Little children in the southern Israeli border city of Sderot know exactly what to do when Gaza terrorist rockets start raining down on their classrooms: they crawl under their desks and pray.
Sadly, children in communities along the Gaza border have been doing that for years, and although the rocket fire from Gaza has been greatly reduced since the start of the war on October 7, 2023, the attacks are continuing.
One of the videos making the rounds of social media this week shows a class of second-grade girls doing exactly that: as they crouch beneath their desks, they chant the prayer for the defense of Israeli soldiers fighting the terrorists on their behalf.
The “Mi Shebeirach” for the IDF is taught to all Israeli elementary school children in “Dati Leumi” (National Religious) classrooms from kindergarten on up.
Even the four year olds know this prayer by heart, inside and out.
Here is the prayer, for those who are still unfamiliar with the blessing.
Prayer for Members of the Israel Defense Force
In English:
He Who blessed our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – may He bless the fighters of the Israel Defense Force, who stand guard over our land and the cities of our God, from the border of the Lebanon to the desert of Egypt, and from the Great Sea unto the approach of the Arava, on the land, in the air, and on the sea.
May Hashem cause the enemies who rise up against us to be struck down before them. May the Holy One, Blessed be He, preserve and rescue our fighters from every trouble and distress and from every plague and illness, and may He send blessing and success in their every endeavor.
May He lead our enemies under their sway and may He grant them salvation and crown them with victory. And may there be fulfilled for them the verse: For it is Hashem, your God, Who goes with you to battle your enemies for you to save you.
Now let us respond: Amen.
In Hebrew:
(א) מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב
(ב) הוּא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת חַיָּלֵי צְבָא הֲגַנָּה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל
(ג) הָעוֹמְדִים עַל מִשְׁמַר אַרְצֵנוּ וְעָרֵי אֱלֹהֵינוּ
(ד) מִגְּבוּל הַלְּבָנוֹן וְעַד מִדְבַּר מִצְרַיִם
(ה) וּמִן הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל עַד לְבוֹא הָעֲרָבָה בַּיַּבָּשָׁה בָּאֲוִיר וּבַיָּם
(ו) יִתֵּן ה’ אֶת אוֹיְבֵינוּ הַקָּמִים עָלֵינוּ נִגָּפִים לִפְנֵיהֶם
(ז) הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יִשְׁמֹר וְיַצִּיל אֶת חַיָלֵינוּ מִכָּל צָרָה וְצוּקָה וּמִכָּל נֶגַע וּמַחְלָה
(ח) וְיִשְׁלַח בְּרָכָה וְהַצְלָחָה בְּכָל מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיהֶם
(ט) יַדְבֵּר שׂוֹנְאֵינוּ תַּחְתֵּיהֶם וִיעַטְרֵם בְּכֶתֶר יְשׁוּעָה וּבְעֲטֶרֶת נִצָּחוֹן
(י) וִיקֻיַּם בָּהֶם הַכָּתוּב:
(יא) כִּי ה’ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם הַהֹלֵךְ עִמָּכֶם לְהִלָּחֵם לָכֶם עִם אֹיְבֵיכֶם לְהוֹשִׁיעַ אֶתְכֶם
(יב) וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן
