Rabbi issues internet sex prayer

An Israeli rabbi has composed a prayer to enable religious computer users to repent for visiting internet sex sites.

Shlomo Eliyahu, the chief rabbi of the town of Safed, said he was responding to a deluge of queries from worried Orthodox Jews, Israeli media reported.

The benediction reads: "Please God, help me cleanse the computer of viruses and evil photographs...so that I shall be able to cleanse myself."

Rabbi Eliyahu said Jews should recite the prayer when they log onto the web.

He also suggested devout surfers programme their computers to flash the prayer on the screen if they enter a pornographic website intentionally or by mistake.