Given on May 26, 2005 at The United States Senate, Washington, D.C.

Eternal One, Rock of All Ages:

Help us to hear the voices of our forebears that linger still in the silent places of this historic chamber of debate and decision. Let us draw devotional inspiration this morning from the life of Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise (1819-1900), founder of the Hebrew Union College, who led this Senate in prayer 135 years ago — this very week.

May one brief moment from the life of this famed American clergyman renew in us a commitment to the core of righteous living. For we have been taught that once, when this rabbi took ill in the midst of a class and was compelled to descend from his teaching platform, a young, eager student jumped up, grabbed his teacher's arm and said, "May I help you down, Doctor?" In responding to this question, the rabbi uttered words that remind us anew of what is good and what God does require of us all. "Never help a person down, the rabbi told his student, try always to help people up!"

In this year marking 350 years of Jewish life in America, we offer up our prayerful and reverential gratitude to the Source of Life for implanting within our hearts the vision of our noble republic, ever striving to help people up. O may all who labor in this house — and in every house — be inspired anew by the prophet Micah’s exhortation, a charge that the father of this nation deeply cherished and repeatedly cited: do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with thy God (Micah 6:8).

Fervently we pray that the vision we hallow will animate all of us to live: “with malice toward none; with charity for all . . . [so we can] finish the work we are in” (Abraham Lincoln’s Inaugural Address — March 4, 1865).