4

Many communities had the custom to say a prayer for the local secular government. I am looking for sources ​of varient nuschaos (i.e. versions).

2

3 Answers 3

5

Here is the version from the Bloch siddur (first prepared in 1924, re-edited many times since then) used by ashkenazi communities in France

enter image description here

2
  • Any relation to you?
    – Isaac Moses
    Mar 8, 2021 at 19:08
  • No. Many Jews from Alsace are called this way. And our family tree is quite narrow. His siddur was THE standard in French Ashkenazi communities, Artscroll before artscroll
    – mbloch
    Mar 9, 2021 at 4:35
3

In the book "Sefer Hayovel L'Avraham Berliner" (The Jubilee Book for Avraham Berliner), Moshe Shteren published the "memorbuch" (records) of the Viennese Jewish community "from before the expulsion"1. In it, among other things, there's a prayer for the royal family:

"האל-הים אשר ברא את השמים ואת הארץ וכל צבאם ואשר בירך את אבותינו אברהם יצחק ויעקב משה ואהרן דוד ושלמה וכל המלכים המבורכים הוא יברך את אדונינו המיוחס מאד הקיסר רומי המהולל לעפאלטוס וזוגתו הקסרית המהוללה אנא מריום אותם ואת זרעם ואת זרע זרעם ירום הודם וקרנם ויגדל כסא מלכותם ירום ונשא וגבה מאד וישמרהם ויחייהם מכל צרה וצוקה וידבר עמים תחתיהם ויפלו שונאיהם תחת כפות רגליהם ובכל אשר יפנו יצליחו ויתן להם אלו-הים לב טוב ונבון וחכם לעשות משפט וצדקה וחסד ורחמים ולהיות טובים ומטיבים לכל ויחייהם בבריאות גוף ונשמה לאורך ימים טובים וישכילו ויצליחו בכל דרכיהם ובכל מלחמותיהם אותם ואת זרעם ואת זרע זרעם וכל יועציהם וכל שרי צבאותיהם וכל חייליהם כל אחד ואחד בשמו ובימיו ובימינו יושע יהודא וישראל ובא לציון גואל ונאמר אמן."

Translation: May the God Who created the heavens and the earth and all of their army and Who blessed our forefathers Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, Moshe and Aharon, David and Shlomo, and all of the blessed kings, bless our lord, descended of great stock, the exalted Roman Emperor Lepoltus and his consort the exalted Empress Ana Marium2, them and all of their descendants and descendants' descendants, may they be exalted and elevated and may their throne be raised and exalted and elevated greatly and may He protect them and enliven them from any distress and hardship and may He subject nations beneath them and may their enemies fall beneath their feet and may they be successful in all they turn to do, and may God give them a good and wise heart to do law and justice and be charitable and merciful and be good and do good to all and may He enliven them in health of the body and the soul for long and good days and may they gain more wisdom and be successful in all of their ways and in all of their wars, they and their descendants and their descendants' descendants and all of their advisers and all of their generals and all of their soldiers, each and everyone in his name and his days and may He redeem in our days Yehudah and Yisrael and may the redeemer come to Tzion, Amen."

In Transactions of the Jewish Historical Society of England, vol. 4, Rabbi Simeon Singer brings in his essay "The Earliest Jewish Prayers For The Sovereign" a prayer written for King Charles II:

"A Prayer For The Prosperitie Of His Majestie: He that sends deliverance to Kings, and giveth Dominion to Princes, whose Kingdom and Dominion is everlasting: He that delivered David his servant from the Perillous sword, and he who made a way through the Red Sea, and Pathes through the River Jordan: He himself blesse, preserve, assist, make great, and more and more Exalt our Gracious Lord Charles the II. King and Protector of England, Scotland, France and Ireland. The King of Kings by his Merciful Benevolence preserve, vivifie, and deliver him from all trouble and danger. The King of Kings increase and highten the Star of his Constellation, to prolong his dayes over his glorious Kingdome. The King of Kings put it into his heart, and into the hearts of his Nobles and Princes to use benigne Clemencie towards Us, and to the Israel of God, our brethren under his dominion. – Amen."

