Serious Semite: God Save the King

The late Rabbi Lord [Sir] Jonathan Sacks used to tell a joke about when he visited Buckingham Palace to receive his knighthood. British protocol dictated that he should bend one knee when the Queen taps each shoulder with a ceremonial sword, and says “arise, Sir Jonathan.” Since Torah protocol forbids bowing before any person, the palace arranged a small stepladder so that the Queen could step up to a slightly higher level and Rabbi Sacks wouldn’t have to bow. Just before she climbed the steps, the Queen turned to a senior courtier and asked “Why is this knight different from all other knights?”

The passing of Queen Elizabeth II has made a tremendous impact, on a personal and national level, and marks a seismic shift for both the people of Great Britain and residents of the British Commonwealth. While nobody expected a 96-year-old woman to live forever, there is no one in Britain who is unaffected by her passing. Postage stamps will change to show King Charles’ image, along with paper currency and coinage in several other countries including Australia, Canada, New Zealand and elsewhere. Senior barristers known as QCs, or Queens Counsel, have now become KCs, or Kings Counsel. British Jews say a prayer for the monarch on Shabbat mornings, which means that new siddurim (prayer books) will be modified, along with the popular wall plaques that show the Hebrew tribute to “Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.”

Even while writing this I have had to correct myself for typing “Prince Charles” rather than “King Charles,” and feel emotion welling up every time I speak the latter. We are fortunate in that he is a great friend to the Jewish community. When King Charles spoke at a dinner for Rabbi Sacks in 2013 to recognize his winning of the prestigious Templeton prize, he noted that they were both born in 1948, which coincided with the birth of the State of Israel. “I realize we have now reached the official age of retirement,” said Prince Charles “But I do hope yours is going to be a bit more realistic than mine.”

So, then, how does a British Jew mourn the passing of their monarch? King Charles has called for the current ten days of national mourning to be followed by the State Funeral, after which the family will maintain a further seven days of private mourning. It sounds strangely close to shiva, the seven days of Jewish mourning, perhaps inspired by Charles’ close friendship with the late Rabbi Sacks.

This is the month of Elul, the lead up to Rosh Hashanah, when the concept of malchut, or kingship, is in force. The rabbis teach that this is a month when God is more accessible to us, as if the king is walking in the fields among the people. Kabbalah teaches that malchut is a quality that does not have any power on its own, but receives power from the other sefirot, or spiritual energies. King Charles is aware that the British monarchy can only survive with the support of the people, and now is a time to increase contact with the public. Last Friday, despite being in deep mourning, King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla walked among members of the public near Buckingham Palace. The king was almost literally walking in the fields.

For 70 years the queen served the people, and while she experienced difficulties like every human being, she worked until two days before her death. The final duty was to appoint the 15th Prime Minister of her reign. Her first was Winston Churchill, and the last was our newly appointed Prime Minister Elizabeth Truss. The Sun newspaper’s headline featured a photo of them shaking hands, and a speech bubble from both of them that wrote “Hello Liz.”

We may not all have titles, but we all have the opportunity for greatness and to conduct our lives with nobility. The Jewish New Year approaches, and with it a chance to reflect on how we can live to our full potential. This is a moment to take inspiration from an inspiring leader. The queen is dead. Long live the king.

Marcus J Freed is an actor, writer, educator and royalist. www.marcusjfreed.com and on social @marcusjfreed