Deut. 16:18-21:9
Précis: The parasha Shoftim (literally, “judges”) is devoted primarily to various themes of justice, and includes warnings against false testimony, idol worship, and the dangers posed by mortal kings. The parasha also warns the people against false prophets, magicians, soothsayers and witches. It establishes requirements for cities of refuge in the Promised Land. In short, the parasha is devoted to ways to create a just society in the Land of Israel.
Deut. 17:18-20 “As he presides upon his royal throne, he must inscribe a copy of this Torah for himself upon a scroll, in the presence of the Levitical priests. It must always be with him, and he shall read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God, taking care to keep all the words of this commandment and these decrees, not considering himself superior to his people, or straying from the commandments to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign long in the midst of Israel.”
The king described in these verses must have humility. As Rabbi Sacks suggested, “The highest in the land should not feel himself to be the highest in the land” (Rabbi Sacks Legacy, 8/28/25). Other commands about the king appear in this parsha: he must not accumulate horses, he should not have “too many” wives, he should not accumulate “too much” wealth. These are obvious temptations to a king. But these actions were symptoms, not the cause of improper kingship. The real problem was a king believing that since he was “above” the people he was “above” the law.
This was the intent of the Torah text. As Maimonides points out, “Just as the Torah grants him [the king] great honor and obliges everyone to revere him, so it commands him to be lowly and empty at heart, as it says, ‘My heart is empty within me’ (Ps. 109:22). Nor should he treat Israel with overbearing haughtiness, for it says, “So that his heart be not haughty over his brothers” (Deut. 17:20). He should be gracious and merciful to the small and the great, involving himself in their good and welfare. He should protect the honor of even the humblest of men. When he speaks to the people as a community, he should speak gently, as it says, “Listen my brothers and my people….” (I Chronicles 28:2), and similarly, “If today you will be a servant to these people…” (I Kings 12:7). He should always conduct himself with great humility. There was none greater than Moses, our teacher. Yet he said: “What are we? Your complaints are not against us” (Ex. 16:8). He should bear the nation's difficulties, burdens, complaints and anger as a nurse carries an infant (Maimonides, Laws of Kings 2:6)."
Usually, I have some comments on cited text. This week, I prefer to let Maimonides speak for himself, since its application is obvious.
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