In Miscellanies of the Jewish Historical Society of England, vol. 2, Rabbi Joseph Hertz brings a prayer for King George IV from 1826, which he defines as "unusual":

"האלה-ים אשר ברא את השמים ואת הארץ וכל צבאם ואשר ברך את אבותינו אברהם יצחק ויעקב משה ואהרן דוד ושלמה וכל המלכים המברכים הוא יברך אדונינו המיוחס מאד המלך דשארדש הרביעי וכל בית מלכותו הודו וקרנו יגדל כסא מלכותו ירום ונשא וגבה מאד וישמרהו ויחיהו מכל צרה וצוקה וידבר עמים תחתיו ויפל שונאיו תחת כפות רגליו ובכל אשר יפנה יצליח ויתן לו אלה-ים לב חכם ונבון לעשות משפט וצדקה חסד ורחמים ולהיות טוב ומטיב לכל ויחיהו בבריאת גוף לאורך ימים טובים וישכיל ויצליח בכל דרכיו ובכל מלכותו הוא וכל יועציו ואת כל שרי צבאותיו ואת כל חיליו כל אחד בשמו תברך בימיו ובימינו תושע יהודה וישראל ישכון לבטח ונאמר אמן."

"God – who created the heaven and the earth and all their host, and who blessed our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Moses and Aaron, David and Solomon and all the Kings who are blessed, – may He bless our Lord of noble lineage, KING GEORGE IV and all his royal house. May his glory and fame increase, may the throne of his kingdom be exalted and raised to great heights. May He guard him and preserve him in life from all sorrow and trouble. May He subdue nations beneath his sway and cause his enemies to fall beneath the sole of his feet, and in whatsoever he undertaketh may he prosper. May God give him a wise and understanding heart to do justice and righteousness, loving kindness and mercy, and to be good and beneficent to all. May He preserve him in life in health for length of happy days, and may he deal wisely and prosper in all his ways and in all his kingdom – he and his counsellors and the generals of his hosts and all his armies – may each one be blessed by His name. In his days and in ours may Judah be saved and Israel dwell securely and let us say, Amen."


1 I think this is a reference to the expulsion of the Viennese Jews by Emperor Leopold I.

2 I suspect this is Margaret Theresa, Leopold I's first wife, because she was related to a few noblewomen with names similar to "Ana Marium".

6
  • Very interesting! The "Maria Anna" part of this makes it hard to date. His mother by that name died before he became emperor. His sister by that name was married to King Phillip of Spain, also before he became emperor, so neither make sense, even with a broad definition of "consort". Leopold became emperor in 1658 and expelled the Jews from Vienna in 1669, so presumably it is from between those two dates.
    – Mike
    Mar 8, 2021 at 23:58
  • In this Schlesinger machzor you can find the prayer for Franz Joseph and his wife on pp. 193–194. May 7, 2021 at 7:44
  • Here's a Michael Sachs machzor from Breslau with a prayer for Wilhelm II (a notorious anti-Semite) and his wife on p. 188 May 7, 2021 at 8:03
  • Another Michael Sachs siddur from Prague containing a prayer for Franz Joseph and Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie on p. 241 May 7, 2021 at 8:06
  • @Kazibácsi Great sources! You should post them.
    – Harel13
    May 7, 2021 at 8:08
1

Several versions (including a British version mentioning Queen Victoria) can be found here.

This article discusses the prayer for the state when Europe was overrun by the Nazis ym”s.

4
  • Any suggestions on how I can get the Hebrew to go in its correct direction? I get Hebrew letters but in the wrong order.
    – DanF
    Jun 20, 2017 at 15:12
  • Any English version of either of these anywhere so I can understand this answer?
    – Gary
    Jun 21, 2017 at 1:06
  • @Gary The Queen Victoria one can be seen here: opensiddur.org/prayers-for/collective-welfare/government/… Jun 21, 2017 at 8:58
  • @AvrohomYitzchok - Thank you! It's SO tempting to hit the "this answer is not useful" button for every single answer on this forum that doesn't have an English translation, especially when it seems that the answer perfectly covers the question...I'm trying to learn as much as possible here, and non-English answers impede progess.
    – Gary
    Jun 22, 2017 at 0:00

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .