A prayer to hasten the Messiah is circling the globe, with millions of copies transferred from hand to hand, one copy at a time. For the first time, Breaking Israel News reveals the story of the remarkable prayer, how the prayer’s roots were almost lost 200 years ago and recently rediscovered, and provides an English translation of the prayer.
The man who composed the prayer prefers to remain anonymous but, at the urging of Rabbi Yosef Berger, the rabbi of King David’s Tomb on Mount Zion and a member of the Sanhedrin, he agreed to tell the remarkable story of the prayer. Rabbi Berger is convinced that along with the prayer, charity is the final key to bringing redemption. As such, he and the composer of the prayer are working in close conjunction with a very special charity organization.
Twenty-three years ago, an earnest five-year-old boy living in Israel came to a turning point in his devotions. He decided that he needed to focus his prayers specifically on hastening the redemption. After researching the subject, he discovered several traditions of prayers specifically for doing so. He composed a prayer based on teachings of Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato, an 18th-century Italian kabbalist, and philosopher known by the acronym Ramchal.
“I knew that the Ramchal had studied secret teachings about how to pray for the Messiah,” the composer of the prayer told Breaking Israel News. “Many of the books of the Ramchal were burned or lost and it was said that they would only be revealed when they were needed, just before the Messiah. I conferred with rabbis all over Israel who were surprised that a young boy was interested but none of them could help me. Finally, I came to Rabbi Moshe Leib Rabinovich. He taught me these lost teachings of the Ramchal, which he had rediscovered 40 years ago.”
Rabbi Rabinovich is a noted Torah scholar and the spiritual leader of thousands of Jews of the Munkacs branch of Hassidut. With the help of Rabbi Rabinovich, the young boy compiled the prayer to hasten the Messiah, intending to keep it private for his own use. People from his community who saw him praying from the paper became curious and inquired. When they found out what the prayer was about, they requested copies. The requests became more frequent and even extended beyond his community. People came to him, requesting larger quantities to distribute.
The boy had limited resources and despaired of fulfilling the requests for copies of the prayer. One day, he was praying for the Messiah at the Tomb of Rachel in Bethlehem when a stranger approached him and insisted that the prayer had to go out into the world. It was just then that a man from another community who had heard of the prayer approached him and asked if he could print up several thousand copies in memory of a deceased relative.
As the years passed, many more people requested copies to distribute but at the same time, many people offered to pay for printing copies.
One mother had copies printed up for all of the soldiers in her son’s military unit. People traveling overseas requested copies to distribute outside of Israel. People asked for printed copies for special occasions or as an act of thanksgiving. The man did so on the condition that his identity as the composer of the prayer remains anonymous.
Since that day, he has printed more than 1 million copies of the prayer using his own resources when possible while allowing people to help if their intention was honorable. In addition, the prayer he composed made its way into prayer books. The man, who is no longer so young, described how the prayer has taken on a life of its own.
“One day, when I was traveling for my work, I entered a prominent yeshiva to pray. I was shocked when the entire yeshiva, several hundred students, began to pray in unison, reciting the prayer I had composed. Without my knowledge, they printed it out themselves as an insert for their prayer books.”
A copy of the prayer made its way into the hands of Ohad Moskowitz, an Orthodox Jewish vocalist who is one of the superstars of the contemporary Jewish religious music scene. He was so inspired that he composed a Hebrew based on the prayer.
Taking on a life of its own, the prayer, composed by a young Israeli boy, has spread and can be found in synagogues all over the world and to this day, no one knows the identity of the man who has helped millions of people around the world join in prayer to hasten the Messiah.
For the first time, Breaking Israel News is providing a translation of this prayer to hasten the Messiah. In addition, there are five blessings that according to Jewish tradition should be recited upon seeing the Messiah which are included so that when the prayer comes to fruition, the supplicants will be prepared.
May it be your will, God and God of our Fathers, that you will receive willingly the prayers of your nation Israel, who have prayed to you in every generation and in every place in the world, and particularly in the holy land of Israel, and in the merit of this prayer, may it be your will to judge us favorably, to grant Israel a complete redemption in kindness and mercy, with wonders and miracles, and subjugate the blood that is the Kingdom of Edom, and the fat which is the kingdom of Ishmael, and in the merit of all the truly righteous that are with us today and for the longing we have to see the complete redemption, and in the merit of your mercy and kindness, please send us now the Prophet Elijah , your servant, and reveal the Messiah-king, and crown him over all of Israel and over the world, Please, God, do not send us away from you empty-handed. We trust in you. Please answer us without delay. We are waiting for your salvation. May what I say and my thoughts be your will, my rock and redeemer.
Blessed are You, the Lord our God, King of the universe who redeems Israel.
Blessed are You, the Lord our God, King of the universe who has given us life and sustained us and allowed us to reach this occasion.
Blessed are You, the Lord our God, King of the universe who has granted of His wisdom to those who fear Him.
Blessed are You, the Lord our God, King of the universe who has granted His honor to those who fear Him.
Blessed are You, the Lord our God, King of the universe who knows all secrets.
“At first, I was shocked but I saw this as a sign that people are waking up to geula,” the man said. “It began because, as a young boy, I simply wanted to pray for the Messiah to arrive. Now, I see that so many people also want to pray. People are coming together, wanting the Messiah and in love of Israel, love of their fellow man. This is what will make the Messiah truly want to come. ”
Rabbi Berger emphasized the need for action via prayer and charity.
“We have all witnessed unprecedented developments in recent years that show without a doubt that the Redemption is near indeed,” Rabbi Berger told Breaking Israel News. “Charity grants huge merit. This is something that cannot be taken away from you. This merit will serve you when the Messiah comes and cannot be taken away from you. If you have the money but haven’t given charity, it will already be too late to earn this merit. The time to give charity is right now before the Messiah arrives.”
Last week, Breaking Israel News reported on a message given to Rabbi Berger by several hidden tzaddikim (righteous men) who assured him that the upcoming Passover Seder night has enormous potential to open the doors to Geula (redemption). The key to this is charity, which was a key element to the Exodus from Egypt.
“Today, so many Jews are in need, and this need is felt most strongly just before Passover,” Rabbi Berger said. “This is an echo of the past, an opportunity to give charity in the way that led God to open the doors and take the Jews out of Egypt.”
The man who composed the prayer and Rabbi Berger have endorsed Karmey Chesed, an intimate Israel-based organization that runs a wide variety of grassroots charity programs. Karmey Chesed is especially active just before Passover when many families are hard-pressed to provide meals.
Karmey Chesed’s Green Charity program collects old appliances and furniture from those who are remodeling or upgrading and delivers them at no charge to those less fortunate. Instead of filling landfills and polluting waterways, these discarded items become a lifeline for needy families.
Its programs include the Green Charity Program, Home Utilities Program, Food Distribution, Aid for IDF soldiers, Relief for Gush Katif Expellees, and an Emergency Housing Program, along with a full staff of volunteers and professional social workers and psychiatrists.
Readers can take part in Karmey Chesed’s efforts to help families for the Passover holiday by donating on their website.
