“Should Canadian Jews still be reciting the prayer for the government?” is a provocative opinion piece in the Toronto Sun by Jonathan L. Milevsky, a Toronto-based teacher and author.
In short, Dr Milevsky recently met Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis,
chief Rabbi of the UK, and asked him whether Canadian Jews should still recite
a prayer for the current Canadian government, given its inaction while
synagogues are being vandalized, Jewish schools and institutions targeted and
harassed, with Jews no longer feeling safe even in Jewish neighborhoods. As
Rabbi Mirvis reminded him, at Avot 3:2 Rabbi Chanina segan HaKohanim teaches:
הֱוֵי
מִתְפַּלֵּל בִּשְׁלוֹמָהּ שֶׁל מַלְכוּת, שֶׁאִלְמָלֵא מוֹרָאָהּ, אִישׁ אֶת
רֵעֵֽהוּ חַיִּים בְּלָעוֹ
Pray for the integrity of the
government for, if it were not for the fear of its authority, a man would
swallow his neighbour alive.
Dr Milevsky goes on to question whether this applies to
Canada today:
“Rabbi Mirvis did not mention the
first source for the prayer, which is the prophet Jeremiah’s letter to the
Babylonians, as recorded in Jeremiah chapter 29. In this letter, Jeremiah
instructs the Jews to seek the welfare of Babylon, the city of their captors.
In Canada, like so many other
democratic countries, Jews have had very little reason to reconsider this
ancient practice. If Jews said a prayer for the Czar, as my late 19th century
prayer book indicates, certainly they should do so for a democratic country
such as Canada. Several generations of Canadian Jews speak so proudly of their
heritage … [b]ut Jews are not being treated as they use to be. And the
government is not what it used to be either.
…Rabbi Mirvis referred to the
basis for both these sources, an almost Hobbesian social contract, in which we
hand over our rights to the government in return for protection. But the
argument to stop the prayer is that this government no longer meets the
criteria for the prayer. The reasons are as follows:
The passage in Jeremiah, which
serves as our first source, makes it clear that the benefit of seeking the
city’s welfare is ultimately the safety of Jews – the words are, “for in its
welfare, you will find your welfare.” However, the current policies of this
Canadian government, including backing anti-Israel resolutions of the UN, have
served to undermine the safety of Jews. More troubling is that Canadian forces
stand by as those calling for worldwide intifada and dressing up as Yahya
Sinwar are allowed to roam the streets.
The aforementioned mishnah, which
is the second source, grounds the practice in the safety of society, and that
may not apply in these circumstances. As the 16th century sage Obadia of
Bertinoro states, it is fear of the government that promotes peace. But there
is arguably no fear of this government. On the contrary, this government has
stood by as Jews are themselves intimidated.
The Spanish 13th century sage, Rabbi Jonah of Gerondi, writes that the mishnah expresses the idea that Jews are concerned not only with themselves but with society as a whole. Seen in this way, there are two obstacles to continuing the prayer: it is not only that the government fails to do enough to protect Jews, but also that a society that does not protect Jews is likely to itself be subject to persecution.
For over eighty years, the expression that has given voice to this fear is “the Jews are the canary in the coalmine” when it comes to the safety of minorities and religious freedom. As the eternal outsider, Jews represent how society can turn on its own. In this way, the ultimate purpose of the prayer is undermined as well.
Rabbi Mirvis categorically
rejected my argument, arguing the prayer is for stability rather than a
particular figure. Rabbi Mirvis’ view is reminiscent of the opinion of
18th-19th century rabbi Israel Lipschitz, who explained the mishnah in question
does not mention a specific ruler but the government as a whole. Here we return
to the notion of the social contract. As Canadian Jews, we wonder if this
government is keeping its side of the bargain.
This point is put into sharp
relief when we consider the fact that, by Canadian law, guards of houses of
worship cannot be armed. It is likely because of this provision that synagogues
in Canada have been shot at, defaced and vandalized.
Thus, it is fair to suggest that
the social contract is fraying here in Canada. And as time goes on, and more
Jews recognize the hatred this government has allowed to flourish, I wonder if
it will soon be time to raise this question again?”
Until very recently Canada was a country that was widely regarded
as a “safe space” in which Jews could practise their religion and live a Jewish
lifestyle without threat or hindrance. It has come as a shock to most of us to
see how rapidly the situation has changed. Even so, it seems to me that this
opinion piece is unfounded.
In the first place, there are many discussions of this
mishnah and they are far from unanimous in their explanation of its meaning and
its practical implementation. I wonder why Dr Milevsky opted for Rabbenu Yonah’s
brief comment, which appears to be directed solely at the need to pray for
global peace and says nothing about domestic government and its deficiencies. Secondly,
we can question the relevance of the passage in Jeremiah, which the mishnah
does not regard as a source (as Rabbi Meir Shapiro and Rabbi Baruch HaLevi
Epstein note). Additionally, Rabbi Chanina was himself living at a time of
chaos, when the Romans stood by and watched while Jews were engaged in
devastating internecine warfare and did nothing to protect the civilian
population—but he still taught that one should pray for the welfare of the
government.
The failure of the Canadian government to protect its Jewish
citizens adequately cannot be ignored or condoned. But if we do not pray for
God to guide it with wisdom and understanding, what are our alternatives?
Praying for a government is not a sort of metaphysical reward for good performance.
Surely, do we not pray because it is our interest that God listens to our
prayers and answers them?
For comments and discussion of this post on Facebook,
click here.
For earlier Avot Today posts on this mishnah and the
problems of praying for failing or inadequate governments, see the following:
Syria After Assad: a question for Avot https://www.facebook.com/groups/avottoday/posts/1030442092176018/
Prayer for the Welfare of a Bad Government https://www.facebook.com/groups/avottoday/posts/298131372073764/
Prayer for the Welfare of Whose Government?
https://www.facebook.com/groups/avottoday/posts/980694073817487/
On the March with Pirkei Avot
https://www.facebook.com/groups/avottoday/posts/802574111629485/
