English translation — שופטים א

1.

Regarding the commandment of appointing a king — "You shall surely set over yourself a king"¹

— the question is known²

When the Jews asked the prophet Samuel "Give us a king," he was very displeased with this³,

and also the Almighty said "For they have rejected Me, etc."⁴

— and at first glance,

this is indeed a commandment that the Almighty <b>commanded</b> the Jews?

And especially according to the statement of our Sages⁵

"Three commandments were commanded to Israel upon their entry into the land: to appoint for themselves a king, etc." — from which it is understood,

that this is a most exalted commandment,

and even from the commandments dependent on the Land.

And again,

If their demand for a king at that time was an undesirable thing — why did the Almighty then tell Samuel the prophet that he should give in to the Jews and appoint a king over them?

B.

In Chassidus⁶

it is explained in this,

that the intention of the appointment of a king is in two ways

(this above that)

a)

A simple reason,

because

(in the language

of the Mishnah⁷)

"Were it not for the fear

(of the government)

a man would swallow his fellow alive" — that the king should lead and do so that the conduct of the citizens should be proper.

Even when the intellect understands that one must conduct oneself properly,

it is however not enough,

because the eye sees and the heart covets etc.⁸

— and therefore one must come to fear of the king,

which causes that one should conduct oneself in the straight path.

b)

When the situation is that the mind rules over the heart constantly — it is not necessary an appointment of a king for the matter mentioned; there are however such matters,

that the people have no knowledge to understand how one must conduct oneself in them — only the king, from his superiority that from his shoulder and above he is higher than all the people⁹

understands them,

and he issues decrees how one should conduct oneself — and the citizens of the state do so,

because thus the king commanded.

And this is the matter of the appointment of a king

(in its inwardness and in its root)

by the Jewish people — whose Master and King is the Most High,

and the king of flesh and blood,

who is appointed,

is the intermediary who reveals His kingship to Jews:

Jews, from their own perspective, are believers,

understand and feel that their vitality derives from

(His kingship of)

the Holy One, blessed be He,

which should arouse in them the

Bitul to the Supreme One.

But when they are in a state and they lack this bitul,

they must come to a king of flesh and blood,

that through fear of his kingdom etc. there is awakened in them a fear and bitul to the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He.

But when Jews are as it should be and they have <b>the </b>bitul to G‑dliness from their own selves,

then the function of

(appointment)

king is in a higher manner: the levels in G‑dliness to which Jews cannot attain from their own selves,

because the levels are <b>higher </b>than their comprehension — the king

(who, from his superiority as above, has comprehension also in them)

draws down and influences them to the Jewish people — and this effects in Jews also a higher manner of fear and bitul,

a bitul that is higher than their understanding and comprehension.

3.

Based on this, the above questions are answered:

Samuel the prophet wanted that the situation of Jews should be in a manner that they should stand with a bittul to Elokus from their own side,

not coming to a king — and the king should effect in them the higher level of bittul and yirah

(in general — yirah <b>ila'ah</b>)

; Jews however requested a "king to judge us <b>like all the nations</b>"¹⁰

— a king who should protect them from "ish es rei'eihu chayim bale'u" — which shows that they lacked the level of yiras Shamayim,

What Jews need to have from their own essence.

And therefore the Almighty said "for they have despised Me etc." — they lack fear of Heaven.

And it is understood,

that nevertheless the Almighty "gave in" to them and commanded to appoint a king — because when a Jew lacks fear,

for whatever reason,

then even though he <b>must</b> by himself,

without the influence of a king,

arrive at this self-nullification — nevertheless one cannot wait — and until then he should be, heaven forbid, a Jew without the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven;

He must immediately accept upon himself a king,

who should protect him in <b>the </b>matters; and afterwards in the course of time,

he will from himself come to the level of bittul and yirah,

until also to the levels of type beis through a king,

as above.

D.

From every matter one must extract a lesson in the service of Hashem:

Even though in the time of exile there is no king — but Chazal say&lt;sup&gt;11&lt;/sup&gt;

"Who are kings? The rabbis."

Just as there is the commandment of appointing a king,

so too does a Jew have upon himself the command of "kings are rabbis" — "Make for yourself a rav"&lt;sup&gt;12&lt;/sup&gt;.

And upon this is the lesson of the aforementioned matter: There are those who think,

that regarding the lowly matters they can themselves understand and decide,

and consequently they need not ask about this by a "rav".

The Mishnah says "Make for yourself a teacher,"

<b>Every </b>Jew needs to have a "teacher" — they think, however,

that by this are meant the

elevated matters; but when it comes to simple matters,

he is a believer in himself,

he does not need to come to influence from a teacher.

This he can do himself.

Oy,

a span of time passes and he still stands in the same low state — nevertheless he thinks,

it is not worthwhile with this to go to the "Rav".

He will wait "until a spirit from on high will be poured upon him",

until he will be aroused with fear as is proper and fix everything that he needs to fix — by his own power.

About this is the instruction of the appointment of a king in spirituality now: although that

(<b>upon you</b> — among Jews)

its essence and activity of the king is primarily related regarding higher levels,

but when there is a situation of "Me they have despised",

G-d forbid,

or a suspicion of this — one must immediately use the fear of the king regarding this.

5.

There are also those who say,

that they do not find for themselves any "Rav".

They must know that this is from the counsel and temptation of the evil inclination.

Because lo alman Yisrael¹³,

and it is not possible the reality,

that among Jews there should not be one who has more love of Hashem and fear of Hashem than him — and can consequently be for him a "Rav"¹⁴.

Only for this is needed <b>aseh </b>

(also from the 30 [positive commandments] that are incumbent regarding charity¹⁵,

subduing one's own self)

and <b>yegiah </b>— he must toil and seek,

until he will find a "Rav".

Because upon oneself one may not rely¹⁶

— one must have a "Rav".

And yagaata <b>umatzata</b>¹⁷

— if he will labor and seek with truth he will find a Rav.

And the "Rav" will "study" with him the portions that the king used to read in Hakhel — Shema and Vehaya Im Shamoa¹⁸

etc.; first Shema which is acceptance of the yoke of the kingdom of heaven¹⁹,

and then "Vehaya Im Shamoa etc.

(And)

Veasafta Deganecha",

he will give him to understand also in comprehension that the "Veasafta Deganecha" depends on the "Shamoa Tishme'u";

And after the "Rav" will arouse in him the lower level of self-nullification and acceptance of the yoke,

he will then draw down upon him the higher level — yirah ila'ah.

And the above-mentioned has a special connection to the footsteps of Moshiach,

the eve of the coming of Moshiach Tzidkeinu — whose essence is indeed both matters²⁰

: Rav

(will teach Torah to all — even to the Patriarchs and Moshe Rabbeinu²¹)

and King — King Moshiach.

the year of Hakhel,

5713)