In light of Iran threat, Ovadia Yosef composes special prayer for IDF

‘Rescue us immediately from our enemies and all those who hate us, destroy their counsel and ruin their plots,’ reads text by Shas spiritual leader

Rabbi Ovadia Yosef recently composed a special prayer for the safety of IDF soldiers after hearing intelligence assessments of the Iran’s threat to Israel, it was revealed on Monday. Yosef, an authority on Jewish law who turns 92 this month, is a former Sephardic chief rabbi of Israel and remains the spiritual leader of the Shas political party.

In part, the prayer reads: “Rescue us immediately from our enemies and all those who hate us, destroy their counsel and ruin their plots, and do not let their actions have wisdom.

“God, destroy the schemes of the nations, and cancel the decrees against your nation Israel, from above and below, wherever they are harsh and difficult, and grant us good and conforting judgment.”

Yosef continued, “Please God, save and protect us and all the Israel Defense Forces soldiers. Save us from trouble, distress, sorrow and moaning, and all types of misfortune and accidents on the way.”

According to a senior Shas official quoted in Maariv, Yosef ordered the prayer to be distributed throughout the country, along with books of Selihot — the prayers of repentance traditionally recited during the month of Elul until Yom Kippur — out of concern about the Iranian threat.

Last month, Yosef implored his followers to recite a prayer for the destruction of Israel’s enemies in Iran during their Rosh Hashana services, just days after being briefed on the situation by National Security Advisor Yaakov Amidror.