He Who Gives Salvation to Kings and Dominion Unto Princes

Growing up in New Zealand, a central part of Shabbat Morning Services was the following Prayer for the Royal Family, recited in English throughout the British Commonwealth (although I never saw it in Canada). The wording is based on the prayer composed by Chief Rabbi Dr Hertz for the Royal Jubilee Service in 1935. Text in blue is said in New Zealand (and I assume other commonwealth nations).

He Who gives salvation to kings and dominion to princes,
Whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom – may he bless

OUR SOVERIGN LADY, QUEEN ELIZABETH

PHILLIP, DUKE OF EDINBOROUGH

CHARLES, PRINCE OF WALES

AND ALL THE ROYAL FAMILY

HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR GENERAL OF NEW ZEALAND

AND ALL WHO LEGISLATE FOR ITS BENIFIT

So, in honour of tomorrow’s royal wedding (also being celebrated here in Modi’in a few doors up from my house), I thought that I’d share some Prayers for the Royal family from older siddurim.

This סדור ויעתר יצחק published in Berlin 1785 blesses an anonymous “King Ploni”

This סדור אשי ישראל published 1968 in Tel Aviv has standard text in Hebrew, with a blank space to insert the monarch of your choice:

סדור שפתי ישנים published in Warsaw in 1865, complete with Polish translation blesses “the Father of Our Nation”, Alexander the 2nd, together with his wife Maria and his son Alexander

This Siddur Beit Yaakov published in 1889 in Bazitamar (sp?) has a prayer for Kaiser Alexander, his son Nikolai, and his wife Maria. I found another edition of the same siddur was published 1881 in Warsaw, with the same royal family.

And here is a prayer for Nikolai when he grew up to be Kaiser from סידור דרך החיים published in 1839 in Vilna.

Over to America, This School Siddur from Philadelphia, 1904 has a prayer for The United States and its President, complete with inter-linear Yiddish translation.

This סדור חנוך תפלה החדש from New York 1940 expands the prayer considerably to bless not only the rulers, but also the country itself. The name of the ruler is listed as “President” and his assistant the “Vice President”. The same Nussach is in the 1916 סדור שפת אמת החדש also from New York.

And finally, here is the prayer as it appeared in the 1975 Singer Siddur that I received for my Bar Mitzvah:

With Best Wishes to William and Kate, may they enjoy many years of happiness together, and may G-d grant them the wisdom to rule with love and compassion towards the People and Land of Israel

The Seder Plate According to the Rama

Every Pessach, a few minutes before Chag, as I’m about to leave for shul, I realize that again I’ve forgotten how to set up the Seder Plate (קערת הסדר).

I start frantically looking through haggadot until I manage to find one with a picture of the קערה על פי הרמ”א

This year, in a bid to be a bit more organized, I prepared this diagram:

סדר הקערה על שלחן הסדר לדעת הרמ"א ז"ל

:אומר השו"ע:

"מביאין לפני בעל הבית קערה שיש בה שלשה מצות ומרור וחרוסת וכרפס או ירק אחר (רמ"א: וחומץ או מי מלח) ושני תבשילין, אחד זכר לפסח ואחד זכר לחגיגה, ונהגו בבשר וביצה."

הרמ"א: מביא את המאכלים של השו"ע, ומסדר אותם בקערה ע"פ הכלל ש "אין מעבירין על המצוות", לכן צריך שהדבר הראשון שמברך עליו יהיה יותר קרוב אליו, השני אחריו וכן הלאה, כדי שלא יקרה מצב שבו הוא רוצה להגיע אל הכרפס, לדוגמא, יעבור מעל המצות ויש בכך מעין ביזוי למצה.

הגה: ויסדר הקערה ... הכרפס יהא למעלה מן הכל והחומץ סמוך לו יותר מן המצה, והמצות מן המרור והחרוסת, והם יהיו יותר קרובים אליו מן הבשר והביצה."

(1)
הרמ"א מוסיף על השו"ע את המי-מלח או החומץ, כדבר שיש לשים בקערה, ולא בצידה. וניתן להסיר אח"כ את המי-מלח מהקערה.

(2)
בב"י הביא את מחלוקת הפוסקים, האם מניחים על הקערה שתי מצות או שלוש, ומרן חורג ממנהגו להכריע כדעת הרוב ופוסק כדעת הרא"ש והתוס' (ולא כמו הרי"ף והרמב"ם) והסביר בב"י שהעולם נוהגים כדעת הרא"ש והתוס'.

(3)
.ע"פ הציור אין מצות בקערה, כי ע"פ הרמ"א המצות צריכות להיות באמצע. ונהגו לשים את שלושת המצות מתחת לקערה במעין מתקן בעל שלושה מדפים שעל כל אחד מהם מניח מצה אחת.

Source http://www.shoresh.org.il/hidush/print.asp?id=158

We Were Slaves to Hitler - A Seder in Munich 1946

I was looking for an on-line Haggada to use for a source sheet that I needed to prepare, but instead I stumbled upon this “Passover Service” booklet printed in Munich Germany in 1946 for a Seder held for the Jewish Members of the US armed forces.

The booklet contains snippets of the Haggada as well as text in Yiddish, Zionist text written in Hebrew, together with chilling illustrations.

