The following article appeared on the WCBSTV website today, and was written by Mark Rodriguez:
Have you ever wondered why our national anthem ends with a question — “Oh! say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave, O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?”
The truth is it doesn’t.
What most people know as “The Star-Spangled Banner” is actually just the first of four stanzas of the hymn.
“The Star-Spangled Banner” – A History
In 1931, Congress passed a law declaring the “Star-Spangled Banner” to be America’s national anthem. Yet it was written over a century earlier, in 1814, and originally called “The Defence of Fort McHenry.”
The inspiration for the hymn was one crucial battle in the War of 1812, that helped preserve American liberty.
America Declares War
With Britain and France locked in the Napoleanic Wars, the British Royal Navy faced a problem — there were British sailors abandoning the fleet, especially for the more lucrative service on American merchant ships. So the Royal Navy began to stop and board American ships, searching for British sailors. They also impressed American merchants, forcing them to serve on Royal Naval ships.
So the U.S. declared war on Great Britain.
The Capitol Under British Occupation
On August 24, 1814, the British took Washington, D. C., torching the city and the White House. Afterwards, the British moved up the Chesapeake Bay and headed to Baltimore, which was defended by the massive Fort McHenry and its 1,000 defenders.
On one of the British ships was William Beanes, an aged physician who was much loved in Maryland. He was taken prisoner, and a young lawyer named Francis Scott Key boarded the ship to try to get the doctor released.
The British captain agreed, but his release would have to wait, because the Royal Navy was about to attack the fort.
Oh! say, can you see…
If Fort McHenry fell, then Baltimore would have been defenseless and the British could have split America in two. If the British retreated, the American forces could rally and lock the British in Baltimore. Fort McHenry’s guns outranged those of the British guns, but victory was not certain.
Key and Beanes proudly hailed the American flag flying over the fort, at the twilight’s last gleaming.
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air…
Then British guns began firing. The ships also fired a new weapon: a rocket that burned red when launched. Although it was inaccurate, it did outrange the fort’s own guns.
The battle raged for 25 hours, and the “rockets’ red glare” from the exploding British rockets “gave proof through the night” to Key and Beanes “that our flag was still there,” waving over the fort.
By the morning, the guns fell silent. Key and Beans struggled to see the fort through the mist and smoke. The flag atop Fort McHenry would tell who won.
Either the Union Jack flew overhead, and the fort fell, and the country would be divided in half, or the bombardment failed, the British fleet turned back in retreat, and the red, white and blue was still flying over the fort.
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave…
Our flag was still there, on top of Fort McHenry. And as for “that band who so vauntingly swore, that the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion, a home and a country should leave us no more,” the Royal Navy was sailed away in retreat.
After this battle, Key wrote a poem to honor the American victory, both asking if the flag remained atop Fort McHenry, and answering his own question. These are his words:
“The Star-Spangled Banner”
Oh! say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro’ the night that our flag was still there.
Oh! say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
On the shore, dimly seen thro’ the mist of the deep,
Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep.
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream
‘Tis the star-spangled banner. Oh! long may it wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footstep’s pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war’s desolation,
Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the Heav’n – rescued land
Praise the Pow’r that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, for our cause is just,
And this be our motto–“In God is our trust.”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
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24 Responses
G-d bless America!
Great article. When I went to school in the late 50’s and early 60’s, the Yeshiva I attended had the classes say the Pledge of Allegience and sing the 1st stanza of the National Anthem.
just a reminder, don’t forget this is galus! this is where our true love is supposed to be. and nebach to #2. wonder what kind od a yeshiva you went too, could someone please explain me how you learn with a national anthem. do you think rav noshe, the steipler,sang the national anthem before learning?????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Very interesting! I can see why the second and third verses were left out – they don’t speak very nicely about the Britsh, who are now our allies. The fourth verse would go very well together with the first, except that many people would probably object to the religious references.
Still, from now on I can take some secret personal pleasure whenever I hear the first verse, in knowing that G-d is the answer to the question! (Of course I already knew it. I mean that they knew it too!)
As for posts 2 and 3, the Steipler did not run a yeshiva in America in 1950. I guess some of the Yeshivas that there were (few choices no doubt) were like that. That should not reflect at all on the student that went there, who could just as well be a Choseve Zoken or Rov! Times change, and what we think of as strange now, may have been the accepted norm back then.
When I was a young boy, the camp I went to had a ceremony every day (not on Shabbos) where they raised the flag and sang the pledge (and another one to fold it up at the end of the day.) Today, not only would I never go or send my children to such a camp, but in fact that same camp is still around, and does not do that anymore either. I don’t look back and say ‘Nebach’. That’s just the way it was.
