Yom Haatzmaut Addition for Your Daily Prayerbook

For Yom Haatzmaut, Israel Independence Day, here is how you may legitimately add to your siddur using a "liturgical loophole."

The Artscroll Siddur has personal prayers for livelihood and for forgiveness that "during the silent Shemoneh Esrei one may insert" into the paragraph of shema koleinu (p. 108 in shacharit in some editions).

If you use that siddur, or any prayerbook, and if you do wish to follow the advice therein, our recommendation is that you upgrade your prayerbook as follows.

Since you may insert an additional prayer into the standard formula of the Shemoneh Esrei, make your supplication special - a prayer for livelihood and forgiveness - and especially for the welfare of the State of Israel.

Each day, three-times-a-day (according to the Artscroll editors) you can insert the "personal" prayer into your Amidah prayers. So, why not just do it? Insert the broad, meaningful, timely and powerful liturgy at the appointed location -- the Prayer for the State of Israel.

To make this easier -- print out this text below, cut it out and paste it into your Artscroll siddur on p. 108 and throughout that - or any other - siddur at the appropriate places.

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Our Father Who are in Heaven, Protector and Redeemer of Israel, bless Thou the State of Israel which marks the dawn of our deliverance. Shield it beneath the wings of Thy love; Spread over it Thy canopy of peace; send Thy light and Thy truth to its leaders, officers, and counselors, and direct them with Thy good counsel.

O G-d, strengthen the defenders of our Holy Land; grant them salvation and crown them with victory. Establish peace in the land, and everlasting joy for its inhabitants. Remember our brethren, the whole house of Israel, in all the lands of their dispersion. Speedily let them walk upright to Zion, the city, to Jerusalem Thy dwelling-place, as it is written in the Torah of Thy servant Moses: "Even if you are dispersed in the uttermost parts of the world, from there the L-rd your G-d will gather and fetch you. The L-rd your G-d will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it."

Unite our heart to love and revere Thy Name, and to observe all the precepts of Thy Torah. Shine forth in Thy glorious majesty over all the inhabitants of Thy world. Let everything that breathes proclaim: The L-rd G-d of Israel is King; His majesty rules over all. Amen.

We hope that your celebration of Yom Haatzmaut will be meaningful and that you will continue your special concern for the the welfare of the State of Israel with daily prayers throughout the year. Repost edited from 5/06