Actions

Difference between revisions of "Devar/5769/Reeh"

From RonWareWiki

< Devar‎ | 5769
Line 20: Line 20:
 
{{pasuq|thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose|p/pt/pt0517.htm#15|Deut 17:15}}
 
{{pasuq|thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose|p/pt/pt0517.htm#15|Deut 17:15}}
  
It is a positive commandment to set a king over us {{hcite|i/e501n.htm#1|Laws of Kings and Wars 1:1}}. And this is the foundation of a Torah government: that the king rule over the people, but as we mentioned elsewhere -- he must read the Torah all the time, and know that his authority stems only from the Holy One, may He be blessed -- whom the LORD thy God shall choose.
+
It is a positive commandment to set a king over us {{hcite|i/e501n.htm#1|Laws of Kings and Wars 1:1}}. And this is the foundation of a Torah government: that the king rule over the people, but as we mentioned elsewhere -- he must read the Torah all the time, and know that his authority stems only from the Holy One, may He be blessed -- '''whom the LORD thy God shall choose'''.
  
 
There is a stream in religious Jewish thought in our times, which says the State of Israel is a sort of "minor kindom". So to speak, it has authority similar to that of a king, and we must submit to that authority and assist it. They likewise established prayers for the continuation of the State-Kingdom. And this point of view is very difficult.  
 
There is a stream in religious Jewish thought in our times, which says the State of Israel is a sort of "minor kindom". So to speak, it has authority similar to that of a king, and we must submit to that authority and assist it. They likewise established prayers for the continuation of the State-Kingdom. And this point of view is very difficult.  
Line 26: Line 26:
 
"Kingdom" means "government by a king".  And we have no king, nor anything even close.  Our leaders are very far from Torah.  True, some of them think they are kings, but there is no foundation to their dreams.  And of them it says, '''Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves''' {{hcite|p/pt/pt1001.htm#23|Isa 1:23}}.  The expected Redemption has begun, since the people of Israel have begun returning to their inheritance -- but we have still not merited the complete Redemption, of which it is said '''And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning; afterward thou shalt be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city''' {{hcite|p/pt/pt1001.htm#26|Isa 1:26}}.
 
"Kingdom" means "government by a king".  And we have no king, nor anything even close.  Our leaders are very far from Torah.  True, some of them think they are kings, but there is no foundation to their dreams.  And of them it says, '''Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves''' {{hcite|p/pt/pt1001.htm#23|Isa 1:23}}.  The expected Redemption has begun, since the people of Israel have begun returning to their inheritance -- but we have still not merited the complete Redemption, of which it is said '''And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning; afterward thou shalt be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city''' {{hcite|p/pt/pt1001.htm#26|Isa 1:26}}.
  
Were they to cease praying for the continuation of the government, but rather increase their outcry to the Holy One, blessed is He over the incomplete Redemption -- perhaps we would truly reach the day when '''He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more''' {{hcite|p/pt/pt1002.htm#4|Isa 2:4}}.
+
Were they to cease praying for the continuation of the government, but rather increase their outcry to the Holy One blessed is He, over the incomplete Redemption -- perhaps we would truly reach the day when '''He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more''' {{hcite|p/pt/pt1002.htm#4|Isa 2:4}}.
  
 
{{nav|Devar|Devar|Devar/5769/Reeh|Reeh||}}
 
{{nav|Devar|Devar|Devar/5769/Reeh|Reeh||}}
 
{{devar}}
 
{{devar}}

Revision as of 10:46, 21 August 2009


Shoftim 5769 - שופטים תשס"ט
English text below
Send me feedback

עברית

שׂוֹם תָּשִׂים עָלֶיךָ מֶלֶךְ, אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ בּוֹ  (דברים יז:טו)

זאת מצוות עשה, להמליך עלינו מלך  (הל' מלכים ומלחמות א:א). וזה יסוד ממשלה תורנית: שהמלך מושל בעם, אבל כמו שהזכרנו במקום אחר -- יש לו לקרוא תמיד בתורת משה ולדעת שסמכותו נובעת אך ורק מאת ה' יתברך -- אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ בּוֹ.

יש זרם במחשבת ישראל בזמנינו, שאומר שמדינת ישראל היא כמין "מלכות קטנה". כביכול יש לה סמכות דומה לשל מלך, ועלינו להיות כפופים לסמכות הזאת ולסייע לה. וכן התקינו תפילות להמשך המדינה-מלכות. ועמדה זאת תמוהה ביותר.

"מלכות" משמעה "ממשלת מלך". ואין לנו מלך, ולא קרוב לזה. המושלים שלנו רחוקים מאד מתורת משה. אומנם יש מהם שמדמים לעצמם שהם מלכים, אבל אין יסוד לחלומותיהם. ועליהם נאמר שָׂרַיִךְ סוֹרְרִים, וְחַבְרֵי גַּנָּבִים  (ישעיה א:כג). הגאולה הצפויה התחילה, שהרי העם התחיל לחזור לנחלתו -- אבל עדיין לא זכינו לגאולה השלימה, בה נאמר וְאָשִׁיבָה שֹׁפְטַיִךְ כְּבָרִאשֹׁנָה, וְיֹעֲצַיִךְ כְּבַתְּחִלָּה; אַחֲרֵי-כֵן, יִקָּרֵא לָךְ עִיר הַצֶּדֶק -- קִרְיָה, נֶאֱמָנָה  (ישעיה א:כו). אילו היו מפסיקים להתפלל עבור המשך המדינה, ובמקום זה היו מרבים זעקה לפני הקדוש ברוך הוא על אי-שלימות הגאולה, אולי באמת היינו מגיעים ליום ההוא בו וְשָׁפַט בֵּין הַגּוֹיִם, וְהוֹכִיחַ לְעַמִּים רַבִּים; וְכִתְּתוּ חַרְבוֹתָם לְאִתִּים, וַחֲנִיתוֹתֵיהֶם לְמַזְמֵרוֹת -- לֹא-יִשָּׂא גוֹי אֶל-גּוֹי חֶרֶב, וְלֹא-יִלְמְדוּ עוֹד מִלְחָמָה  (ישעיה ב:ד).


English

thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose  (Deut 17:15)

It is a positive commandment to set a king over us  (Laws of Kings and Wars 1:1). And this is the foundation of a Torah government: that the king rule over the people, but as we mentioned elsewhere -- he must read the Torah all the time, and know that his authority stems only from the Holy One, may He be blessed -- whom the LORD thy God shall choose.

There is a stream in religious Jewish thought in our times, which says the State of Israel is a sort of "minor kindom". So to speak, it has authority similar to that of a king, and we must submit to that authority and assist it. They likewise established prayers for the continuation of the State-Kingdom. And this point of view is very difficult.

"Kingdom" means "government by a king". And we have no king, nor anything even close. Our leaders are very far from Torah. True, some of them think they are kings, but there is no foundation to their dreams. And of them it says, Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves  (Isa 1:23). The expected Redemption has begun, since the people of Israel have begun returning to their inheritance -- but we have still not merited the complete Redemption, of which it is said And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning; afterward thou shalt be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city  (Isa 1:26).

Were they to cease praying for the continuation of the government, but rather increase their outcry to the Holy One blessed is He, over the incomplete Redemption -- perhaps we would truly reach the day when He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more  (Isa 2:4).



Top: Devar Prev: Reeh




Send Ron feedback on this essay.




Entire site copyright © Ron Aaron, all rights reserved. No permission to copy or otherwise use this material is granted.