King – Command or Permissible

Found 7 Search results

  1. Kingly Appointments

    Rabbi Yaakov Beasley

    The ambiguous formulations of the Torah regarding the King make it unclear whether appointing a King is commanded or permissible. Disagreements on this matter span from the time of the Sages to Medieval commentators. The ambiguity points to a need of a consensus by the nation.

  2. Monarchical Vacillation

    Rabbi Ben-Tzion Spitz

  3. What is the Torah's Ideal Political System?

    Rabbi Elchanan Samet

    Is the commandment to appoint a king a mandatory one, or is it based on the will of the people? This article examines the various opinions in light of the verses in Parshat Shoftim and the appointment of the first king, Shaul, by Shmuel. 

  4. Authorship of the Books of the Prophets and Writings

    Part 3

    Rabbi Amnon Bazak

    Internal contradictions within the appointment of Shaul as king and the crossing of the Jordan in the time of Yehoshua are examined.  Bible critics over the generations have raised suggestions as to how the various verses represent different sources, without any such division successfully solving the issue. Here, too, it seems that the aspects approach may be utilized to show how the text endeavors, by means of overlapping descriptions, to convey the different aspects of the story.

    These examples demonstrate that the "aspects approach" represents an effective and practical way of understanding textual difficulties in the Books of the Prophets, just as it is in explaining similar difficulties that arise in the Torah itself.

  5. Rav Amital on the Unnatural Jewish Monarchy

    Rabbi David Silverberg

  6. Who Wrote the Book of Shmuel, and Why it makes a Difference

    Rabbi Menachem Leibtag

    תאריך פרסום: תשע"ה | | Hour and 10 minutes

    If one reads Sefer Shmuel, one may be bothered- how can we sing songs of King David when he did things that are problematic? Why was he chosen for a continued dynasty? And if he is supposed to be a model king, why are there so many negative things about King David in Sefer Shmuel? In this shiur, we hope to answer not only the question of who wrote the book, but the question of what the prophetic purpose of the book is. The prophet can put things in perspective: justifying cases where they king looked guilty but was innocent, criticizing the king for his sins, and highlighting that though flawed, David is a good leader. He admits his sins and repents, is generally humble, has a sensible political domestic and foreign approach and works toward aspirations to elevate the people to be God's nation.

     

  7. Raining on the Request for a King

    Rabbi David Silverberg