I was recently elected to the board of my synagogue and I wanted to add a small prayer or invocation for success at the beginning of the meetings. Does anyone know something appropriate? I was thinking perhaps the end of Ps. 90?
Thanks and Regards
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Sign up to join this communityAfter the communal Torah reading on sabbath mornings, most Ashkenazic congregations recite this prayer:
He who blessed our fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, should bless this entire holy congregation, along with all other holy congregations, them, their wives, children, and all that is their. Those who designate synagogues for prayer; those who pray in them; those who donate lamps for light, wine for kidush and havdala, bread for guests, and charity for the indigent; those who work in public affairs with faith — may the Holy One pay their reward, remove all ailment from them, heal their entire bodies, forgive all their sin, and send blessing and success to all their handiwork, along with all of Israel their brethren.
This asks for a blessing for the entire congregation. It also asks for "blessing and success to all their handiwork" for "those who work in public affairs with faith", which includes, hopefully, the board meeting. Thus, it seems to me a very appropriate prayer for a synagogue board meeting.
In the "Siddur Vilna" immediately preceding Mincha they print what's entitled "Prayer Before Doing Business".
It's not clear where this prayer comes from, but I'm not sure how much that matters (רחמנא ליבא בעי).
There is an "addition" for Parnasa that is printed in the Art Scroll and can be inserted into the prayer Shema Koleinu.
The prayer in the Amidah that begins "Barech Aleinu" is generally intended for agricultural success in the land, but not individual parnasa as such.
There are other prayers for Parnasa that appear in many siddurim and are intended to be recited after Shacharit, which includes reciting the entire chapter of the Manna.