In the movie “History of the World Part Two” when Mel Brooks as King Louis XVI does whatever he wants says, “It’s good to be king!” A king as an absolute ruler does whatever he wishes whether he is a good king or an evil king. The Bible presents all the kings of Judah and Israel in this light. However, on today’s daf TB Sanhedrin 21, the sages transforms the king into a yeshiva bukhar, student. I learned all this from Micah Goodman’s book the Last Words of Moses. I highly recommend this book and it is available in English at Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/Last-Words-Moses-Micah-oodman/dp/1592645585/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3OFLXZA04VYLC&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.38qUtJ_iumKKfGl9Lc9s7mL4nlXktOUaqhwngObvI9YrO_FERtBoFOOGLtlr3qVpE-pS2B0mWHof6v_o595HMhFJ0UfRvI7nFOQcsho4NfN_rKVquwoRgRSsbEURTMsyndg_JHgNysZcojOv2ANwP7kTm4CCmNqAhf4yi33wQ4pd-xI1P26XMyfp4j-2fWCOjOqI2MkZimIKIu3kvnSjwx23EevIurCAjbcsxZGl-v8.7Db9PFnPmn5fJGOKwszMLh5ndBmb6IpHJfIMGYGv9Lc&dib_tag=se&keywords=micah+goodman+books&qid=1736264398&sprefix=%2Caps%2C70&sr=8-3.
“MISHNA:
The king “shall not add many wives for himself” (Deuteronomy 17:17), but
only eighteen.” The king is capped having 18 wives while a commoner may
have as many wives as he wishes (although my father always said that a man who
has more than one wife, deserves it). Until the modern period kings married
foreign wives for diplomatic reasons. The marriage would strengthen the relationship
between the two countries and forestall any hostilities. The sages wanted to
limit the number of foreign entanglements the Jewish king could negotiate.
“MISHNA:
The king “shall not accumulate many horses for himself” (Deuteronomy
17:16), but only enough for his chariot in war and in peace. “Neither
shall he greatly accumulate silver and gold for himself” (Deuteronomy
17:17), but only enough to provide his soldiers’ sustenance [aspanya].
And the king writes himself a Torah scroll for his sake, as
stipulated in Deuteronomy 17:18. When he goes out to war, he brings it out
with him. When he comes in from war, he brings it in with him.
When he sits in judgment, it is with him. When he reclines to
eat, it is opposite him, as it is stated: “And it shall be with him and he
shall read it all the days of his life” (Deuteronomy 17:19).”
Limiting the
number of chariots and horses a king may acquire reduces his ability to wage
war. By limiting the amount of gold and silver the king can acquire, he cannot over
tax his subjects nor be allowed to wage milkhamot
rashut, discretionary wars to increase his coffers. Finally, he has to
spend his days like a good yeshiva bukhar
by writing a Torah, keeping it with him at all times, and studying it all day
long.
The king is
now transformed from an absolute ruler who may do whatever he wishes to a yeshiva bukhar who studies Torah day and
night.
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