Barack Obama Prayer Note: Western Wall Prayer Stolen, Published

Barack Obama wrote a prayer in Jerusalem this week - and left his prayer letter in Judaism's holiest of sites - the Western Wall.

As Barack placed his prayer in the cracks of The Western Wall, someone came behind him and stole it out of the crack - and an Israeli newspaper has decided to publish the note.

The note, published Friday, reads on the Maariv Daily:

"Lord - Protect my family and me."

"Forgive me my sins, and help me guard against pride and despair. Give me the wisdom to do what is right and just. And make me an instrument of your will."

A touching note, but controversy has sparked over the rules of the Western Wall and the decision made by the Maariv Daily to publish such a personal letter.

Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitz, who is in charge of the Western Wall, said: "The notes placed between the stones of the Western Wall are between a person and his maker. It is forbidden to read them or make any use of them."

Rabinovitz said that publishing such a note "damages the Western Wall and damages the personal, deep part of every one of us that we keep to ourselves."

* Post Chronicle