Sunday, September 8, 2019

An 18th century Manuscript Plea of a woman in childbirth

Tucked in an 18th century large prayerbook, I found an 18th century manuscript page, containing a handwritten prayer written by a woman in labor. Written as a personal prayer in the first person, the prayer comes off as an impromptu, unscripted and desperate plea of a woman who may have been unlearned but a firm believer and sincere in her prayer. The text of the prayer, though riddled with grammatical irregularities and an odd mix of verses and pleas, gives the impression of a woman in a troubling situation combining all the prayers and related verses and phrases that were familiar to her in to one long heartfelt plea.

The prayer loosely translates as:
Our G-d and the G-d of our forefathers, have mercy on the daughters of Israel who are in labor, and among them so and so, ad I hereby beg and plea before you, thou compassionate and merciful, as your compassion is great. It is in your hand God, who controls life, and do not reply via a messenger. May you recall your compassion and kindness G-d who desires life, to attend to me with compassion, and I shall give birth easily to ten healthy children who shall come forth from above via the Good Forces. May it be fulfilled in me, the verse that was said by King David of blessed memory, "Out of my straits I called upon the Lord; He answered me with great enlargement." "God is with me and I shall not fear". The one who heard the prayer of David, King of Israel shall head my prayer and in the merit of my fathers and mothers, being the one who responded to the prayers of our holy ancestors.


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