Prayers for the Government
III) Medieval and Modern Prayers for the Government
Recent studies have shown that in the medieval period, Jews in Islamic countries prayed for their rulers. (10)
In the fourteenth century, two important codes of Jewish law mention a prayer for the king. The Kol Bo (Provence, early 14 th century) says that on Shabbat, after the Haftarah ?there are places where they bless the king and then the congregation, all according to custom? (ed.
Lvov, 1860, parag. 20, fol. 10c at bottom). Rabbi David Abudraham reports in his liturgical work Sefer Abudraham Hashalem (Spain, 1340, ed. Jerusalem, 1963, p. 136) that after reading the Torah on weekdays ?it is customary to bless the king, and to pray to God that He help him and strengthen him against his enemies?. He then quotes both Jeremiah and Avot quoted above.
In 1998, Aharon Arend published a series of Mee Sheberakh prayers for the King found in Sefardic siddur manuscripts beginning ca. 1300. (11) Here is one example from a 15th century manuscript of the rite of the Jews of Aragon:
He who blessed Abraham, Isaac and Jacob?May He bless, guard, protect and help our Lord King Don Ferando?May the King of Kings put in his heart and in the heart of all his advisors mercy, to do good to us and to the entire House of Israel?and let us say Amen. (12)
Don Ferando is apparently none other than King Ferdinand who together with Queen Isabella expelled the Jews from Spain in 1492!
The next step was the Hanoten Teshua prayer which became the most popular prayer for the government until the twentieth century.
Schwartz dated this prayer to the 16 th century, but Arend found it in an Aragonese Mahzor from the 15 th century, which reads:
He who gives salvation to kings and whose kingdom is everlasting? may He strengthen, bless, and uplift higher and higher our Lord King Ferando? May the King of Kings redeem his soul from death and in war from the sword?and may He incline his heart to do good to Israel and to speak good of them wherever they are ?and let us say Amen. (13)
Once again, the subject of this prayer is King Ferdinand, who later expelled the Jews from Spain!
With the invention of printing in the late 15 th century, Hanoten Teshua spread rapidly to many countries, including Italy, Poland, Yemen and France. (14) Singer devoted an entire study to the use of this prayer in 17 th century England. It was translated in full by Manasseh ben Israel in 1655 as part of his efforts to secure the readmission of the Jews into England. Samuel Pepys heard this prayer at a synagogue in London in October, 1663 and recorded his favorable impression in his diary. (15)
Sarna devoted two studies to the history of Jewish prayers for the U.S. government. Hanoten Teshua was first published in English in New York in 1760; that version prays for King George the Second as well as for American rulers and officials. By 1782, after independence, the prayer used in Philadelphia prayed for the President and the Congress. (16) The version of Hanoten Teshua published in New York in 1826 blesses the President and the Vice President, the Senate, the House of Representatives, the Governor, the Lt. Governor and the Magistrates of New York City. (17)
In 1927, when the Conservative movement published its first prayer book for festivals, Prof. Louis Ginzberg composed the prayer for the government. This version is no longer based on Hanoten Teshua which was intended for a monarchy. It is a brand new prayer expressly written for a democracy. (18) This prayer was reprinted in the many popular prayer books edited by Rabbi Morris Silverman and in the Reconstructionist prayer book as recently as 1994. (19) Rabbi Professor David Golinkin III) Medieval and Modern Prayers for the Government
Recent studies have shown that in the medieval period, Jews in Islamic countries prayed for their rulers. (10)
In the fourteenth century, two important codes of Jewish law mention a prayer for the king. The Kol Bo (Provence, early 14 th century) says that on Shabbat, after the Haftarah ?there are places where they bless the king and then the congregation, all according to custom? (ed. Lvov, 1860, parag. 20, fol. 10c at bottom). Rabbi David Abudraham reports in his liturgical work Sefer Abudraham Hashalem (Spain, 1340, ed. Jerusalem, 1963, p. 136) that after reading the Torah on weekdays ?it is customary to bless the king, and to pray to God that He help him and strengthen him against his enemies?. He then quotes both Jeremiah and Avot quoted above.
