“...and you shall say, “I will place upon me a king, like all the nations that are around me.” (Devarim 17:14)
While some commentaries say that it is an actual mitzvah to articulate the desire for a king, others say that the word “v’amarta” is similar to the one used by “and you will say “I wish to eat meat,”” meaning that it is foretelling a future desire that the Jews would have. They would say this to themselves, not as a specific ritual. Though ultimately the intent was for the Jews to have a king, the timing thereof was not set by the Torah and, in fact, when we asked for a king at the time of Shmuel Hanavi, it was condemned by Shmuel.
If it was a mitzvah, then why did Shmuel oppose it? The almost universal explanation on this posuk is that though the Jews were supposed to have a king, the reason for that king was important. It was not to be, as stated here, “like all the nations around me.” We do not look for a sovereign government to compete with the other countries of the world. Rather, a Jewish king is for an altogether different purpose.
Our Parsha begins with the words, “Shoftim v’Shotrim, Judges and Police.” We are to establish a means for maintaining order in the world and specifically in our own communities. No longer do we have what once was – “each man what is proper in his eyes shall he do.” Now, we are to follow what Hashem has told us.
The judges are there to identify what is right, while the police are there to enforce it and ensure that we behave as we are supposed to. This is the role of a Jewish king as well, to ensure that the people are following Hashem’s word. While the governments of other nations are trying to protect their citizens’ rights, the Jewish ruler sought to protect their responsibilities.
The personal desire and need to ensure that we did what we were supposed to would ideally be the motivator for wanting a king. Because we want to do the right thing, we ask for someone to help us follow through, much as someone would hire a coach or trainer.
We find that in the desert, Moshe appointed tens of thousands of judges, one for every 7 people or so. Were they so litigious? No. The purpose of the judges then was because each person was trying to live up to what he owed his fellow man and they were constantly seeking guidance. This is the nature of the Jew in the world. We don’t fight for what is ours, but we battle to do what is right and what we ought. The king we seek will lead that charge; may he arrive speedily and in our days.
