The Law
concerning
The King
577.
Not to curse a ruler, that is,
the King or the head of the College in the land of Yisrael
581.
To appoint a king (Deut. 17:15 You shall surely set over yourself a king whom YAHWEH,
your El, shall choose) (This command
teaches us that although the King had to be chosen by El YAHWEH, it was
necessary to forbid the people to select a gentile. The sense of the
commandment is that if YAHWEH did not communicate the identity of His king
through a prophet, so that the people would have to make their own selection,
they were not at liberty to choose a gentile).
582.
Not to appoint as ruler over Yisrael, one who comes from
non-Yisraelites (Deut. 17:15 from among your brethren shall you set a king over yourself) (This command teaches us that we cannot
choose a none believer or one who have not reach maturity. The Land of Yisrael
represents those who have made it from Egypt ,
cross the Red Sea, pass through the wilderness and made it into Canaan ).
583.
That the King shall not acquire an excessive number of horses (Deut.
17:16 Only
you shall not have too many horses) (This
command teaches us that self-aggrandizement was typical of monarchs. They
demonstrated their greatness by the number of their steeds, the size of their
harems, and the size of their treasuries. Because his glory was the glory of
Yisrael, he is require to maintain the dignity of his office, but he had to
curb his appetites and make himself an example of moderation and obedience to
the Torah).
584.
That the King shall not take an excessive number of wives (Deut. 17:17 and he shall not have
too many wives)
(This command teaches us that
the King must have adequate number of wives. He is permitted to have up to
eighteen wives, and he surely must be wealthy enough to maintain his entourage,
but he is forbidden from having too much wives for they would turn his heart
astray.).
585.
That he shall not accumulate an excessive quantity of gold and silver
(Deut. 17:17 and he shall not greatly increase silver and
gold for himself)
(This command teaches us that
as Solomon one of the greatest of all Hebrew King, the wisest of all men,
violated this command. By the end, his large stable did bring the people back
to Egypt, his many wives did effect his judgment, and his large treasury was a
corrupting influence, the heavy tax cause his kingdom to split).
586.
That the King shall write a scroll of the Torah for himself, in
addition to the one that every person should write, so that he writes two
scrolls (Deut. 17:18 It shall be that when he sits on throne of the Kingdom, he shall write for
himself two copies of this Torah in a Book) (This
command teaches us that the king must keep one copy of the Torah in His
treasury, and keep the other with him at all time. These Scrolls are to remind
him at all times that, majestic his position may be, he is a servant of Torah.
This is especially important in the royal treasury, where the presence of his
wealth could easily blind him to his responsibilities).
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