It is a great thing when children are frummer than their parents, or adults are frummer than when they were younger. Not only is there always room for growth and improvement in Torah Observance, but as the mishna in Avos says, if you are not growing, you are losing. You shouldn’t just say ‘good enough’ and stay status quo.
Now I feel a wave of patriotic warmth running through me. 🙂
#3 Don’t be afraid, recite standing with hand over heart:
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stand one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all.
Reply to #2 it was before limudei chol.
We should never forget we are in golus, but we live in a malchus shel chessed. Instead of spending time on the internet, spend some time with a frum Russian immigrant who lived under Communism. I have
A yeshiva that taught spelling?
#3…. For the record, just about every American Gadol, Rosh Yeshiva, Rov, etc, (with the possible/probable exception of the Chassidishe Rabbonim/Rebbes) who went to elementary school in the US prior to the 70’s said the Pledge of Allegiance and sang the Star Spangled Banner at every school assembly. In many cases the Pledge of Allegiance was recited every day in the classroom). That includes Rav Dovid Feinstein, Rav Ahron Schechter, the Novominsker Rebbe, Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch (Slabodka), Rave Meir Stern (Passaic), Rav Davidowitz (Rochester), Rav Henoch Liebowitz Z’tzl, Yibodel L’Cham Rav Hillel David, Rav Dovid Cohen, Rav Yonasan David, Rav Feivel Cohen, Rav Shmuel Kaminetzky, etc, and list goes on and on.
I don’t think they turned out so bad – do you?
Oh my… I have forgot to include Rav Pam, Z’tzl. But then he took college classes in Columbia University at the request of his Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Mendelovitz so he probably wouldn’t count in your eyes.
G-D Bless the great medina shel chessed The United States of America. and to poster 3, I could go on and about the stupidity of your comment but suffice it to say that the steipeler and R Moshe Certainly had hakoras Hatov. Keep that in mind. obviously everyone knows we’re in galus.
I’m sorry. I never bother doing this (comment) but #3’s comments really irk me so I guess you’ll have to put up with three in a row today.
“Don’t forget this is galus! this is where our true love is supposed to be.”
True, we are in Galus but there is something called Hakaras HaTov and nobody can deny that America has been wonderful to us. Look at the way we are treated all over the world (including, unfortunately E”Y) and perhaps you’ll begin to appreciate the United States.
What about the fact that R’ Zelig Epstein got a masters in chemistry??
If we rationalizing singing the national anthem because of hakoras hatov is there much less hakoras hatov to the israeli government?
spitting in their face and calling them names could be considered kafuy tov.
without israel how many tens of thousands of jews would have been left in europe before and after the war with nowhere to go. also to in israel you do not have to pay $10,000 plus for tuiton even if you do not provide secular studies, the government provides money. the amount of torah in israel now is staggering,without the government would there so much? (not to say they are tzaddikim, but at least not worse than the U.S.)
#12 sammygol nailed it exactly.
I would have responded similiarly if #3’s comment didn’t seem to me like such a blatant attempt to provoke outrage.
Bravo #15. It’s about time someone stood up to all of the naysayers about the Israeli government. You’re absolutely correct, as are the other posters – other than #3. I am the child of Holocaust survivors. My parents, their surviving siblings and my surviving grandfather had two choices of where to live after the war, the USA or Israel. We have hakaros hatov to both countries and express it by pledging allegiance to the flag, singing the national anthem and (gasp!) singing hatikvah at certain events. I grew up in Chicago in the 50’s and 60’s (yes, there was yiddishkeit outside of New York even then)and learned in a day school where it was common practice to pledge allegiance to the flag, sing the national anthem and sing hatikvah. It was the responsibility of the captain of the student patrol and sergeant-at-arms of the student council to raise the American flag on the flagpole outside of the school in the morning and to lower it before going home. At all school assemblies the American flag and the Magen David flag were placed in flagpoles on the stage. This was only a small gesture of expressing gratitude to Hashem’s messengers who took in the shearis hapleitah after WW II and allowed them to rebuild their lives and raise yiddishe families without any interference. The singing of the hatikvah was also an expression of gratitude to Hashem for giving the survivors a place for hope (no pun intended)to raise a new dor and a place of pride. A place where a Jew could walk around with his head held high and not bowed. That’s why we sang hatikvah and still continue to do so. I dare say that most of our people who sing the national anthem or hatikvah don’t know the lyrics and frankly couldn’t care less what the lyrics are because it’s not about the lyrics, it’s about the act of expressing gratitude. G-d bless America and G-d bless Medinat Yisrael.
yitzyk – You wrote very well. Thank you
As far as the others, in general I’m concerned that many of you have become too attached to America. Yes, there certainly needs to be Hakores HaTov for the good things that America has done for us. Non-the-less, there are limitations to the extent of attachment we should have towards America.
