Prayers at "tent city" protest
Prayers at "tent city" protestArutz Sheva: Flash 90

Religious Zionists are distributing to ‘tent city” protesters a new version of the traditional “Blessing of the Home” with a prayer for unity.

Millions of Jewish homes around the world have the blessing for a peaceful home hanging on an inner wall, and the “My Israel” movement, in cooperation with students and youth groups, are bringing the blessing, after changing the word "home" to "tent", into thousands of tents, set up as part of the new protest movement in Israel.

The version of the ”Blessing of the Tent” reads: "In these tents, there shall be no division. In this dwelling, all of the People of Israel are invited.

“Every man, woman and child is invited to participate in this protest.

“This place carries a blessing of love and peace.”

"How goodly art thou, protest tents of Jacob, the temporary dwelling places of Israel."

Leaders of the project noted that since their call to participate in the peaceful demonstrations, several extreme left-wing groups tried to expel them from the rallies, often threatening them and setting their tents on fire.

“The ‘Blessing of the Tent’ is our means of delivering a message that the protest belongs to everyone and is above politics,” said leaders of the forum.

“The government must listen carefully to the public protests and come up with immediate and honest solutions for the growing distress of people.”

National Religious groups sponsoring the “Blessing of the Tent” said they did not add their groups’ logos to the blessing in order to maintain unity and encourage everyone to adopt it and hang it in their tents.

The closing words are a paraphrase of a verse from the Biblical recounting of the words of Balaam, a non-Jewish prophet who was asked by a Moabite king to curse the Jews as they travelled through the deserrt after the Exodus from Egypt (Numbers, 22). He looked over at their encampment from a high point and said instead "How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, thy dwelling places, Israel", words that begin the morning prayers in synagogues ever since.