We’re fairly well familiar with the formula of most prayers for the sovereign, king or queen, Tsar or Kaiser, which begin with the phrase “Hanoten Teshuah.” We tend to think that Hanoten Teshuah was the universal formula for these prayers but that’s probably the result of the popular dissemination of that version via printing; the earliest Hanoten Teshuah prayers being attested in the mid-16th century, and then famously, in the letter sent by Menasseh ben Israel to Oliver Cromwell in 1655 as part of the petition for Jews to once again be allowed to dwell in England. This prayer, for the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I and his wife Margaret, offers a different formula of the prayer for the sovereign. It was likely first written in 1658 when Leopold took the throne and appended with Margaret’s name upon their marriage in 1666.
| Source (Hebrew) | Translation (English) |
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הָאֱלֹהִים
אֲשֶׁר בָרָא אֶת הַשָׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ וְכׇל צְבָאָם וַאֲשֶׁר בֵרַךְ אֶת אֲבוֹתֵינוּ אַבְרָהַם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב מֹשֶה וְאַהֲרֹן דָוִד וּשְׁלֹמֹה וְכׇל הַמְבוּרָכִים הוּא יְבָרֵךְ אֲדוֹנֵנוּ הַמְיוּחָס מְאֹד הַקֵיסֵר רוֹמִי הַמְהוּלָל לעפלטוס אוֹתוֹ וְאֶת אִשְׁתוֹ מַרגרֶעטה וְאֶת כׇל אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם יָרוּם הוֹדוֹ וְקַרְנוֹ |
ELOHIM
who created Heaven and Earth and all their multitudes[1] Cf. Genesis 2:1. and who blessed our ancestors Avraham, Yitsḥaq, and Yaaqov Mosheh and Aharon David and Shlomo and all those blessed ones [may (Elohim)] bless our highly distinguished lord the illustrious Roman Emperor, Leopoltus [Ⅰ],[2] Leopold Ⅰ (Leopold Ignaz Joseph Balthasar Franz Felician; Hungarian: I. Lipót; 1640–1705), was Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia, reigning from 18 July 1658 – 5 May 1705. he and his wife, Margareta,[3] Margaret Theresa of Spain (Spanish: Margarita Teresa, German: Margarete Theresia; 12 July 1651 – 12 March 1673) was, by marriage to Leopold Ⅰ, Holy Roman Empress, German Queen, Archduchess of Austria and Queen of Hungary and Bohemia. She was the daughter of King Philip IV of Spain and the elder full-sister of Charles II, the last of the Spanish Habsburgs. and all that is theirs; may his majesty and eminence be exalted. |
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יִגְדַל כִסֵא מַלְכוּתוֹ יָרוּם מְאֹד
וְנִשָׂא וְּגָבַה מְאֹד וִיְחַיֵיהוּ וְיִשְׁמְרֵהוּ מִכׇל צָרָה וְצוּקָה וְיַדְבֵר עַמִים תַחְתָיו וְיִפְלוּ שׂוֹנְאָיו תָחַת כַפוֹת רַגְלָיו וּבְכֹל אֲשֶׁר יִפְנֶה יַצְלִיחַ |
May his kingdom’s throne be greatly exalted
and be born aloft to great heights[4] Isaiah 52:13. and sustained and preserved from all manner of sorrow and distress,[5] Isaiah 30:6, Proverbs 1:27. and may nations submit under his decree,[6] Psalms 18:48, Psalms 47:4. and may those who hate him be trampled beneath him,[7] Cf. 1 Kings 5:17. and may he succeed at whatever he attends to.[8] Cf. 1 Kings 2:3, Proverbs 17:8, and 1 Samuel 14:48. |
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וְיִתֵן לוֹ אֱלֹהִים לֵב חָכָם וְנָבוֹן
לַעֲשׂוֹת מִשְׁפָט וּצְדָקָה חֶסֶד וְרַחֲמִים וְלִהֲיוֹת טוֹב וּמֵטִיב לַכֹּל וִיְחַיֵיהוּ בִבְרִיאַת גוּף וּנְשָׁמָה לְאֹרֶךְ יָמִים טוֹבִים |
And may Elohim grant him a wise and prudent mind[9] 1 Kings 3:12.
to manifest justice and righteousness,[10] 1 Kings 10:9, 2 Chronicles 9:8. kindness and compassion[11] Cf. Zechariah 7:9, also find Psalms 103:4. and to be beneficent and benevolent to all[12] Cf. Psalms 119:68, also find Psalms 145:9. and invigorate him with physical and mental wellness for a good long life. |
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וְיַשְׂכִיל וִיַצְלִיחַ בְכׇל דְרָכָיו
וּבְכׇל מִלְחֲמוֹתָיו הוּא וְזַרְעוֹ וְזֶרַע זַרְעוֹ וְכׇל יוֹעֲצֵיהֶם וְכׇל שָׂרֵי צִבְאוֹתֵיהֶם וְכׇל חֲיָילֵיהֶם כׇל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד בִשְׁמוֹ |
And (may he) succeed and prosper in all his ways,[13] Cf. 1 Samuel 18:4, find also Joshua 1:8.
and in all his battles – he and his scions and his descendants[14] i.e., his royal house and lineage. and all their advisors and all the commanders of their armies and all of their soldiers – may every single one of them (succeed and prosper) in his name. |
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וּבְיָמָיו וּבְיָמֵינוּ
תִוָשַׁע יְהוּדָה וְיִשְׂרָאֵל יִשְׁכוֹן לָבֶטַח וּבָא לְצִיוֹן גוֹאֵל וְכֵן יִהִי רָצוֹן וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן׃ |
This is a 17th century prayer for the Holy Roman Emperor found in Ms. 110 (Jewish Museum in Prague, Czech Republic). The English translation here was prepared by Aharon Varady with citations and additional suggestions by Jacob Chatinover.
Source
Prayer for Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I – Ms. 110 (Jewish Museum in Prague, Czech Republic) p. 9
Notes
| 1 | Cf. Genesis 2:1. |
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| 2 | Leopold Ⅰ (Leopold Ignaz Joseph Balthasar Franz Felician; Hungarian: I. Lipót; 1640–1705), was Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia, reigning from 18 July 1658 – 5 May 1705. |
| 3 | Margaret Theresa of Spain (Spanish: Margarita Teresa, German: Margarete Theresia; 12 July 1651 – 12 March 1673) was, by marriage to Leopold Ⅰ, Holy Roman Empress, German Queen, Archduchess of Austria and Queen of Hungary and Bohemia. She was the daughter of King Philip IV of Spain and the elder full-sister of Charles II, the last of the Spanish Habsburgs. |
| 4 | Isaiah 52:13. |
| 5 | Isaiah 30:6, Proverbs 1:27. |
| 6 | Psalms 18:48, Psalms 47:4. |
| 7 | Cf. 1 Kings 5:17. |
| 8 | Cf. 1 Kings 2:3, Proverbs 17:8, and 1 Samuel 14:48. |
| 9 | 1 Kings 3:12. |
| 10 | 1 Kings 10:9, 2 Chronicles 9:8. |
| 11 | Cf. Zechariah 7:9, also find Psalms 103:4. |
| 12 | Cf. Psalms 119:68, also find Psalms 145:9. |
| 13 | Cf. 1 Samuel 18:4, find also Joshua 1:8. |
| 14 | i.e., his royal house and lineage. |
| 15 | Cf. Jeremiah 23:6 and Jeremiah 33:16. |
| 16 | Isaiah 59:20. |
