In this unruly world, how shall we be ruled?1
The High Holidays invite us into a majestic palace in musical time — a coronation ceremony for the King of the Universe before the fullest gathering of his people. We acknowledge, with festive meals and prayers, that Hashem is our once, future and only king.
Yet what need do we have of kings? We live in America, the land that cast off the political madness of King George III in order to “form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.” At least that’s what our forebears wrote in the United States Constitution.
Yet the Jewish vision of kingship that we experience on the High Holidays is special in two ways. First, it is exclusively divine: no earthly authority or passing fad need claim us as its ultimate subject. God’s kingship is a declaration of our moral and spiritual independence. Second, the Jewish vision of kingship is democratic. God’s kingship is not forced but rather received as a weight that trains us for spiritual greatness. The High Holiday poem Ve’ye’etayu thus shockingly proclaims veyitnu lecha keter melucha — “and we will give to You the crown of Kingship.” Hashem is no supernal autocrat, but is crowned by the glory of our holy actions.
In a world of unruly spirits and trending terrorism, may we all find our soulful center in welcoming God into our lives through Torah, prayer and acts of lovingkindness. By taking God as our king, may we all be blessed with a sweet new year of open hearts and noble deeds.
Shana Tova Umetukah
For those of you interested in a longer message, below is the sermon I recently gave on the subject of kingship, cantors, and the High Holidays. This was a real bucket list item, as it was my first sermon quoting Monty Python & the Holy Grail.
Which part? You’ll have to listen to find out.
***A note to watchers: please playback at 85% speed, which you can do through the settings feature on the YouTube player. I somehow got sped up in the editing process, and end up occasionally sounding like Jackie Mason after too much coffee.***
This short piece was originally published in the Texas Jewish Post (19 September 2025).