son; pray for Jerusalem. Beseech God. Please God watch, over our sons and daughters today as they defend Jerusalem and our land from attack.
Today, my little country is being attacked by tens of thousands of “soldiers” whose weapons are their hatred, their anger, their violence.
Somehow, they believe that it is an insult to go through a metal detector and that it is our prayers that defile the holiest place on earth. And yet, it is not insulting that their children playing soccer on sacred ground, that their women scream and shout, spit and curse those who come to pray. The Muslims believe they have a right to stockpile rocks to be thrown, bottles to be hurled, and guns to be shot at our police.
In reality, it is they who defile the Temple Mount, not us. We go in awe and ask only to be allowed to whisper a prayer of thanks to God, but this insults the Muslim religious leadership and the guards they put to follow our meager number of visitors allowed.
Amazingly enough, they say our prayer books, these tiny little books filled with prayers of thanksgiving are an affront to their God. It’s something that I cannot understand. How powerful is your god, if he is afraid of words and whispers?
Please God, watch over my baby today. My youngest, last soldier. Please shield his body and protect his heart. Watch over him and all our soldiers as they watch over our land.
Please God, give our leaders the strength to fight the illogical demand that WE surrender to terror. We cannot continue to risk the lives of our soldiers and our people, lest we insult others. How is it possible that we are expected not to be insulted by their attempts to kill us, while still be expected to understand their insult at having to walk through a metal detector?
Please God, whatever their insanity, their hatred, their violence, please protect our sons and daughters today. Let them rage, but let their shouts mean nothing. Please protect our land from the arson attacks, from the axes they wield. Protect our people from the knives they flash and the guns they seek to hide. Guard us against the explosives that are their companions and the hatred that lives in their hearts.
Please God watch over Jerusalem, the heart of our people, the soul of our nation. Protect our beautiful city and grant us peace.
Amein!
Dearest Paula, you touch my heart so deeply with your words. You express what I feel in a way that I could never compose with words. May Hashem watch over your son David and ALL our IDF and other security heroes during today’s ‘Day of Rage’ and return them home safely to the arms of their loving families. I am far away down in the Negev but by your side in spirit!