By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
On 27 March 2012, to celebrate the diamond jubilee of the Queen, an ancient ceremony took place at Buckingham Palace. A number of institutions presented Loyal Addresses to the Queen, thanking her for her service to the nation. Among them was the Board of Deputies of British Jews. Its then President, Vivian Wineman, included in his speech the traditional Jewish blessing on such occasions. He wished her well “until a hundred and twenty.”
The Queen was amused and looked quizzically at Prince Philip. Neither of them had heard the expression before. Later the Prince asked what it meant, and we explained. A hundred and twenty is stated as the outer limit of a normal human lifetime in Genesis 6:3. The number is especially associated with Moses, about whom the Torah says:
“Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were undimmed and his strength undiminished.” Deut. 34:7
Reprinted from the Parashat Debarim 5783 email of Rabbi David Bibi’s Shabbat Shalom from Cyberspace.
