Like the fitting glass slipper that conferred upon Cinderella a royal destiny, the unbreakable covenant between God and the Jewish people grants me (and all Jews) a royal destiny at birth. But this is not the destiny of opulent palaces and fawning paparazzi. Rather it is a glorious legacy of self-sacrifice for the sake of an invisible God.
A Jewish princess is characterized by her attributes not her assets. The Hebrew word melekh, which means king, illustrates the Jewish concept of royal bearing: The mem (מ) in melekh stands for moakh or brain. The second letter lamed (ל) stands for lev or heart. The khaf sofit (ך) (final letter khaf) stands for kh’layot, which means ‘kidneys.’ From the sequence of letters, we see that a Jew’s mind, which distinguishes between right and wrong, must rule over the heart, the seat of passions, and guide the kidneys in their job of discretion, filtering out unsuitable thoughts, speech, or impulses.
A Jewish princess seeks above all to resemble her Creator in His wisdom, kindness, and humility. We see God’s wisdom in the magnificent world He has created. We see God’s kindness in providing for His creatures a wholesome earth containing everything necessary and benevolent rules for living that promote happiness. We see God’s humility in His continuing to sustain His creatures even when they disobey Him, and His willingness to hide His face in order to grant us the freedom to choose.
Actually, I feel more like a queen.