Top Israeli rabbis, and US envoy, pray for Trump recovery
They were attending a ceremony, coinciding with the Sukkot festival, in which members of Judaism's priestly caste bless the public in a chant at the Western Wall.
By REUTERS, JERUSALEM POST STAFFBirkat Kohanim at the Western Wall in the shadow of coronavirus(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
The Western Wall plaza is traditionally jammed with worshipers during the intermediate days of Sukkot for the ceremonial Priestly Blessing (Birkat Cohanim). But due to coronavirus restrictions, the prayer was instead recited by only 20 worshipers on Monday, including US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman.Heading to the event as an invited guest, Friedman, himself a Cohan, tweeted that it was “normally attended by thousands, today just 20. I will pray for God’s mercy and healing upon all those throughout the world afflicted with COVID-19.”Together with Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch, the rabbi of Kotel, and Israel’s two chief rabbis, Friedman also prayed for the health of US President Donald Trump, battling coronavirus.“May He who blessed our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Moses, Aaron, David and Solomon send healing to Donald John, son of Fred,” intoned Rabinovitch. “May the Holy Blessed One overflow with compassion for him, restore him, cure him, strengthen him, enliven him.”
Mi sheberach for “Donald John ben Fred” during Birchat Kohanim ceremony at the Western Wall pic.twitter.com/ImAlYekO7h
