Prayer <strike>for</strike> about the Royal Family

[lethargic_man]

Last Shabbos I was gabbai in Assif, and couldn't resist, at the point where United Synagogue shuls read the Prayer for the Royal Family, interjecting:

A Prayer about the Royal Family

Mortal king decays and descends to the grave,
Weary and restless; how long shall this one reign?
Mortal king is overcome by deep slumber,
Struck by things of naught; how long shall this one reign?

But the King Most High—
He is the faithful Judge, whose actions are true,
Ever proving kind, rich in mercy and truth,
His path is endless truth and his seal is truth,
He shall reign supreme forever and ever.

Or at least, that's what it says in the Rosh Hashana liturgy. *ahem* Prayer for the Government...

Well, it's the Ten Days of Repentance; I've got to have something to repent for...

Comments

Re: stuff I learned from margavriel

[lethargic-man.livejournal.com]

So, to start with you can find the full piyyut here, on p 228. Pretty strong stuff!

I think you somewhat overestimate my level of Hebrew!

Anyway, you know how ונתנה תוקף was inserted into the liturgy relatively late?

No, I didn't know that. (What do you mean by relatively late?)

This piece about the poor king used to be in that spot,

Well, just beforehand according to your link above. (The point being that the inclusion of ונתנה תוקף after the lineובכן לך תעלה קדושה is significant to the story that accompanies it.)

along with a depressing piyyut about how Adam couldn't even keep one commandment, so what hope do we have of 613. Plus a more upbeat one where God sits on the Throne of Judgement and all the angels agree that man deserves destruction, but God gets up and moves to the Throne of Mercy and pardons everyone anyway. Apparently all this was considered too uncomfortable for people suffering persecution, and probably too political as it could easily be read as critical of the authorities. Cool, ne?

How did you learn all this?

Re: stuff I learned from margavriel

[liv]

(What do you mean by relatively late?)
Eh, 12^th or 13^th century, I think? I thought everybody knew the legend about what's-his-name composing it / receiving it as direct inspiration when he was on his way to be martyred. If you don't, I should look up the details for you.

How did you learn all this?
I thought I said, hatam_soferet's boyfriend margavriel taught it to me. If you didn't know, he's doing a PhD on the literature of piyyutim, so he really knows this stuff.

Re: stuff I learned from margavriel

[lethargic-man.livejournal.com]

I thought everybody knew the legend about what's-his-name composing it / receiving it as direct inspiration when he was on his way to be martyred. If you don't, I should look up the details for you.

Of course I did; that's the significance of it being inserted after ובכן לך תעלה קדושה, because that's when R. Amnon realised he was about to die. (As for everyone knowing it, aviva_m didn't, which surprised me. That's what you get for using a machzor with no commentary, I suppose. She's now a bit upset because ונתנה תוקף is tainted for her by this horrible story; it's the idea of her previously not having had the association that is strange for me.)

I thought I said, hatam_soferet's boyfriend margavriel taught it to me.

You said he taught you the piyut מלך אביון; I didn't realise he taught you all this extra stuff too.

If you didn't know, he's doing a PhD on the literature of piyyutim, so he really knows this stuff.

No, I didn't know that.