By Sima and Michael Shimansky, August 30,2025
King or No King?
Michael: Most of you know me from my role as a Gabbai, Torah Reader, and Shliach Tzibbur. I’ve been approached at the supermarket by members of the community asking – Are you a Rabbi yet, or still in school? I must confess – I’m not even the Rabbi in my marriage! I married a Rabbi’s daughter, and she studied Talmud as part of the Drisha program in NY and then at a Seminary in Israel. She is the scholar in our relationship, my Ishti Morati. So, when I was asked to give a drash at the Library Minyan, I said there’s no way… unless Sima writes it.
Sima: Unlike Mike, I prefer to stay out of the spotlight. So when I was asked to stand up here and give a drash, I said there’s no way… unless Michael delivers it with me.
Michael: This drash is titled “King…or No King”?. There’s a curious ambivalence in the Torah regarding the Jewish people having a King, The Parsha begins with a positive commandment, using simple, direct language – “Shoftim V’Shotrim Titeyn Lecha” – appoint for yourselves Judges, “V’Shaftu Et Ha’Am Mishpat Tzedek” – and they will govern the people with justice. A similar commandment appears in Verse 15 – “Som Taseem Alecha Melech”, Place a King over yourselves. However, the previous sentence in Verse 14 gives a strange reason for it: “Ki Tavo El Ha’aretz…Viyashavta Bah, V’Amarta Asima Alai Melech, Kichol Hagoyim Asher Sevivotai”. “When or If, you have settled the land, you will say – Asima Alai Melech, Kichol Hagoyim Asher Sevivotai”. I will set a King over me, like all the other nations around. I would note that shortly after, starting in Chapter 18:9, the Torah warns us not to learn to do things like the other surrounding nations, so that phrase is not complimentary. Only in response to that morally dubious setup does the Torah say – appoint a King. And immediately the Torah has concerns – don’t let him accumulate too many horses, or wives, or amass silver and gold to excess. What should the King do? Verse 18: He shall have a copy of “Mishnei Torah Hazote” – he should have this Torah written for him. It’s like the Torah is directly addressing the future King when it goes on to say (lean forward with loud Pentecostal emphasis) – ‘let the Torah remain with him, and let him read it all the days of his life so that he’ll learn to revere God and follow the rules of this Torah! Even the positive commandments here seem like the Torah is leery of the King.
Now consider the story of the first King of Israel. In Shmuel Aleph Chapter 8, Shmuel grows old, and appoints his sons Yoel and Aviyah as judges. It say in 8:3 “V’lo Halchu Banav Bidrachav Vayitu Acharei Habatza Vayikchu Shochad Vayatu Mishpat” – his sons did not follow his ways, they accepted bribes and subverted justice. Only at that point do the people go to Shmuel, and they’re honest – Verse 5 – Vayomru Eilav, Hinei Ata Zakanta, Uvanecha Lo Halchu Bidrachecha, Ata Sima Lanu Melech Lshafteinu Kichol Hagoyim. You have grown old, your sons have not followed your ways, now place on us a king to judge us like all the nations do.
Shmuel is furious, and warns the people of Israel of all the dangers of having a King, but they don’t listen. Verse 19-20: Vayima’anu Ha’am Lishmoa Bikol Shmuel, Vayomru Lo Ki Im Melech Yihyeh Aleinu, Vihayinu Gam Anachnu Kichol Hagoyim. They refuse to listen and reply ‘we must have a King over us, so that we may be like all the nations.’
Here’s my question – They could have just reiterated the real reason – the corruption of his sons, the fact that Shmuel’s sons were not providing the Mishpat Tzedek promised at the beginning of this week’s parsha. That’s still a legitimate reason! Why did they rely on the rationale of ‘being like the other nations’?
One of the early Tanaim, rarely quoted, goes by the name Lashon Gefet, suggests that the people of Israel looked back to this Parsha and the rules for having a King, to come up with a reason that would satisfy Samuel – so that he could make peace with setting a King over them. And so according to the Lashon Gefet, verse 14 – ‘Asima Alai Melech, Kichol Hagoyim Asher Sevivotai” was actually a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Sima: Did you say ‘Lashon Gefet’? Is that your hebrew version for Chat-GPT? Clever. I actually want to pick up on what you’re saying about the people’s motivation for wanting a king in the time of Shmuel and why their request was not well received. Rashi suggests it’s because they said we want a king like all other nations, and we’re not supposed to emulate other nations. I’m not a fan of this answer because as you pointed out, this week’s parsha also says the words like all other nations so we can’t fault them for sticking to the script when asking for a king.
The abarbanel, kli yakar offer an alternative explanation: what the Jewish people asked Shmuel was to give them a king “leshofteinu Cechol Hagoyim”, to judge us like all other nations, so maybe their mistake was confusing the roles of judge and king, and thinking they could swap one for another. But they’re not the same.
The biggest difference is that kingship is hereditary. This makes the king more prone to corruption, especially when he’s grown up in wealth and power and knows his legacy is secure. Because it’s such a challenge to stay on the right path with kingship, there’s a lot of rules around the Jewish notion of kingship and following God’s law like you mentioned earlier.
The Shem Mishmuel, a chasidic Rabbi born in the 1850s, and a source I really like points out that each one of us is a world unto ourselves. In that world, we are the kings ruling over our own lives, choices and actions. Therefore, we should heed the warnings given to kings in this parsha not to have too much money, horses or women which he likens to keeping our minds, souls and bodies in check. And the vehicle for protecting ourselves is to write ourselves a Torah and learn and engage with it regularly.
Shabbat shalom