Edited by B. Silberstein
This week’s Parsha, Shoftim, takes up the matter of Jewish government. Although the Torah seems to favor the appointment of a king to rule over G-d’s people, it is actually somewhat ambiguous on the desirability of establishing a monarch.
Is a King Necessary?
There is a Talmudic dispute in Sanhedrin 20b on this subject. Rabbi Nehorai holds that appointing a king is not mandatory, but a concession to the will of the people. If they join together and request a king to judge them and fight their wars for them, then they will be granted their wish. However, Rabbi Nehorai believes that this arrangement is not ideal, and if the people are not interested, a king would not be appointed.
It is important to understand Rabbi Nehorai’s conviction. The vast majority of the Mitzvot are not suggestions or optional guidelines, but obligatory. There must be a very good reason why, in this case, the Torah is merely granting permission.
We can understand Rabbi Nehorai’s viewpoint by considering the many restrictions the Torah placed upon the king. He is enjoined from excessively accumulating silver and gold, horses for warfare, and wives, so that he should not develop a lust for domination and remain humble.
The Dangers of Human Power
The Torah is wary of placing too much power in the hands of a mortal. That is why Moshe was Hashem’s ideal choice to be the first leader of Bnei Yisrael (Children of Israel). His most outstanding qualification was his humility and utter distaste for the limelight. Moshe realized that Bnei Yisrael are G-d’s people, and He alone is their Ruler. A human monarch tends to glorify himself and solicit reverence that ought to be directed toward the Creator.
Moshe was the perfect choice for the position because he did not attract attention to himself. He communicated G-d’s commands and taught the people how to observe them. However, was Moshe’s leadership style the rule or the exception?
Jewish history has been marked by some remarkable leaders. Aside from Moshe, there was Yehoshua, who oversaw the conquest and settlement of the land; King David, whose military accomplishments paved the way for the construction of the Beit HaMikdash (Holy Temple); and King Solomon, who built it. Would the Beit HaMikdash have been built without the inspired leadership of these great men?
Unfortunately, the righteous kings of Israel were far outnumbered by the wicked ones. The practice of idolatry that plagued the people and led to the destruction of the First Temple was foisted on the nation by evil kings. And the internal strife that marked the breakdown of the Second Temple was triggered by endless lethal competition among rivals for power.
The wise adage that “power corrupts" can be clearly borne out in the history of the Jewish monarchy, which, on the whole, proved to be a disaster. This enables us to better understand and appreciate the opinion of Rabbi Nehorai.
Rabbi Yehudah disagreed with Rabbi Nehorai and held that appointing a king was mandatory. The Rambam rules in accordance with this position and further maintains that the Mashiach (Messiah) will be a king who is a scion of Beit David (House of David).
This difference of rabbinic opinion reflects the ambivalent nature of human power. When Moshe sensed that he was nearing his end, he beseeched Hashem to appoint a successor so that the Children of Israel should not be “like sheep that have no shepherd" (Bamidbar 27:17).
Government and the Will of the People
Every nation needs a governmental structure. There can’t be a situation where everyone is permitted to do that “which is right in his own eyes" (Shoftim 21:25). America is a truly great country, but the extreme indulgence of every individual whim has led to a sundering of social cohesion and has triggered a cultural war that can lead to grave consequences.
As Jews, our national mission requires that certain individual preferences be sacrificed for the sake of societal good. Moreover, matters of ethics and morality are not to be determined by the “will of the people" nor to be influenced by the fashion of the times but by the eternal Mitzvot of the Torah.
The contemporary State of Israel is a liberal democracy that guarantees individual rights and freedom of choice. Its government consists of legislative, executive and judicial branches. But ultimately, as in every democracy, it is the will of the people that rules. From a practical standpoint, this is fortunate, as someone once quipped, “Democracy is the worst form of government except for all the others."
At present, it is impossible to implement a societal order based on adherence to the Torah. I don’t believe it would be a good thing to legislate Shabbat observance, adherence to Kashrut, the holidays and so forth. Bnei Yisrael, at this point, will not stand for being told what to do.
Awaiting the King Mashiach
However, in the Messianic era, the entire nation will return to a wholehearted embrace and observance of the Mitzvot. This will be accomplished by the King Mashiach, who will be “exceedingly wise, even wiser than King Solomon, and a great prophet, close to Moshe Rabbeinu (our teacher)" (Rambam, Hilchot Teshuva 9:2).
It is only through the heroic deeds of an exalted leader endowed with all the power and authority of the Jewish king that Bnei Yisrael will be redeemed and fulfill their mission of being a “light unto the nations" (Yeshayahu 42:6, 49:6). Until he arrives, we must accept the situation we are in and the strictures that govern our religious behavior. We cannot impose Judaism on anyone, no matter how pure our intentions.
We must respect all our fellow Jews and their “right" to live as they see fit, even in a manner contrary to Torah. We need to relate to them with great understanding and be able to demonstrate the beauty and relevance of Torah wisdom. By treating all our brethren with great friendship and love, and engaging them with reason, we will help to prepare the path for the Mashiach, who will complete the mission initiated by his great forebear, King David.
May we merit to witness this soon.
Shabbat Shalom.
Questions? Comments?
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