By Mary Rose Corkery
Daily Caller News Foundation
Leading rabbis in Israel and the U.S. ambassador to Israel prayed for President Donald Trump’s recovery from COVID-19 during a ceremony Monday amid an increase in coronavirus cases, Reuters reported.
The rabbis gathered Monday and prayed for the president during a ceremony at the Western Wall, the most sacred place of prayer in the Jewish religion, Reuters reported. The gathering happened while Israel is under a second coronavirus lockdown.
“May He who blessed our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Moses, Aaron, David and Solomon send healing to Donald John, son of Fred,” Shmuel Rabinovitch, rabbi of the Western Wall, said, according to Reuters.
“May the Holy Blessed One overflow with compassion for him, restore him, cure him, strengthen him, enliven him,” Rabinovitch said, according to Reuters. Rabinovitch prayed for all those who are sick with the coronavirus. Two of the country’s chief rabbis and David M. Friedman, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, also participated in the ceremony.
The ceremony took place at the same time as the Sukkot festival, where those in the Jewish priests pray blessings at the Western Wall, Reuters reported.
Trump announced on Twitter early Friday that he and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for the virus.
Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2020
The ceremony usually has thousands of attendees, but only 20 gathered this year due to the pandemic, according a tweet from Friedman. Many Israeli people support the president for moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, officially recognizing that city as the capital of Israel, according to Reuters.
“This morning, by invitation, I will attend the ‘Birkat Kohanim’ service at the Western Wall-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. Refuah Shlema to all!” Friedman said in the Twitter post.
This morning, by invitation, I will attend the “Birkat Kohanim” service at the Western Wall — 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. Refuah Shlema to all!
— David M. Friedman (@USAmbIsrael) October 5, 2020
The U.S. Embassy to Israel did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s email request for comment.
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