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In the "Tikun Meir" siddur from about 50 years ago, there's a very unique prayer for the United States of America. Something to the effect of:

Humble were its beginnings, but by Your kindness, it has increased strength, with wings spread from sea to sea and distant island ... it demonstrates to the entire world with its ways of righteousness, in which rich and poor are equally recognized, and all dwell in brotherhood ... bless President (so-and-so) and Vice-President (so-and-so), and this country's legislators and justices ... bless also the governor and lieutenant governor of this state ... and the mayor and council of this city ...

(Apologies if I'm getting slight details wrong on the translation, but that's what it sounds like.)

Does anyone know who wrote this prayer?

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  • Did anyone check the Artscrool Gabbai handbook.
    – SimchasTorah
    Commented May 31, 2010 at 23:32
  • It's not there. Artscroll uses "He who grants salvation to kingdoms"... which is 500+ years old, with some modifications for a modern democracy.
    – Shalom
    Commented Jun 21, 2010 at 12:44
  • Wait! I have a siddur from the 30s with something similar (only Hebrew), but it's not nearby. Bli Neder, I'll remember to come back here one day and post what I have. It's beautiful!
    – Charles Koppelman
    Commented Oct 9, 2020 at 2:10

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I would guess R' Meir Chinsky, the editor of that siddur. You could try taking some of the Hebrew text and performing a few searches on Otzar Hachochma, Hebrewbooks.org, and Google -- that might turn up something interesting.

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  • No luck with searching the text on Google or hebrewbooks. Can you tell me anything else about this Rabbi Chinsky? And did shuls actually say this prayer every week? In what era?
    – Shalom
    Commented Jun 21, 2010 at 12:43
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    It turns out that he simply modified the standard "HaNosein Teshuah" formula to address the president and vice-president. This prayer was said for many generations, referring to whoever happened to be in power at the time. For the history and some interesting images, see tinyurl.com/4duxyo. (A random source in Hebrewbooks, referring to Czar Nikolai: tinyurl.com/36shzxc.)
    – Dave
    Commented Jun 21, 2010 at 14:16
  • Dave, HaNosen Teshua is in there, which didn't surprise me. But right before/after it (or is it only in some editions of the Tikun Meir?) is an entirely different, long prayer that doesn't look like anything I've seen before (see above excerpt in English). You think that was Rabbi Chinsky too?
    – Shalom
    Commented Jun 23, 2010 at 17:26
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    If it doesn't appear anywhere else, that would seem to be the case.
    – Dave
    Commented Jun 30, 2010 at 14:23
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    The one referring to Czar Nikolai is from the Tehillas Hashem published during his reign. It also blesses the whole royal family.
    – Yitzchak
    Commented Jun 16, 2011 at 2:33

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