Remember, before the Holocaust, German Jews were so attached to Germany that there developed an expression, “Be a Jew in the home, and a Mentch (ie. German) on the street!”
Whoa is the shame of those Jews that attached themselves to Germany like that.
“G-d Bless America!” you say?! And what will you say if similar catastrophes happen in America as well. Keep in mind, the American government purposely avoided bombing the railroad tracks that brought Jews to the concentration camps (this is documented). They also limited the amount of Jewish refugees allowed in at the time even though they perfectly knew what was going on.
As Reb Moshe, ztl said in one of his psaking, “don’t fool yourself to think that it can’t happen here (America).”
Last point, 4/5th of Klal Yisroel never left Mitzrayim due to their attachment to the country.
If you are in America, be loyal, but not attached.
Thinking #15 – Take the chip of your shoulder! In short, if we would have had a Jewish government (ie. religious) in Israel the level of Avodas Hashem would have been a million times greater and Moshiach would probably been here already. Don’t fool yourself and kiss up to this anti-Jewish government. Learn your history! You know nothing about the atrocities that our own non-religious brothers have caused. (There is not enough room here to go into it)
In short – TAKE THE CHIP OFF YOUR SHOULDER!!!!
To #15: I don’t think one owe’s hakoras hatov to a group of kofrim and rotzchim whose idealisms and goals virtually all of the gedolim of previous generations were vehemently opposed to. The gedolim of their generations did indeed refer to them as such (kofrim and rotzchim). I don’t think most would’ve spit in their faces though, as they considered them “choshud al retzicha”. If they did something that was against daas torah, I don’t think they deserve a pat on the back, even though we derived great benefit from their actions. Maybe we should thank Mitzrayim for putting us in a position to be ready for kabolas hatorah. Or Haman- without him we wouldn’t have Purim…
The United States on the other hand has been called a malchus shel chesed by many of our gedolim, and thus deserves our hakoras hatov.
Our leaders (torah leaders) did not use those harsh terms regarding the U.S. government. Nor did they refer to the State of Israel as a Malchus shel Chessed, so yes, in at least some ways Israel is unfortunately worse than the U.S. who are not Jews, and held to a different standard.
Additionally, many of the organizations, agencies and activists who later joined to found the state of Israel were not very helpful (to say the least) in saving their Torah-true brothers from the furnaces of Europe.
So I don’t know how much hakoras hatov they deserve for their existence, or for the amount of Jews who did manage to escape to Eretz Yisroel before and during the war.
We should give credit however, where credit is due, and they do deserve our appreciation for their generous hand toward Yeshivos, and for the other things they do which are consistent with the Torah.
yeruchem/19 – Thank you, and very well said.
I honestly will make an attempt to read “While Six Million Died” when I get a chance. In the meantime, I refer you to “Perfidy” by Ben Hecht, a book which I found very enlightening, and about which R’ Avigdor Miller ZT”L said “Every word in it is true”.
I hope you understand from my last paragraph that I try to avoid the common practice (specifically in blogs) of close-minded biased rhetoric. I do, however, try to hold on to the timeless words of our Gedolim (both past and present), which I consider more than just history.
If you follow a Mesorah from Daas Torah which is opposed to the ideas I was conveying, kol hakovod! (Notice that I wrote “VIRTUALLY all of the gedolim of previous generations…”)
I was simply defending the legitimate theocracy of those who are opposed to the modern form of Jewish Nationalism/Zionism, and answering someone’s question.
Nothing personal
since when is this our national anthem i think that we are getting a little bit too comfortable here in galus \. To#1 g-d bless america? what about eretz yisrael i think its about time you get your priorities straight
to # 8 do you know for sure these gedolim said it, or are u just mentioning gedolim from that era? and i dont give a hoot if this is a medina shel chesed, we dont assemble with them, just say thanx!!!!!!! submitted by #3
Beveryhappy:
One more thing… Nobody said anything about assembling “with” them. Last I checked the Pledge of Allegiance can be recited and the Star Spangled Banner could be sung with anyone you want (or don’t want as may be the case).
#23, Eretz Yisroel (not medinat yisroel) has Hashems blessings and may it continue! Nevertheless it is appropriate to thank your host country (i.e. the USA) and offer it blessings to it and its benevolent government, as our Gedolim have done time immemorial.
May G-d Bless America and its President!
Beveryhappy:
The comment I posted prior to comment #25 was deemed to controversial by the moderator and was not posted so I will try to keep my soap-boxing to a minimum and merely answer your question.
Yes I do know it for a fact, having heard it from the person himself, his family members or his classmates.