By Rabbi Naomi Levy
ונבנתה עיר על-תילה
"And the city shall be rebuilt on its ruins" (Jeremiah 30)
ועל אנשי השרון היה אומר: יהי רצון מלפניך יי אלהינו ואלהי אבותינו שלא יעשו בתיהם קבריהם
On Yom Kippur the Kohen Gadol would pray for the people in the Sharon region of Israel: "May it be Your will, Adonai our God and God of our ancestors, that their homes not become their graves"
A Prayer for the People of Nepal
We pray for the people of Nepal.
Our hearts are breaking, God.
Destruction comes in a moment,
But healing may take a lifetime.
God of the weak, God of the broken-hearted,
God of the living, God of the dead,
Send healing to Nepal.
Send hope to the children who are lost and alone,
Send strength and resilience to the wounded,
And comfort to the grieving.
Fill the leaders of Nepal with the wisdom to raise their country up.
Fill relief workers with resolve.
Bless the doctors and nurses with the power
And the skill to save as many lives as possible.
Open their eyes, steady their hands.
Bless us, God,
Work through us.
Remind us that every one of us is filled with the power to heal.
Open our hearts, open our hands.
Let nations unite as one in a time of reconstruction and repair.
Heal the spirit of Nepal, God, out of helplessness and despair.
Teach them to believe
That cities shall be rebuilt on their ruins
That the cries of the children will soon return to laughter.
Be with them, God, watch over them.
And gather the souls of the dead
Whose homes and schools and temples became their graves
Into Your eternal shelter,
Let them find peace in Your presence, God.
and let us say,
Amen.