Prayer for the new month

March 12, 2021 in Hazzan Asa Fradkin

64 million. That’s the number of Americans with one vaccine shot according to the Washington Post, as I sit here writing this week’s clergy blog. I got my first shot a few weeks back and will complete my second in another few B’Ezrat Hashem. President Biden just announced we can all expect to have vaccines available  by the beginning of May. That’s absolutely phenomenal.

Our COVID task force recently revised our upward limit for service attendance to 50 and outdoor services to upwards of 75. Still masked of course.

But the new month is coming and it’s bringing some very promising signs of rebirth, renewal, revitalization and hopefully some economic stability for millions of suffering people in our country.

Of course i’m talking about Nisan! The month of Nisan begins this Sunday and I will announce its arrival at the Shabbat morning service tomorrow. Usually, the prayer for the new month is something only the hardcore daveners know about. Maybe some think of it as a 3-4 minute island of Hazzanut ( cantorial arts) in the service or just another ritual in the service that contains bits of familiarity but is nevertheless opaque when compared with more well known liturgy like “Ein Kamocha” for example.

Tomorrow I would like all of you to make a special effort to tune in and daven with me, because we need this to be the month that changes the course of the virus. We need all of your prayers for this month to finally bring healing to our nation and our world.

Here is my edited interpretation of the prayer for the new month ( abbreviated)

יְהִי רָצון מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה‘ אֱלהֵינוּ וֵאלהֵי אֲבותֵינוּ. שֶׁתְּחַדֵּשׁ עָלֵינוּ אֶת הַחדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לְטובָה וְלִבְרָכָה. וְתִתֶּן לָנוּ חַיִּים אֲרוּכִּים. חַיִּים שֶׁלשָׁלום. חַיִּים שֶׁל טובָה. חַיִּים שֶׁל בְּרָכָה. חַיִּים שֶׁל פַּרְנָסָה. חַיִּים שֶׁל חִלּוּץ עֲצָמות. חַיִּים שֶׁיֵשׁ בָּהֶם יִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם וְיִרְאַת חֵטְא. חַיִּים שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶם בּוּשָׁה וּכְלִמָּה. חַיִּים שֶׁל עשֶׁר וְכָבוד. חַיִּים שֶׁתְּהֵא בָנוּ אַהֲבַת תּורָה וְיִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם. חַיִּים שֶׁיִּמָלְאוּ מִשְׁאֲלות לִבֵּנוּלְטובָה אָמֵן סֶלָה:

May it be your will Adonai, our God and God of our ancestors, to renew us with this new month for good and for blessing.

A life of peace ( and security).

A life of goodness ( and financial stability).

A life of blessing ( and a blessed community).

A life of sustenance ( and fair pay).

A life of physical well being ( a nation where are all cared for).

A life with the awe of God and fear of sin ( and with appreciation for the wisdom God places in us to invent medical cures).

A life without embarrassment or reproach ( A life in which we refrain from judgment that brings others shame)

A life of abundance and honor ( A life in which we share our abundance with those in need and preserve the dignity of others)

A life of a love of Torah and fear of heaven ( A life where we can enter our synagogue freely to learn Torah and pursue our spiritual growth)

A life in which all the desires of our heart are fulfilled. ( May this plague pass from among us)

Amen