This piece is part of Exploring Judaism’s 5785 High Holiday Reader. Download the whole reader here.

A note from the Original Publication: Written for those who died in the War of 1948, these words are especially fitting today. The editor’s translation will appear as the text of a cantata by Mr. Abe Ellstein. 

A king of flesh and blood who goes out to war against his enemies
Brings forth his force to kill and to be killed.
There is doubt whether he loves his soldiers
Or whether he does not love his soldiers,
Whether they are important in his eyes
Or whether they are not important in his eyes.
And even if they are important in his eyes,
They are no more important than corpses,
Because the angel of death follows upon their heel to slay them.
And if one is struck down by a blade or a bullet
Or another means of destruction and killed,
Another is set in his place.
And the king ignores his loss.
For the nations of the world are great in number,
And their armies are great in number,
And if one of them is killed,
The king has many to replace him.

But our king,
The King of kings, the Holy One, Blessed Be He,
Desires life, loves peace, and pursues peace,
Loves Israel His people and has chosen us from all the nations,
Not because we are greater in number,
For we are the least in number.
And because He loves us and we are few in number,
Each one of us is as important in His eyes as a whole regiment.
For he does not have many to set in our place.
Thus, if one Jew dies (God forbid),
Distress falls upon the regiments of the king,
And a weakening comes to the kingdom of He Who is Blessed,
For His kingdom lacks one of its regiments
And the greatness of He Who is Blessed is lessened.

Therefore we pray after the death of each Jew.
Yisgadal, v yiskadash, sh’may rabo:
May the power of the Name be magnified,
And may no lessening of power come to Him
Who is blessed and sanctified
In the worlds He has created according to His will.
And let us not be in fear for ourselves
But for the glory of His holiness.
V’yamleech malchusay:
May it be revealed
And may you see His kingdom in its fullness, lacking nothing, God forbid.
B ’chayeychon uv yomaychon, uvchayay de’chol bes Yisroel bimhero uvizman koriv:
If His kingdom is revealed in the world,
Then there is peace in the world
And blessing in the world
And song in the world
And much rejoicing in the world
And great consolation in the world
And the holy ones of Israel are beloved in the world
And His greatness continues to be magnified and expanded and not diminished
L’olom.

And if we pray thus for each one who dies,
How much the more so for our dear brothers and sisters,
The children of Zion,
The slaughtered ones of the land of Israel,
Whose blood was spilled for the glory of His name
And for His people
And for His land
And for His inheritance.
Further,
Every dweller in the land of Israel is one of the company of the King of kings,
The Holy One blessed be He,
Whom the King has appointed as a guard of His palace.
If one of His company is killed,
He does not have others to set in his place.

Therefore, oh our brethren, the whole house of Israel,
Who mourn in this mourning,
We turn our hearts to our Father in Heaven,
The King of Israel and its Redeemer,
And we pray
For ourselves
And for Him:
Yisgadal vyiskadash sh’may rabo
B’olmo deevro chirusay, v yamleech malchusay
V ’yatzmach Veekorev M ’sheechay ….
That we may be worthy to live and see
With our very eyes,
0’seh Sholom bimromov IIu b’rachamov Yaaseh Sholom oleynu va l kol Yisroel,
That He, who, in His mercies, makes peace in the heavens
Will make peace for us
And for all Israel.
And let us say:
Amen.