Here’s part of the introduction:

And the khaki-clad sons of Israel com­manded by Lt. General Truscott gath­ered together as was the custom in Israel, to celebrate the Passover festival.
They came from the Ninth Division in the West and the First Division in the East. They came from the 98th General Hospital and from the 24th Dispensary. They came from the CIC, the CID, the lCD, the UNRRA and the American Joint Distribution Committee, all of them came to the city of Munich, there to relate as of old, the miracle of freedom.
They spoke of Pharaoh and the Egyptian bondage. They spoke of slave labor and the torture cities of Pitham and Ramsees and they spoke of the inevitable force of liberty which will lay waste to every tyrannical design.
But in their hearts they felt very close to all that which was narrated. Pharaoh and Egypt gave way to Hitler and Germany. Pitham and Rarnsees faded beneath fresh memories of Buchenwald and Dachau.

Or take a look at this short snippet:

ברוך שומר הבטחתו
לישראל. ברוך בלפור שחשב
לעשות את הקץ. לעשות כמו
שנאמר: ידע תדע כי שוב
לא יענו אתכם ארבע מאות
שנה ובית יקום לכם כםו
שנאמר: אל יהיה זרעך גר
בארץ לא להם

ברוך שוםר הבטחתו
לישראל וחבר את הספר
הלבן, אסר על העליה וקנית
הקרקעות וחשב לעשות את
.הקץ

My Approximate Translation:

Blessed is He who guards his promise to Israel. Blessed is Balfour that calculated how to bring the redemption.
To do as is written: You shall surely know that when you return you will not be afflicted four hundred years”
And a house will be established as it is written “Your descendents will not dwell in a land which is not theirs”

Blessed is he who guards his promise to Israel, yet wrote the White Paper that is is forbidden to make Aliya or to purchase land, yet calculated how to bring the redemption.

What is most chilling about the Haggada are the illustrations, following are some examples with their captions:

שֶׁלֹּא אֶחָד בִּלְבָד עָמַד עָלֵינוּ לְכַלּוֹתֵנוּ

”זכרנו את “הדגה

שֶׁפַּרְעֹה לֹא גָזַר אֶלָּא עַל הַזְּכָרִים וְלָבָן בִּקֵּשׁ לַעֲקוֹר אֶת הַכֹּל

לְפִיכָךְ אֲנַחְנוּ חַיָּבִים

"The Last Time"

The entire nation is in shock over the horrific massacre last Shabbat.

I have nothing to add to the comments that have already been made on other blogs and news sources, however I wanted to repost a few of the more powerful images.

The Muqata has a copy of the Tfilla that was hanging above 11 Year Old Yoav Fogel's bed, we could should all internalize the message of this Tfilla:

May it be Your will, the Lord my G-d and the G-d of my fathers, that I should merit to love every individual in Israel as if they were my soul, and with my might, and to properly observe the mitzva (commandment) of "Love your Neighbor as Yourself."

And may it be Your will, the Lord my G-d and the G-d of my fathers, that You place in the hearts of my friends, love for me, and that I will be accepted by all, that I should be loved and caring, and find favor in the eyes of all.

As a face is reflected in water, so should the hearts of man be to each other.

And all for the sake of heaven, to observe Your will.

Amen.

Life in Israel, and A soldier's Mother both talked about Rami Levy's act of chessed towards the orphans.

Several bloggers have commented on the inspiring words and courage of 12 year old Tamar who found the bodies and talked about her new responsibilities as a "mother to her sibling"

And finally, there is this new song and video by Shmuel Schwartz



May this indeed be the last time, and may Klal Yisrael (and the entire world)know no more sorrow.

News Flash: It wasn’t the Lutherans

The Washington Times has a scoop. Apparently, contrary to initial assumptions, it seems like the attack on the Moscow airport wasn’t carried out by extremists Lutherans, but may have in fact been Islamic Militants.

Islamic militants suspected in Russia airport bombing

At least 35 die, 170 injured in ‘terrorist attack’

As Russian authorities sift through the wreckage of the Moscow airport attack, the world’s attention will be drawn to the Muslim separatists who experts suspect carried out the Monday bombing.

source: http://www.washingtontimes.com/

Seems like the Washington Times scooped every other major news organization on linking the terrorist attack to Islamists. Sounds like they either had inside information, or possibly they’re covering for the Lutherans.

Good thing that the attackers wee only “Militants”, not “terrorists”. Seems like it wasn't a terrorist attack after all, just a friendly disagreement over theology. I guess that’s why they put “Terrorism” in scare quotes.

Lutheran Extremists Launch Terrorist Attack in Moscow Airport

According to breaking news reports, there was a major suicide Terrorist attack carried out by Lutheran Extremists in Moscow’s Domodedovo airport, killing at least 33.

CNN say that the terrorist attack was “attributed by Russia's Investigative Committee to terrorists” – boy they’re really going out on a limb (no mention of the religious or political affiliation of attackers)

Fox are saying that the suicide attack may have been carried out by a “Suicide Bomber”, again no assumption as to possible affiliation of the attacker.

BBC is being more cautious, saying only that the suicide attack “may have been the work of a suicide bomber. Russia's chief investigator said the explosion was the work of terrorists.”

So far the only speculation from major news sources is that this suicide terrorist attack may have been carried out  by Suicide Bombers, and they may have been terrorists.

Given that no reports so far have mentioned religion or political affiliation of the attackers, I’m guessing that they were Lutheran, or possibly extremist Social Democrats. Unless of course they were environmentalists who have a history of supporting violent attacks.

I can’t think of any other religious group that could carry such an attack, and the media seem to be avoiding any assumptions.

Our prayers and thoughts go out to the casualties, wishing the wounded a speedy full recovery.

Cool Video

Take a look at this cool video from the Jerusalem2111 project, it does not end the way you would expect.

You could check out some of their other videos as well, some are really neat.

Hat Tip: Frum Satire.