Blessings Abound

Tears and Rain: A Prayer for Success in War

We prayed for rain,
And we got tears.

Yes, we said the ancient words –
משיב הרוח ומוריד הגשם
Masheev ha’ruach u’moreed hagashem –
Acknowledging God as the One
Who makes the rain fall
And the wind blow,
But we got tears,
So many tears
Flowing like rain
That would not relent.
Tears for the dead.
Tears for the wounded.
Tears for the kidnapped,
And tears for the captives.
Tears for the soldiers.
Tears for the reservists.
Tears for our sons.
Tears for our daughters.
Tears for our friends,
And tears for our families.
Tears for our nation.
Tears for our people.
So many tears.

So many tears.

God, who makes the rain fall,
God, who makes tears on earth,
Send us Your tears from heaven,
But only if You send them
As blessings,
Only if You send them as signs
That You will be with us
As we defend our nation,
That You will be with us
As we fight to end the terror
That dwells in our midst,
The terror that still lurks at our doorstep.

About the Author

Alden Solovy is traveling teacher, preacher, poet in the tradition of the piytan. The Liturgist-in-Residence at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, his teaching spans from Jerusalem to the UK to synagogues throughout North America. He's the author of six volumes of modern tefillot and midrash. His latest, "These Words: Poetic Midrash on the Language of Torah," is a Silver Medalist in the 2023 Independent Book Publishers Awards. His work is anthologized in more than 20 volumes of prayers and meditations. Alden made aliyah in 2012. He is the founder of ManKind Project Israel. Read his work at www.ToBendLight.com.