Petitionary Prayer

In the summer of 1713, the plague epidemic making its way through Europe reached the city of Prague. There, more than 10,000 residents died from the illness, including some 3,500 Jews (out of a total Jewish population of approximately 11,000). The local authorities imposed various regulations on the Jews during the outbreak (for example, limiting their freedom of movement), and likewise, the Jewish leadership responded to the epidemic in various ways, with instructions regarding behavior, fasting, and prayer. Evidence of these reactions is preserved in responsa, texts memorializing the event, and other documents. Special prayers were recited daily to protect Jews from the epidemic, both existing texts (largely Psalms) and new prayers composed especially for this purpose, which were published in small pamphlets. This twenty-six-line prayer, commissioned by chief rabbi of the city, David Oppenheim (who himself fled Prague during the outbreak), is a mosaic of verses from Psalms and features an acrostic spelling the name of the city: Prague. It was printed in 1713 together with a collection of psalms to be recited twice daily as protection against the plague, in a booklet entitled Tefilah le-omram be-khol yom ‘erev va-voker (Prayers to Be Recited Every Morning and Evening).