Two Minute Torah Podcast

Shoftim 5770 by Rabbi Dahlia Kronish

Shalom, this is Rabbi Dahlia Kronish. I am the Director of Jewish Life at the Heschel High School in Manhattan. Welcome to KOACH's Two-Minute Torah; a project of the College Department of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. This quick word of Torah will focus on Parshat Shoftim.

In Parshat Shoftim we learn about the mitzvah to appoint a king once we settle in the land of Israel.

Is it in fact a mitzvah to appoint a king once we settle and occupy the land. Are we obligated to do so? Nehama Leibovitz refers us to several commentators that suggest that in fact it is one of the three mitzvoth connected with settling the land. The difficulty that arises is why did Shmuel get angry at the Israelites when they indeed desired to establish for them a king? Based on her understanding of Ibn Ezra, Leibovitz concludes, that it is not a commandment to appoint a king. Rather when/if you do come to appoint a King, you must do so in a particular way.

The question that arises is: what is the ideal the Torah is trying to set forth?

#2 When appointing a King, we must keep the following in mind:

• King must be from within our own community.
• King may not have too many horses, women or monetary wealth.
• King must have a special sefer torah scribed for him and carry it with him at all times in order that he study it, fear the Lord his God, and obey all of God's commandments. Rashi suggests that the King is supposed to have two scrolls written for him: one that is kept with his treasures and one that he carries with him at all times.

It seems interesting that the instruction to write a sefer Torah is the last of the instructions pertaining to the King. Especially, considering it seems to be the foundation for the King's success in establishing his kingship, in obeying God's mitzvoth and in curtailing his desire for power.

Perhaps, the reason this instruction indeed comes last is that it is actually the only one that pertains to the King himself. The first two instructions function as guidelines to the people who decide to appoint a king. If they follow these guidelines, and indeed appoint someone from within who is humble and not power hungry, it is likely this person would be the appropriate one to have sifrei torah scribed on his behalf and to model religious behavior to his kingdom.

The lesson for us is - to always be mindful as to the choices we make and to be cognizant of the consequences they will have for us and others. We must be sure these choices will not endanger our humility, but rather will always increase our ability to walk the right path and to never veer from it ימין או שמאל.