Devar/5769/Shoftim
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< Devar | 5769
עברית
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).
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