Jewish History
THE
THRONE IS NOT FOR SALE
As
told by Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, Chief Rabbi of Tzfat
The
Israeli embassy in France had prepared for the visit of the chief rabbi of
Israel, Rav Mordechai Eliyahu, who would make his presence at the Élysée Palace
of the President of France. They knew about the strong opinions that the chief
rabbi had concerning Eretz Yisroel, and they did what they could to ensure that
the visit would pass peacefully.
At
that time, the relationship between Israel and France was strained. The
president of the time, Jacques Chirac, was not considered a friend of Israel
and in general was considered a supporter of the Arab countries. He pressured
Israel to give up portions of Eretz Yisroel—including Yerushalayim—for the good
of the Arabs.
With
this in mind, the concern that the embassy had regarding the official visit of
Rav Eliyahu to the Élysée Palace was understandable. The rav was not accustomed
to the art of diplomacy and was known to express his opinions outright. They
were concerned that his words might exacerbate the tension between the
countries.
Prior
to the meeting with the president, the rav was invited for a special tour in
the The Louvre, which held a display of the country’s history and culture.
During
the tour, Rav Eliyahu listened to the explanations given and followed along
throughout the various displays. When they reached the throne of Napoleon, the
rav stopped and turned to those who were accompanying him. “When did Napoleon
die?” the rav asked. The French officials hid their surprise at the rav’s
question about this significant time in history and began to explain to Rav
Eliyahu who Napoleon was and the time period in which he lived.
The
rav continued to ask, “Is the throne for sale?” The members of the embassy did
not know what to do with their embarrassment. The French officials answered
that it obviously wasn’t. “This is a precious and historical treasure, and our
historical treasures are not for sale,” they said.
From
there they went on to show him other artifacts, until they arrived at the
artifacts that belonged to King Louis XIV. Again the rav asked, “Who was Louis
XIV?” As the rav’s wife Tzivia attempted to understand the meaning of her
husband’s questions, he responded with a look that let her know that his words
were said with a specific intent.
With
utmost etiquette, the French escorts took the time to explain to him about King
Louis XIV. The rav continued and asked, “Was the king ethical?” The attendants
responded, “No, but this is our history, and we are proud of it and respect
it.” The rav nodded his head and continued on.
The
museum visit came to an end, and the group entered to greet the French prime
minister. The emcee opened with greetings and blessings to the rav on the
occasion of his visit. The rav was then invited to speak. Next to him stood an
individual from the Israeli Embassy who translated his words into French.
In
his opening remarks, he described his visit to the museum. The rav described
the embarrassment of his hosts about his question about Napoleon’s throne, and
whether it was for sale. All of those present burst into laughter. The rav then
also related the answer that was given to him—the fact that historical
artifacts are not for sale.
At
that point, the rebbetzin realized that the translator was not being careful to
translate the rav’s words precisely, and she discreetly brought this to her
husband’s attention. With knowledge of this, the rav stopped his speech and
announced that perhaps the translator was not accustomed to rabbinical jargon,
and since it was important to him that the prime minister understand his words
precisely, he therefore requested that the chief rabbi of France translate his
words. From that point onward, his words were accurately translated by the
chief rabbi.
Those
who were present still did not yet understand what the rav was getting at.
However, very quickly the room echoed with the rav’s fiery words,“I saw your
respect towards the throne of Napoleon, who lived only 200 years ago, and I
saw, as well, your regard in the way King Louis XIV’s name was mentioned,
although his ethics were questionable.
This
respect is justified, since this is your history, these are artifacts of your
history, and you are proud of them and respect them. You expect, as well, that
I should know and respect the history of France, even though I live in Israel.”
”However, my question is as follows: Is
it not logical that we, too, the Jews in Israel, should know and respect our
own history? Would it be an exaggeration to expect that you, too, should
respect it? Our history teaches us that MosheRabeinu bequeathed to
us the Land of Israel. This is our historical property. After Moshe Rabeinu lived
King David and King Shlomo who ruled in Yerushalayim. Why must we respect your
kings who lived two to three hundred years ago, yet you do not respect our
kings who lived two to three thousand years ago?
“The
chair of Napoleon you are not ready to sell. But we must sell Yerushalayim,
which has served as the heart of the Jewish nation for thousands of years?”
The
embassy members’ hearts began to flutter. They awaited the angry reactions from
the prime minister and his cabinet. However, the response was surprising. When
the rav finished his speech, the crowd stood up on their feet and gave a hearty
applause.
The
words of the rav made a tremendous impression on Prime Minister Chirac, and he
grasped the rav’s hand with feeling and would not let go of it for a long time.
At that moment, he turned to his assistants and whispered something in their
ears. The Israeli Embassy members were shocked to hear that the president
requested the rav to stay on a little while in the palace. No one knew the
purpose of this delay until Chirac’s attendants returned with a small box in
their hands.
The
president of France explained that, although this had not been planned, after
hearing the rav’s words—words like he had never heard before in his life—he had
decided to bestow the rav with a prestigious golden medallion of honor that the
government presented to state leaders. At the conclusion of his words, he
presented Rav Eliyahu with the medallion, to the raised voices of approval from
the guests who had just witnessed that true Jewish pride arouses respect and is
valued even by a person who considered the Jews to be enemies.
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