by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for Five Towns Jewish Home
It is in Netanyahu’s latest memoir and those who read it had no inkling as to what Netanyahu was referring to. Now, Michael Oren, Israel’s former ambassador to the United States has revealed it. And if it was true, and the former president was not joking – then Obama’s halachic status may have changed – that is – in terms of brachos.
The Shulchan Aruch (OC 324:8) rules that on Jewish kings one recites the blessing, Boruch atta Hashem, elokainu melech ha’olam – sh’chalak mikvodo lirayav. On kings of the nations of the world one recites the blessing, “boruch sh’nasan mikvodo l’basar vadam.” This is based upon a passage in Brachos 58a. The blessing, it seems, is recited with Shaim uMalchus – mentioning the Name of G-d as well as mentioning His Kingship over the world.
ARE PRESIDENTS LIKE KINGS?
Rav Ovadia Yosef zt”l ruled (Yechave Daas 2:28) that the blessing is recited as long as the person in charge can either execute or pardon someone from execution. He cites the Radvaz (Vol. I #296) as well as the Orchos Chaim (Hilchos Brachos Siman 49) to this effect.
Rav Dovid Yosef Shlita in his Halacha Brurah (Vol. XI page 306) writes that one recites the blessing with Shaim UMalchus even on a democratically elected leader of a limited term. This is true only as long as his pardoning cannot be overruled.
What about a President who doesn’t wear royal clothing? Rav Ovadia Yosef zt”l in his Yabia Omer 8:22:25) writes that when the President Richard Nixon flew to Israel the blessing was recited without Shaim u’Malchus. It seems, however, that this concept has evolved a bit, taking into account that in Western countries, kings and leaders just don’t wear royal clothing anymore. Thus, Rav Dovid Yosef rules that even if the king is not wearing specialized clothing but is wearing respectable clothing and is surrounded by other significant people, then a blessing is made with Shaim uMalchus.
Rav Vosner is Shaivet haLevi I #35 rules that shaim uMalcus is recited on the president. The Debreciner Rav ruled (Be’er Moshe Vol. II #9) that shaim uMalchus is not recited. Rav Moshe Shternbuch (Teshuvos V’hanhagos Vol. II #139 rules that the temporary nature of the presidency is what would disqualify it from the shaim uMalchus aspect of the blessing.
And now to Oren’s revelation. He claims that President Obama threatened Netanyahu with death if he didn’t listen to him and did so with a hand signal. The president asked the Prime Minister, “Do you know what I do with people who disagree with me?” He then gave the slit the throat sign. This author believes that President Obama was joking and that Prime Minister Netanyahu just didn’t get his attempt at humor. Mr. Oren believes that it was serious.
Now if Mr. Oren and the Prime Minister are correct – then the bracha would be recited with Shaim uMalchus. Press link below to see Oren Video
Any opinions out there?
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6 Responses
Hmm. There’s talk about the recent strange death of Obama’s personal chef, who is known to have been writing a biography about him – that maybe he knew too much about the Obamas’ personal life. There is, for instance the issue that Obama referred to Michelle many times in public as ‘Michael’ and that ‘she’ might not be so. (This was journalized in the past under the subject of ‘Big Mike’.)
With all due respect, you’re wrong. Even if 0bama seriously threatened to kill Netanyahu, that would not give him the power of life and death. If he was serious, he still had no such power, and was merely acting as a common criminal. If he had carried out his threat, and was subsequently caught, he would have been charged with murder and subject to potential execution himself. A “melech”, in the classical halachic sense, is someone who has the LEGAL POWER to execute or pardon, not the PHYSICAL power to do so; otherwise every mafia godfather would be a “melech”!!!!
In any case, it seems to me that that whole definition does not apply in Western countries, and certainly not in English-speaking countries, because in the European tradition, and certainly in the English tradition, kings NEVER had such a power, even when there was no question that they were kings. Could anyone imagine paskening that Elizabeth I was not a “malka”, and did not get the full bracha?! And yet she did not have the power to condemn people on her word alone. No English monarch has ever had such a power, and the thought of giving them such a power is completely alien to the whole English concept of kingdom.
The gemara is talking only about a culture where kings DO have such a power, so anyone who doesn’t is not a real king.
Likewise, in my opinion a president of a republic can NEVER be a “melech”, no matter what powers he is given. Even if a republican president is given the power of life and death, he would still not be a king, because the whole point of a republic is to reject the entire concept of kings. Remember the brocha is NOT about power but about KOVOD. It’s not “shenosan MIKOCHO levosor vodom”. A president, no matter how powerful, is just a public servant, the same as a janitor at a Post Office. He is employed for a certain time to do a certain job that needs doing, and then like Cincinnatus he goes back to his plow. That is the very opposite of “shenosan MICHVODO levosor vodom”.
Is Rabbi Hoffman serious? Or is he joking and we just don’t get it?
If Obama threatened to kill someone, and even if he had someone killed (there were many unexplained “accidents” resulting in the deaths of many Obama people during his presidency), it is not because he has the authority to do so. It is because he is a murderer who knows he can get away with it. So what are you talking about?!
MODERATOR: Rabbi Hoffman responds that Rav Ovadia Yoseph and others hold that it is with shaim uMalchus even if it is just for the power to pardon.
Interesting, I have no doubt that Obama would do Bibi in…..never slipped my mind…..however the political deaths we have been riding on can now be explained, the Lapid, the rest of the filth that walks Israel’s streets….the criminal theft of their hands in our pockets well another story..Obama is part of LGBTQ without doubt and the whole gambit from Hillary’s loss and Obamas murdereous rant even today is a horror, Hashem has a plan , he needs all of their energy to create a big bang again, nice doesn’t lay waste a horrid world but giving more evil to the evil will surely explode or IMPLODE as what I sense is the end of times….ask the Titanic
WADR to ROY, he was an Israeli, and like most Israelis he had little understanding of Western liberal democratic values, and especially those of the USA. To call a US president a “king” or to treat him as one is fundamentally unAmerican. It contradicts the whole idea of the American republic.
For the same reason I deeply object to saying the prayer הנותן תשועה למלכים for the US president. Really one should not pray for the president at all, but rather for the Republic. But if one feels the need to pray for the president of the day, one should use a republican nusach that emphasizes the job itself and not the person who is currently hired to do it.