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A prayer for children

- extracted from the prayers of Reb Nosson Likutei Tifilot

Master of the Universe: take pity upon us, our children, and all the children of Your people, the House of Israel.

Guard and protect our Jewish children and save them from the evil influences which are now spreading throughout the world because of our sins, as You know.

Protect our children from unbelievers. There are those who have fallen subject entirely to the influence of alien ideas. They would have our children educated according to their ideas, so as to distance them from Torah traditions we have received. Even if they have a place for Torah they try to distort its meaning and restrict the time given to it as much as they can.

Protect our children from the mockers who think they are so clever and scorn those who have chosen the path of simplicity - to work for G-d and to follow His Torah in the way we have received it from our fathers and teachers.

Many have risen up against those who follow this way of justice, spreading a net for their feet to trap them and turn them aside.

Hashem, our G-d:

You know all this! You know how these influences are weakening our attachment to You!

Have pity on us and our children and all the children of Your people, the House of Israel.

Guard and save our children from the bad influences that are threatening them at the age when they are most vulnerable.

Help us and protect us always: guide us and teach us to know at all times how we should bring up our children and grandchildren from their earliest days. How can we protect them and save them from these harmful influences and teach them to follow Your paths of holiness and truth for good? How can we make sure that they will always walk the path of justice and truth with purity and simplicity, following with Your will in the way we have received from our fathers and rabbis?

Help us make known to all our children and the generations that are to come after us all the mighty acts of G-d that You have performed for us in each generation from the days of our fathers until today. Let us instil then with this knowledge so strongly that future generations will also know and tell it to their children. Then we will fulfil the words of the Torah: "And you shall make it known to your children and your children's children," (Deut. 4:9) to instil in them the holiness of our pure and perfect faith.