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Jan 4, 2021
Interesting Psak: saying a bracha upon seeing the King of Morocco
The news is reporting the PM Benjamin Netanyahu is working on a big elections surprise.
As an aside, I love how they say this will be a surprise while they are announcing it in advance. And How they talk about secrets trips to foreign countries with secret meetings with foreign leaders while they are publicizing it.
The big election surprise is going to be, possibly, the King of Morocco paying a visit to Israel, to Al Aksa, and to meet with PM Netanyahu. The visit has not quite been scheduled yet, but the invitation has been extended, and according to the new reports Netanyahu and his people are hoping it will happen before the elections and work in his favor.
The big election surprise is going to be, possibly, the King of Morocco paying a visit to Israel, to Al Aksa, and to meet with PM Netanyahu. The visit has not quite been scheduled yet, but the invitation has been extended, and according to the new reports Netanyahu and his people are hoping it will happen before the elections and work in his favor.
I wonder if this will draw away some of the voters from Shas to Likud, as the Sefardi voters
Perhaps the more interesting part of this story is the halachic aspect of it.
Chief Rabbi Rav Yitzchak Yosef has issued a psak, based on this rumor of a possible surprise visit by the King of Morocco, that one who sees him should NOT say the bracha said upon seeing a king.
Rav Yosef explained that even though the bracha would be made upon seeing a king who has the authority to order a death sentence or to issue a pardon for someone on death row, and the King of Morocco has this authority, you still would not say it upon seeing this king.
Rav Yosef explained that the King of Morocco does not wear the traditional royal garments of a king but wears a suit and tie. The bracha is only said upon seeing a king wearing his royal garments - suit and tie are not considered royal garments.
Rav Yosef adds that one would be able to say the bracha without using the full text with the name of Hashem. I guess that would be a way of showing respect to the king without actually making a bracha.
source: Hamechadesh
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Interesting. I seem to recall that when we signed the peace treaty with Jordan that there was a psak that one COULD say the bracha on King Hussein, even thought he also dressed in normal garb.
ReplyDeletesee Michael's comment below
DeleteInteresting, heard a shiur on this topic (saying a Bracha for a king) from Rav Lau last Shabbat (outside).
ReplyDeleteHe talked about the big event at Yad Vashem last year when there were many foreign dignitaries, including several kings, and of course Putin. At the time he did make a Bracha wth Shem Malchut.
He has also made a bracha when seeing King Hussein when he visited Israel 20 years ago.
He talked about 2 criteria to make a bracha:
1. Does the king have the power of life and death (he argued that many heads of government have this power, for example to order a special operation to take out a foreign terrorist)
2. Does the king have the title "king" i.e., have "blue blood' and all the pomp and ceremony associated with a king
In the modern world, normally these criteria do not overlap, e.g, in England the queen has the title of queen and the Kavod of queen, but cannot declare war, on the other hand, the governor of Texas can pardon someone on death row, so he has the power of life and death (not sure if a death warrant requires his signature)
Rav Lau mentioned the opinion that the king must be in his royal garb, but implied that was not brought down as Halacha, especially today when kings very seldom where a crown or royal robes
interesting. thanks
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