I met our late Queen Elizabeth II only once in my life and as just one meeting on one of her more than 25,000 days as monarch I cannot imagine that it was an occasion that she would have recalled particularly – and I didn’t do it very well. I was at a multi faith event a few years ago for the International Interfaith Investment Group, the Faith Consistent Investment foundation for which I volunteered. The event was a celebration of ideas of responsibility for creation in Judaism, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Hindu, Islam, Shinto and Buddhism etc, absolutely the kind of event that our new King Charles would see as part of his role too as defender of faiths. At the end of the event a number of us who had been involved were stood in small circles to meet the Queen or the Duke of Edinburgh.
We stood and waited patiently – nuns, Catholic priests, me a Progressive Rabbi and an Israeli Orthodox Rabbi, Sikh educators and more. In walked the Queen to our little circle and my big chance came to say something meaningful – but I can’t even remember what I said or what Her Majesty said. I just remember the experience. And I am sure that anyone here who was privileged to meet her would too remember it well, such was the aura of grace that surrounded her.
Not so the Orthodox Rabbi a few on from me in the circle. Rabbi Daniel Sperber was ready with what he wanted to say to the Queen. He asked her if he might be able to say a blessing that he has never in his life been able to say before. Her Majesty agreed and he began Baruch Atah Adonai Eloyheynu Melech Ha’olam she’natan michvodo l’basar v’dam – we praise you God, sovereign of the universe who has given a measure of your glory to people of flesh and blood – the official blessing listed in the Talmud (Berachot 58a) upon seeing a King or Queen. One up for the Orthodox Rabbi that’s for sure! Her Majesty’s response? “Very nice, thank you.”
Judaism has an uncertain relationship with the whole idea of flesh and blood monarchy. For a Jew, God is the king. As Isaiah said in our Haftarah portion just a week ago (51:12) even the most oppressive King will die, whilst God is Eternal.
In the Torah, the Children of Israel were warned that the worst of monarchs will take away their liberty, property and labour and give them little in return. This message is then repeated by the Prophet Samuel, when the people ask him to appoint a King over them “like all the other nations around us” (1 Samuel 8).
It was all very well having God as King but when it came to military strategy it didn’t seem as sure a bet as a flesh and blood King despite all of the risks which Samuel warned them of. King Saul, who was the first appointed ended up as a disaster of instability, and King Solomon – one of the best of Kings did indeed create forced labour for his projects, appropriation of land and liberty – just as they had been warned.
What Judaism really admires is a scholar. Consider the Jewish folklore of Fiddler on the Roof – after all when the Rabbi in that play in film is asked what the blessing should be for the Tzar he does not use the blessing from the Talmud but rather “God bless the Tzar and keep him far away from us.” But think of Tevye’s dream of what it would mean to be a rich man – to spend seven hours every day studying the holy books “that would be the sweetest thing of all”. There is a blessing in Talmud Berachot too on seeing a scholar of great distinction Baruch Atah Adonai eloyenu melech ha’olam, she halak mechochmato liyreav – we praise you God for your imparting of your wisdom to those who revere you (Ber 58a).
But let’s return to the blessing that you can say when you are in the presence of a monarch, perhaps you will be able to say it in front of King Charles one day, so it’ worth learning it! Baruch Atah Adonai Eloyheynu Melech Ha’olam she’natan michvodo l’basar v’dam – we praise you God, sovereign of the universe who has given a measure of your glory to people of flesh and blood.
We are all in made in the image of God, we are all people of flesh and blood, but there is no doubt that in her 96 years our Queen brought a measure of glory to Britain. So much has been said since Thursday night and so much more will be about her extraordinary ability to unite a nation year by year, especially on her jubilees, whilst making the individual feel their significance to her. Much has been said about her boldness to recite the new South African anthem as the country transformed, to go to Ireland and Russia to heal old wounds, to uphold the British value of a good sense of humour by appearing to parachute into the Olympics and hide a marmalade sandwich in her handbag.
Our Torah is clear that a good King or Queen must reign by eternal values. Deuteronomy Chapter 17 mandates that when a Jewish monarch sits upon the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this Torah in a book and read from it every day so that he may learn to respect God and keep to the values of Torah and the way of life that flows from it. The Jewish conception of monarchy is constitutional and values based. Avinu Malkeinu, our Divine parent and ruler is always above any earthly ruler.
I think that this is a great deal of the source of the respect that Queen Elizabeth gathered over her long life, that while she was a person of flesh and blood, as the blessing reminds us, with for examples family issues just like we all have, she always saw herself as there to represent eternal values of decency and care, of LeDor VaDor, valuing and appreciating future generations and continuity, and in the words of the prophet Zechariah (Chapter 4) , that it is ‘not by might and not by power, but by spirit’ that earthly powers make a difference.
Over the past two hundred years our prayer for the Royal Family in our Synagogues has changed. When we prayed for King George and Queen Charlotte in our 1810 siddur we prayed that they would act with benevolence towards Jews, feeling that we were powerless people in the face of monarchy. In 1864 (Rabbi Abraham Pereira Mendes) as the British Empire expanded we prayed that Queen Victoria with Prince Albert would ‘subdue nations beneath her sway and make her enemies fall before her’.
In our 1931 Reform Siddur – two generations of Reform prayerbook before the one you hold in your hands – we named many members of the Royal family, seeing them all as responsible for our welfare. Now our prayer for our Soverign Lady Queen Elizabeth, which changes today to our prayer for our Sovereign King Charles, prays that our King be blessed by God, meaning that he represents eternal values and that he will guide the government of this country joining us to work together for justice and peace at home and abroad.
Judaism does not admire power and might nor wealth and influence. Judaism admires wisdom and dignity, benevolence and care. Our late Queen displayed those admirable qualities to such a great extent that we can truly say that her memory will be a blessing.
