Gentile Kingship Is Untethered from the Ribbono shel Olam
A gentile who attains royalty and kingship disconnects from the Creator. He proclaims that he is in charge of it all! He behaves with hubris, and he expects everyone to bow to him and his wishes.
Conversely, a pious Melech Yisrael is exceedingly humble—for a ba’al ga’avah cannot reside together with Hashem. לדור יכולים והוא אני אין, ash-hem says that he [the ba’al ga’avah] and I cannot live together. If he is a king with hubris, he becomes distanced from the Ribbono shel Olam. And therefore, the mission of a king is to have complete and utter bittul to Hashem.
Bittul to a Jewish King Is Bittul to Hashem
When the Jewish People look up to their king and honor him; when they serve him and nullify themselves to him—as the Torah states that we must nullify ourselves to the king and accord him tremendous honor, otherwise we may be punished by death, chas v’shalom—this bittul is in essence a bittul to the Ribbono shel Olam! For if the great king is himself nullified to the Ribbono shel Olam, then our bittul to him is essentially a bittul the One to Whom he has nullified himself.
Just as the moon accepts light from the sun and has nothing of his own, so too the Melech Yisrael is completely nullified to the Ribbono shel Olam. The moon has none of its own light, and yet when we walk outside at night, we enjoy its light—it has now become a vessel to transmit the light of the sun, even when it’s dark—so too it is with a Jewish king. He is a vessel for bittul to Hashem that can illuminate for all those who nullify themselves to him. And thus, one who lacks humility cannot be a Melech Yisrael.
