How To Choose A King
By: By R’ Mordechai Young
When I was in 6th grade towards the end of the school year, my cousin approached and said that until now, he had been the “king of the yeshiva” and now he was moving on. He needed to give the yeshiva over to someone and decided he would give it to me. As flattering as that was, I saw the humor behind it and I smiled to myself.
In this week’s parashah, Shoftim (17:14), the pasuk says: “If, after you have entered the land that Hashem the Eternal has assigned to you, and taken possession of it and settled in it, you decide, ‘I will set a king over me, as do all the nations about me.’” This implies it’s not a mitzvah to have a king, but something people will request to have. The next pasuk states: “You shall be free to set a king over yourself, one chosen by Hashem the Eternal. Be sure to set as king over yourself one of your own people; you must not set a foreigner over you, one who is not your fellow Israelite.” This implies that it’s a mitzvah to appoint a king. So, is it a mitzvah or something people want? The question here is glaring. The Ramban writes that it’s a Mitzvah Asei to appoint a king. In the Oz Vehadar Chumash, there’s a footnote on this Ramban stating the simple way to learn this is not like the Ramban, that it’s optional to have a king. The proof is in the first pasuk, which states it’s not a mitzvahto appoint a king.
I was wondering about this footnote that states that some learn it’s not a mitzvah when the Gemara Sanhedrin (20b) teaches that Rebbi Yehuda says there are three mitzvos we are commanded to do when entering the land: the first is to appoint a king; the second is to destroy Amalek; and the third is to build the Beis Hamikdash. Here we see clearly, it’s a mitzvah. After looking up the Gemara, I learned it is an argument in the Gemara itself. Rebbi Nehorai says when the Torah wrote “You shall place a king over yourself,” it was not stated as a mitzvah, but in response to people’s complaints. Rashi in the Gemara explains how Hashem knew the people would ask for a king, so He put that part in the Torah. So, Hashem gave His permission for the nation to have a king, but it’s not a mitzvah. After seeing this Gemara, we can better understand for example when the Ramban writes that it’s a mitzvah and noting the many commentaries that argue with that. At first glance, the opinion that it’s a mitzvah is understandable; in the Gemara Brachos it teaches how we should go to see kings in order to picture what malchus looks like. It mentions Jewish kings too. So, there is a benefit to having a king. The other opinion is that once you have a king, you benefit from it. The Mishna in Sanhedrin (2:4) teaches that a king should have a personal sefer Torah written for his own sake. Rav Ovadiah Bartenura explains that every Jew actually has a mitzvah to write a sefer Torah. The king keeps that sefer Torah in his treasury and has to have another one written when he goes out to perform his royal duties. This week’s parashah mentions (17:18) that “When he is seated on his royal throne, he shall have a copy of this Teaching (Mishneh Torah) written for him on a scroll by HaKohanim HaLeviim.” From the pesukim, it appears that he should write two Torahs, one that’s written before and a second one as a king. This seems to show what a king should do, implying that it’s a mitzvah to have a king. The other opinions say that once you asked for a king there are halachos of how the king should act and how one should act with the king. The opinion that states it’s not a mitzvah to appoint a king can bring proof like some mefarshim from Navi that Shmuel HaNavi was upset about the request of a king, so you see it’s not a mitzvah. The opinions that’s it’s a mitzvah will answer depending on how you ask for a king, especially if it’s to copy other nations. If the idea of having a king is for the king to be a pawn, then it can lead to bad things. This is a reminder that many things can be used for good or bad, depending on one’s motives. Many times, you have to check why you’re doing something even if it appears good. You have to make sure there wasn’t a bad reason behind it and it ends up being bad. The Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh asks the question we started with: the seeming contradiction between what pasuk 14 and 15 imply, if it’s a mitzvah or not. He answers beautifully, that the first pasuk teaches how not to pick a king (like the rest of the world). Don’t pick a king to lead you in war with wisdom and go out fighting as a mighty one. No, don’t pick him like that. The second pasuk states the good way to choose a king is for the honor and glory of Yisrael that Hashem chooses. Pick a king, Asher yivchar Hashem: pick someone who Hashem would choose, a tzaddik. Have the right vision when choosing; don’t choose with your worldly glasses; choose with your spiritual ones: imagine someone Hashem would pick.
We see there’s a benefit to having a king and a danger because we remember our Warrior and King is Hashem leading us; a human king is just an example for us to learn from when done properly.
Written l’zecher nishmas Mrs. Label, Yurcha Sorah bas Shraga Tzvi HaKohen.
Have great Shabbos!
R’ Mordechai Young can be reached for comments at [email protected].
