This short prayer was written by Rabbi Moses Sofer (the Chatam Sofer) in 1809 as a response to the Austro-Polish War. It was reprinted over a century later after the outbreak of World War I. The prayer shows the dual identity of the Jews of Hungary; they prayed for the welfare of the Jewish people but also for the defeat of the enemies of “our land,” namely, Hungary. The prayer was adapted to the events of 1914 with the addition of the names of the current rulers: Emperor Franz Joseph I, the emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and his ally, German Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II. Another copy of the prayer was printed later in the war. This version also refers to Sultan Mehmed, the fifth and last Ottoman sultan who allied with the Austro-Hungarian and German leaders.
This is one example of prayers in which Diaspora Jews prayed for the success of heads of state in their respective countries. These prayers, which originate in the Talmud, were recited during regular prayer services but also at times of war and danger. To this day, many Jewish communities around the world pray for the success of the monarchs and governments of their country.
Would You Like to Know More?
Rabbi Moses Sofer (Schrieber) - Rabbi Moses Sofer (Schrieber) was one of the leading Orthodox rabbis in Europe in the first half of the nineteenth century. He was born in Frankfurt in 1762 but spent most of his life in Pressburg (today Bratislava, Slovakia), then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He was appointed chief rabbi of the city and established the reputable Pressburg Yeshivah. He quickly gained followers throughout Hungary and other parts of Europe and was nicknamed the Chatam Sofer after one of his most famous works. During his time as chief rabbi of Pressburg, he held a strong stance against the Reform movement and any form of radical change in Judaism. One of the sayings attributed to him is: “חדש אסור מן התורה – new is forbidden from the Torah.”
