Tractate Berachot: God's Prayer Book

I. May It Be Thy Will

It was time to offer incense to God. As he placed the incense on the altar, Ishmael remembered the names of those who had begged for his prayers.

No fragrance Ishmael had ever encountered smelled as good as the incense, and as he watched the smoke rise he reveled in the sweet aroma.

A bright light that almost blinded him appeared, right next to the curtain in front of the Holy of Holies. As Ishmael adjusted his eyes to the painful light, he saw God – the Lord of Hosts – seated on a high and exalted throne. He startled to tremble, afraid for his life.

And then God spoke.

“My son, bless me!”

Ishmael trembled even more. What could he say to the Creator and Judge of all the universe? He raised his hands in the ancient priestly blessing gesture and opened his mouth to offer praise . . .

. . .  and nothing came out.  

Anger rose up within him. And yet gratitude also welled up.

So he opened his mouth again, “May it be Thy will that Thy mercy . . . may suppress Thy anger . . . “ he swallowed, having not yet been reduced by a thunderbolt to a pile of dust, “and Thy mercy may prevail over Thy other attributes, so that Thou mayest deal with Thy children according to the attribute of mercy and mayest, on their behalf, stop short of the limit of strict justice!”

Still expecting to be struck dead, he was startled to see God smile and nod the Divine Head before fading back to the heavens.

II. May It Be My Will

Many years later, a tall lecturer started a school in Babylon. He was concerned that his students pray the best prayers they could, and he started collecting all the prayers and prayerbooks he could get his hands on. He remembered the strange teaching he had heard that God prayed prayers as well.

He feverishly looked through all his books and manuscripts to find the text of God’s prayers – and he came up empty.

But one day, as he was taking a walk, he looked up at the sky, and a page of parchment floated down. Curious, he picked it up – and at the top of the page was written, “God’s Prayer Book” and he read this prayer – which God had taken from Ishmael’s prayer.

“May it be My will that My mercy may suppress My anger, and that My mercy may prevail over My other attributes, so that I may deal with My children in the attribute of mercy and, on their behalf, stop short of the limit of strict justice.”

III. Aleinu 

It is our duty to praise the Master of all. To exalt the Creator of the universe.

And which of our prayers will God put in the next edition of “God’s Prayer Book”?

(Based on a story in Berachot 7a in the Babylonian Talmud)