This week in SPARKS - When Rabbi Butman Met the King

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Rabbi Butman with the King

This week, Rabbi Butman had the pleasure to meet His Majesty the King Norodom Sihamoni.

This past Monday, His Majesty planted a young tree and offered saplings to local residents in celebration of the annual Arbor Day (July 9th) at the farm of our dear friend, Mr. Kobi Simon, in Siem Reap province. The location for the event was chosen by a mutual agreement of the Royal Palace, ministry of agriculture, ministry of foresters, ministry of tourism and local authorities.

Rabbi Butman received a royal invitation to the event and was reserved a seat next to the king on stage. With tears in his eyes and overflowing emotions, His Majesty listened intently to the blessing that Rabbi Butman delivered to the kingdom of Cambodia, to the royal family and to HM on the behalf of the Jewish Community. Rabbi Butman used the chance to thank HM for the warm hospitality that the kingdom gives our community.

Later, while HM was paying a visit to the greenhouses, Rabbi Butman escorted the tour and explained to HM the King about the special partnership that farmers enjoy with G-d.

Concluding the tour, HM the King gave Rabbi Butman a royal present, a silver jewelry box, which was the only one of those given that did not have the Angkor temples engraved on it.

We apologize for not yet having good quality pictures of the event, as the Royal Palace didn’t release them yet. We hope to post them next week. For the meantime, here are some unofficial pictures.

	A word from the Rabbi

Wow!

There is much that I can take from what I have seen. If we are required to learn from each and every thing we see or hear, how much more so on the occasion of meeting a king. The Zohar says: A kingdom in this world is likened to the kingdom of G-d.

Several times throughout the two-hour-event I was absorbing the relationship between the king and his people, in both ways: the way he related to them and the way they looked up to him.

There is much to be said, but I will need more time to process it.

I will just add that the Code of Jewish Law also notes that it is actually a mitzvah to run to see a gentile king, in order to recite a special blessing: Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, who has given from His glory to (humans of) flesh and blood.

HM the king expressed much interest in the meaning of the blessing. I wasn’t comfortable taking much of his time and initially tried to explain it briefly, but he insisted I say more. The king’s crew was surprised to see the length of our conversation.

Soon with the arrival of the Moshiach we will merit to see a Jewish monarch. At that occasion we will recite the blessing with a slight variation:

Baruch Atah Ad-noi, Elo-heinu melech ha'olam, shenatan m'kvodo lee’ray’av. [Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, who has given from His glory to those who fear Him.]

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Benzion Butman

This Week @ www.JewishCambodia.com

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