In 1998, Aharon Arend published a series of Mee Sheberakh prayers for the King found in Sefardic siddur manuscripts beginning ca. 1300. (11) Here is one example from a 15th century manuscript of the rite of the Jews of Aragon:
He who blessed Abraham, Isaac and Jacob?May He bless, guard, protect and help our Lord King Don Ferando?May the King of Kings put in his heart and in the heart of all his advisors mercy, to do good to us and to the entire House of Israel?and let us say Amen. (12)
Don Ferando is apparently none other than King Ferdinand who together with Queen Isabella expelled the Jews from Spain in 1492!
The next step was the Hanoten Teshua prayer which became the most popular prayer for the government until the twentieth century. Schwartz dated this prayer to the 16 th century, but Arend found it in an Aragonese Mahzor from the 15 th century, which reads:
He who gives salvation to kings and whose kingdom is everlasting? may He strengthen, bless, and uplift higher and higher our Lord King Ferando? May the King of Kings redeem his soul from death and in war from the sword?and may He incline his heart to do good to Israel and to speak good of them wherever they are ?and let us say Amen. (13)
Once again, the subject of this prayer is King Ferdinand, who later expelled the Jews from Spain!
With the invention of printing in the late 15 th century, Hanoten Teshua spread rapidly to many countries, including Italy, Poland, Yemen and France. (14) Singer devoted an entire study to the use of this prayer in 17 th century England. It was translated in full by Manasseh ben Israel in 1655 as part of his efforts to secure the readmission of the Jews into England. Samuel Pepys heard this prayer at a synagogue in London in October, 1663 and recorded his favorable impression in his diary. (15)
Sarna devoted two studies to the history of Jewish prayers for the U.S. government. Hanoten Teshua was first published in English in New York in 1760; that version prays for King George the Second as well as for American rulers and officials. By 1782, after independence, the prayer used in Philadelphia prayed for the President and the Congress. (16) The version of Hanoten Teshua published in New York in 1826 blesses the President and the Vice President, the Senate, the House of Representatives, the Governor, the Lt. Governor and the Magistrates of New York City. (17)
In 1927, when the Conservative movement published its first prayer book for festivals, Prof. Louis Ginzberg composed the prayer for the government. This version is no longer based on Hanoten Teshua which was intended for a monarchy. It is a brand new prayer expressly written for a democracy. (18) This prayer was reprinted in the many popular prayer books edited by Rabbi Morris Silverman and in the Reconstructionist prayer book as recently as 1994. (19)
Recent studies have shown that in the medieval period, Jews in Islamic countries prayed for their rulers. (10)
In the fourteenth century, two important codes of Jewish law mention a prayer for the king. The Kol Bo (Provence, early 14 th century) says that on Shabbat, after the Haftarah ?there are places where they bless the king and then the congregation, all according to custom? (ed.
Lvov, 1860, parag. 20, fol. 10c at bottom). Rabbi David Abudraham reports in his liturgical work Sefer Abudraham Hashalem (Spain, 1340, ed. Jerusalem, 1963, p. 136) that after reading the Torah on weekdays ?it is customary to bless the king, and to pray to God that He help him and strengthen him against his enemies?. He then quotes both Jeremiah and Avot quoted above.
In 1998, Aharon Arend published a series of Mee Sheberakh prayers for the King found in Sefardic siddur manuscripts beginning ca. 1300. (11) Here is one example from a 15th century manuscript of the rite of the Jews of Aragon:
He who blessed Abraham, Isaac and Jacob?May He bless, guard, protect and help our Lord King Don Ferando?May the King of Kings put in his heart and in the heart of all his advisors mercy, to do good to us and to the entire House of Israel?and let us say Amen. (12)
Don Ferando is apparently none other than King Ferdinand who together with Queen Isabella expelled the Jews from Spain in 1492!
The next step was the Hanoten Teshua prayer which became the most popular prayer for the government until the twentieth century.
Schwartz dated this prayer to the 16 th century, but Arend found it in an Aragonese Mahzor from the 15 th century, which reads:
He who gives salvation to kings and whose kingdom is everlasting? may He strengthen, bless, and uplift higher and higher our Lord King Ferando? May the King of Kings redeem his soul from death and in war from the sword?and may He incline his heart to do good to Israel and to speak good of them wherever they are ?and let us say Amen. (13)
Once again, the subject of this prayer is King Ferdinand, who later expelled the Jews from Spain!
