Ahead of Tuesday's elections for the Knesset, the Tzohar Rabbinical Organization has drafted and released a special prayer for voters.
The prayer focuses on the concept of shared responsibility for Israel’s future, while acknowledging that voters should respect and accept the people’s decision, particularly during these times of divisiveness within the greater Israeli society.
Rabbi David Stav, Chair of Tzohar, explained that “Election Day is not simply a day where we choose our political leaders; it is a reminder that we share a responsibility for the fate of the country we are blessed to call our own."
The prayer acknowledges that we live in a time of diverse viewpoints, including on the future of the State of Israel, while emphasizing that elections must be respected as modern-day expressions of our shared partnership and responsibility for generations to come.
Rabbi Stav added, “We are free to disagree, debate, and vote differently, but we must never forget that the day after the elections, we will continue to live here together. This prayer seeks to remind us all that our responsibility for the unity of Israeli society does not end at the ballot box. The opportunity to vote in a free and diverse Jewish state is actually representative of the beginning of our commitment as citizens and people of this land."
The prayer begins by expressing gratitude for the privilege of living in a generation where we have been blessed to experience the revival of the Jewish people in our ancient homeland, and how that has presented both the right and responsibility to participate in Knesset elections. The prayer stresses the national and individual commitment to accept the people’s decision, respect those who vote differently, and preserve the unity of Israeli society, particularly in these times when disagreements run deep and threaten to divide people based on political and other identities.
