We say in Ashrei (Tehillim 145:13):

,מַֽלְכוּתְךָ֗ מַלְכ֥וּת כׇּל־עֹלָמִ֑ים
וּ֝מֶֽמְשַׁלְתְּךָ֗ בְּכׇל־דּ֥וֹר וָדֹֽר׃

Your kingdom is a kingdom over all the worlds,
and Your rule is throughout each and every generation.

Tefillah Meaning #1, something I didn’t intend to focus on but translating the pasuq reminded me:

Many translators look at the parallelism between “כָּל עֹלָמִים” and “בְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר” and figure just as “throughout each and every generation” is about time “”כָּל עֹלָמִים” should be translated as “eternal”. But that is usually “לְעוֹלָם”, or other conjugations; but always with that “-ל”. So, I followed the one translator who took עולם here in its usual usage of “world” or “universe”.

In other words, the first half of the pasuq speaks of Hashem and space(s), the other of Hashem and time.

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Now for what I did intend to post about (which adds meaning to three different lines in the siddur with a single thought)…

What is the difference between malkhus (kingship) and memshalah (rule)?

The reason why I am raising the question right now is because of a pasuq in this week’s parashah (VaYeishev). When Yoseif tells his brothers his dreams, they ask, “מָלֹ֤ךְ תִּמְלֹךְ֙ עָלֵ֔ינוּ אִם־מָשׁ֥וֹל תִּמְשֹׁ֖ל בָּ֑נוּ?” (Bereishis 37:8), which the JPS translation renders “Will you indeed reign over us? Will you indeed rule over us?” So the question of melekh versus mosheil impacts how we read what the brother’s reply.

The Ibn Ezra suggests otherwise. When commanding us to appoint a king, the phrase is “שׂ֣וֹם תָּשִׂ֤ים עָלֶ֨יךָ֙ מֶ֔לֶךְ – appoint for yourselves a king” (Devarim 17:15). A melekh is appointed by the masses, he rules by the acclimation of the people. This stands in contrast to the mosheil who, however much the motivation is the needs of the people, has to rule by imposing his (or His) will on them.

The brothers are saying that they weren’t ready to place Yoseif as a king over themselves. “You think you would be melekh, an accepted king over us? No, you would only stand as mosheil, in opposition to our will.”

The Vilna Gaon takes this idea and applies it to several verses we know from the siddur.

Tefillah Meaning #2: After Az Yashir we quote Tehillim (22:29):

,כִּ֣י לַה’ הַמְּלוּכָ֑ה
וּ֝מֹשֵׁ֗ל בַּגּוֹיִֽם׃

For G‑d’s is the Kingship,
and He rules over nations…

Hashem has the Melukhah, in potential He is King. However, as the nations do not yet accept Him willingly as their King, for nowHashem serves for them as their Mosheil.

Tefillah Meaning #3: But at the culmination of history, as we say after Aleinu (Zekhariah 14:9):

וְהָיָ֧ה ה’ לְמֶ֖לֶךְ עַל־כָּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ
בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא יִֽהְיֶ֧ה ה’ אֶחָ֖ד וּשְׁמ֥וֹ אֶחָֽד׃

Hashem will be King over the entire world,
on that day Hashem will be One, and His reputation will be One.”

Hashem will be Melekh over the other nations as well. At that time, “וְיֵעָשּׂו כֻלָּם אֲגֻדָּה אַחַת לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹנְךָ בְּלֵבָב שָׁלֵם – and they will all be made into a single confederation to do Your will wholeheartedly” (High Holiday Amidah) as willing subjects of the King.

Tefillah Meaning #4: And so, we return to our original line from Ashrei: “מַֽלְכוּתְךָ֗ מַלְכ֥וּת כׇּל־עֹלָמִ֑ים, וּ֝מֶֽמְשַׁלְתְּךָ֗ בְּכׇל־דּ֥וֹר וָדֹֽר׃”

Malkhus is truly eternal. Memshalah will only last from generation to generation, through the course of history until its culmination. When all people will serve Hashem, will work together bring His Plan to reality.

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Bonus Tefillah Meaning: There is more to be said, particularly about the pseudo-pasuq, “ה’ מֶלֶךְ ה’ מָלָךְ ה’ יִמְלֹךְ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד – Hashem Is King, Hashem Was King, and Hashem Will be King forever.” (This time it says “לְעוֹלָם”, so it is about time.) Or equally valid “Hashem Reigns, Hashem Did Reign, and Hashem Will Reign forever.”

This involves three different levels of realization of His Melukhah. Hashem was King in pure potential “before” Creation. Like in Adon Olam, when we say:

Bonus Tefillah Meaning: There is more to be said, particularly about the pseudo-pasuq, “ה’ מֶלֶךְ ה’ מָלָךְ ה’ יִמְלֹךְ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד – Hashem Is King, Hashem Was King, and Hashem Will be King forever.” (This time it says “לְעוֹלָם”, so it is about time.) Or equally valid “Hashem Reigns, Hashem Did Reign, and Hashem Will Reign forever.”

This involves three different levels of realization of His Melukhah. Hashem was King in pure potential “before” Creation. In the present, it is our job to turn that potential to reality. And in the future, “Hashem Yimlokh le’Olam va’ed“ in full truth. As in Adon Olam, when we say:

• אֲדוֹן עוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר מָלַךְ, בְּטֶֽרֶם כָּל יְצִיר נִבְרָא — Master of the universe, Who had the attribute of Melekh [in the abstract] before everything what was formed was [even] created[, when there were no subjects to be King of].
• לְעֵת נַעֲשָׂה בְחֶפְצוֹ כֹּל, אֲזַי מֶֽלֶךְ שְׁמוֹ נִקְרָא — From when He Willingly Made everything, then He was called Melekh[, even though many only relate to Him as Mosheil].
• וְאַחֲרֵי כִּכְלוֹת הַכֹּל, לְבַדּוֹ יִמְלֹךְ נוֹרָא — And when everything is done, He Alone will Reign Awingly[, because people will have stopped making other kings and conflicting agendas for ourselves].