With the invention of printing in the late 15 th century, Hanoten Teshua spread rapidly to many countries, including Italy, Poland, Yemen and France. (14) Singer devoted an entire study to the use of this prayer in 17 th century England. It was translated in full by Manasseh ben Israel in 1655 as part of his efforts to secure the readmission of the Jews into England. Samuel Pepys heard this prayer at a synagogue in London in October, 1663 and recorded his favorable impression in his diary. (15)
Sarna devoted two studies to the history of Jewish prayers for the U.S. government. Hanoten Teshua was first published in English in New York in 1760; that version prays for King George the Second as well as for American rulers and officials. By 1782, after independence, the prayer used in Philadelphia prayed for the President and the Congress. (16) The version of Hanoten Teshua published in New York in 1826 blesses the President and the Vice President, the Senate, the House of Representatives, the Governor, the Lt. Governor and the Magistrates of New York City. (17)
In 1927, when the Conservative movement published its first prayer book for festivals, Prof. Louis Ginzberg composed the prayer for the government. This version is no longer based on Hanoten Teshua which was intended for a monarchy. It is a brand new prayer expressly written for a democracy. (18) This prayer was reprinted in the many popular prayer books edited by Rabbi Morris Silverman and in the Reconstructionist prayer book as recently as 1994. (19) Rabbi Professor David Golinkin III) Medieval and Modern Prayers for the Government
Recent studies have shown that in the medieval period, Jews in Islamic countries prayed for their rulers. (10)
In the fourteenth century, two important codes of Jewish law mention a prayer for the king. The Kol Bo (Provence, early 14 th century) says that on Shabbat, after the Haftarah ?there are places where they bless the king and then the congregation, all according to custom? (ed. Lvov, 1860, parag. 20, fol. 10c at bottom). Rabbi David Abudraham reports in his liturgical work Sefer Abudraham Hashalem (Spain, 1340, ed. Jerusalem, 1963, p. 136) that after reading the Torah on weekdays ?it is customary to bless the king, and to pray to God that He help him and strengthen him against his enemies?. He then quotes both Jeremiah and Avot quoted above.
In 1998, Aharon Arend published a series of Mee Sheberakh prayers for the King found in Sefardic siddur manuscripts beginning ca. 1300. (11) Here is one example from a 15th century manuscript of the rite of the Jews of Aragon:
He who blessed Abraham, Isaac and Jacob?May He bless, guard, protect and help our Lord King Don Ferando?May the King of Kings put in his heart and in the heart of all his advisors mercy, to do good to us and to the entire House of Israel?and let us say Amen. (12)
Don Ferando is apparently none other than King Ferdinand who together with Queen Isabella expelled the Jews from Spain in 1492!
The next step was the Hanoten Teshua prayer which became the most popular prayer for the government until the twentieth century. Schwartz dated this prayer to the 16 th century, but Arend found it in an Aragonese Mahzor from the 15 th century, which reads:
He who gives salvation to kings and whose kingdom is everlasting? may He strengthen, bless, and uplift higher and higher our Lord King Ferando? May the King of Kings redeem his soul from death and in war from the sword?and may He incline his heart to do good to Israel and to speak good of them wherever they are ?and let us say Amen. (13)
Once again, the subject of this prayer is King Ferdinand, who later expelled the Jews from Spain!
With the invention of printing in the late 15 th century, Hanoten Teshua spread rapidly to many countries, including Italy, Poland, Yemen and France. (14) Singer devoted an entire study to the use of this prayer in 17 th century England. It was translated in full by Manasseh ben Israel in 1655 as part of his efforts to secure the readmission of the Jews into England. Samuel Pepys heard this prayer at a synagogue in London in October, 1663 and recorded his favorable impression in his diary. (15)
Sarna devoted two studies to the history of Jewish prayers for the U.S. government. Hanoten Teshua was first published in English in New York in 1760; that version prays for King George the Second as well as for American rulers and officials. By 1782, after independence, the prayer used in Philadelphia prayed for the President and the Congress. (16) The version of Hanoten Teshua published in New York in 1826 blesses the President and the Vice President, the Senate, the House of Representatives, the Governor, the Lt. Governor and the Magistrates of New York City. (17)
In 1927, when the Conservative movement published its first prayer book for festivals, Prof. Louis Ginzberg composed the prayer for the government. This version is no longer based on Hanoten Teshua which was intended for a monarchy. It is a brand new prayer expressly written for a democracy. (18) This prayer was reprinted in the many popular prayer books edited by Rabbi Morris Silverman and in the Reconstructionist prayer book as recently as 1994. (19)
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