with king charles iii’s coronation, a special event is preceeding it. the eternal sabbath queen is being honored. with the coronation on the sabbath, king charles had accommodated his nation’s rabbi stay with a stay at the royal house. this sleeping arrangement will allow chief rabbi ephraim mirvis to both observe the sabbath as well as attend the royal event. jta.org
the united kingdom, in recent years, has produced an important rabbinic legacy. prior to rabbi mirvis, rabbi sacks held the position. with rabbi sacks, the uk had a recognized world-wide scholar and religious leader. rabbisacks.org
thus, this event is worthy of two comments.
this coronation connects the real word royalty with the spiritual world royalty. in jewish tradition, the sabbath bride or queen makes her weekly appearance on friday night. the sabbath lecha dodi prayer evokes the notion of the coming presence of royalty. commoners experience their weekly personal connection royalty. witnessing the pomp and circumstance of a human coronation offers a taste as to how fortunate that we are to have a weekly opportunity to connect with royalty. while lecha dodi’s words have been sung across the entire world, many communities do so employing different melodies. one of my favorites comes from uganda.
this moment offers a notion of the value of clergy. while traveling abroad, while staying at the irish college in rome, i was assisted by a kind priest while i was ill. his kindness and wisdom left me with a positive lifelong impression. king charles iii likely understands that clergy, of all sorts, can be a wealth of wisdom and insight in both good and troubling times. his act of accommodation should serve as a reminder that we all need to have a rabbi a priest or someone who can offer advice when needed.
be well!!
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