Find The Missing Word

Granted, the third blessing does not require the phrase “Melech HaOlam,” but why didn’t the sages add some similar type of phrase anyway? Why wait to the fourth blessing to rectify the omission? One answer offered by the Rishonim is that it would be improper to discuss Hashem’s malchus and the Davidic dynasty in the same berachah. That would mistakenly give the impression that there is some type of equivalence. This answer is actually codified in the Shulchan Aruch (188:4), which says, “You have to mention Malchus beis David in the third blessing of bentching, and you shouldn’t mention any other kingship. And the one who says ‘And Your Kingship and the kingship of David, Your anointed one’ is in error, because one should not equate an earthly kingship with a heavenly one. And likewise one should not say ‘Our Father, Our King’ in the third blessing.”

Since our text of bentching has already been standardized, the above discussion would seem academic, until you read the Rema’s comment. The Rema writes, “And some say that when you recite Ya’aleh V’yavo [in the third blessing of bentching] you should not end off with the words ‘Melech Chanun V’rachum.’ Rather, skip the word ‘melech.’ Their logic is correct, but I haven’t seen people that follow it.”

The Rema’s comment leaves the reader unsure whether he should skip the word melech or not. The Mishnah Berurah explains that some feel that mentioning the word melech at the end of Ya’aleh V’yavo is not equating Hashem’s kingship with David’s, since it is in a totally different context. The Mishnah Berurah ends off by quoting the Magen Avraham as saying that since there is a reason to permit the recital of the word melech in Ya’aleh V’yavo, “you should not object to people that do in fact say it.” The clear implication is that if someone initially asks whether or not he should say the word melech in Ya’aleh V’yavo in bentching, the answer is that he should not. Some bentchers actually put the word melech in parentheses, to indicate that preferably it should not be recited. Although this would certainly not affect whether or not one was yotzei bentching, it is still nice to know the preferable text one should use.

This is an obscure halachah that I have found is not well known. Not much has changed since the Rema made his comment hundreds of years ago! Still, it was satisfying to see the ArtScroll bentchers put the word melech in parentheses to let me know that I wasn’t the only one skipping the word melech. One day I came across an incomprehensible remark in the ArtScroll Siddur. The word melech by Ya’aleh V’yavo in bentching was in parentheses, but before it was a little comment that said, “On Rosh Hashanah add . . .” This seemed to me like a laughable blunder. The word melech here is not like the one mentioned in the third berachah of Shemoneh Esreh. There, we replace Hashem’s name and instead refer to Him as King. But that has no relevance to the third berachah of bentching. The word melech is intentionally omitted all year because it is improper to equate the Davidic kingdom with Hashem’s. There is no reason why Rosh Hashanah should be any different.

However, just this year I was perusing the new Mishnah Berurah published by Dirshu. On the Mishnah Berurah section I quoted above, they noted the opinion of the Mateh Ephraim. The Mateh Ephraim writes that the halachah is not clear that one should actually skip the word melech all year. There is ample reason to permit reciting it. Still, the Magen Avraham seems to conclude that it is preferable that one skip the word year round. Nevertheless, the Mateh Ephraim writes that on Rosh Hashanah the whole focus of our prayers is to declare Hashem as King and to recognize his kingship. We shouldn’t pass up the opportunity to declare Hashem as King a few more times (once per meal) on Rosh Hashanah, during bentching, the previous considerations notwithstanding. The ArtScroll Siddur was in fact in accordance with the Mateh Ephraim.

So, if you didn’t know about skipping “Melech” before, you didn’t miss an opportunity on Rosh Hashanah, since it should not be skipped then, according to the Mateh Ephraim.