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Rabbi Sydni's Sermons

A Prayer for Those Who Serve Our Country

Friday, November 12, 2021

In Shreveport and Bossier, we all know someone who has served our military far from here, who is serving our military abroad right now, or who will serve away from home at some named or unnamed future date. When I think of these loved ones, I think of God’s reminder to Jacob on his journey through Beit El, the future house of the beit ha-mikdash, the Holy Temple.

And behold! I am with you, and I will protect you everywhere you go, and I will return you to this land, and I will not leave you until I have done all that I have spoken to you (Genesis 28:15).

Every day, we ask that our loved ones stay safe (ושמרתיך), that they experience good fortune, both for themselves and for those whom they are sent to protect, that they complete the tasks for which they were sent, and most importantly, that they come home safely (והשיבותיך אל האדמה הזאת). We ask that they carry their Judaism with them as a guidepost for how to act in the presence of our own and of neighbors, and as a reminder that no matter where they go, they are not alone; God will not leave them (לא אעזבך).

Mon, January 17 2022 15 Shevat 5782