Monarchy

נמצאו 24 תוצאות חיפוש

The Image of the Jewish King According to the Torah
Rabbi Elyakim Krumbein
What is the purpose and function of the king?
Give us a King I
Chapter 8 (Part I)
Rabbi Amnon Bazak
Chapter 8 describes one of the most dramatic events in the bible: the nation's request for a king. Despite the fact that the laws of the king are discussed in the Torah, God and Shmuel are both negative about the request. This lesson will analyze the reason for the negative reactions to the nation's request, and discuss whether monarchy is positive or negative.
Give us a King II
Chapter 8 (Part II)
Rabbi Amnon Bazak
After the nation requested a king, Shmuel is sent to explain the dangers of monarchy. Shmuel's outlook on the future of the nation is grim. Does his description express a legitimate reality? What does Shmuel wish to achieve with this description? Which rhetorical elements does he use to get his point across?
First Encounter with Shaul (III)
Chapter 9 (Part III)
Rabbi Amnon Bazak
This lesson will discuss the discrepancies between chapters 8 and 9 regarding the monarchy, a central dilemma that affects the entire book. The 'Breuer’s Aspects Theory' is introduced to resolve discrepancies in general and to explain these discrepancies in the context of the monarchy.
First War against Pelishtim (IV)
Chapters 13-14 (Part IV)
Rabbi Amnon Bazak
The description of Shaul's failure and Jonathan's success is accompanied by a parallel between these characters and the character of Gideon. This lesson will explore the parallel and its significance.
David and Golyat (III)
Chapter 17 (Part III)
Rabbi Amnon Bazak
This lesson will conclude the discussion about David and Golyat, and analyze the discrepancies between chapters 16 and 17. We will focus on the reason Shaul doesn't recognize David, despite the fact that he was his musician and squire.
Why Was this Megilla Written?
Introduction to Ruth
Dr. Yael Ziegler
What can we learn from the Book of Ruth? Is the purpose of Ruth to teach us about chessed? Or perhaps to clarify David's ancestry, and the fact that he descended from Moab? This lesson will show that Ruth discusses the generosity required to create the dynasty of the House of David, and inaugurate a monarchy free of corruption, which is worthy of leading the Nation of Israel.
Megillat Ruth and the Book of Shoftim: Part I
Dr. Yael Ziegler
The story of Ruth takes place during the Era of Judges. The Book of Judges describes a lack of leadership which leads to spiritual, moral, and social deterioration. The Book of Ruth presents Boaz as a worthy leader from the Tribe of Judah - foreshadowing the appropriate dynasty for monarchy as a solution to the problems presented in the Book of Judges.
Natan's Vision: The Everlasting Kingdom of the House of David
Chapter 7 (II)
Rabbi Amnon Bazak
God rejects David's request to build the Temple, but promises him an eternal monarchy over the nation of Israel. Is there a relationship between the two issues? Is eternal monarchy conditional? How did David respond to Nathan's vision?
Double Danger
Haftarot: Va'yehi
Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein
The king possesses a unique personal status, but is also a national figure. David's deathbed instructions to Shlomo are examined based on both elements.
Requesting a King
Haftarot: Korah
Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein
Why does the nation ask for a king? When is a judge preferable to a king, and when is a king the better option? The nation requests a king when Shmuel is the leader, and he believes his leadership is preferable to the leadership of a king. Shmuel presents the spiritual dangers of monarchy and a world that is less sensitive to God's intervention.
Megillath Ruth: Paradigm of Kindness and Mother of Kingship
Part 1
Dr. Yael Ziegler |
This series will look at Ruth in its Biblical contexts. The end of the Megilla lists the lineage of King David, who is Ruth's progeny. Is monarchy a biblical ideal? Ruth exemplifies chesed, and often goes far beyond what we would expect from regular people. It provides a hope of counteracting the danger of tyranny which often comes with monarchy by ensuring that David is genetically pre-disposed to extreme chesed and unselfishness.
Ruth's Kindness as a Model for Monarchy
Dr. Yael Ziegler |
The extreme kindness demonstrated by Ruth is almost self-effacing, and cannot be used as a model emulated by regular people. What, then, is the purpose of this book?

Ruth is the matriarch of the dynasty of David. The nature of monarchy can lead to the king's misuse of his power to promote his own interests, at the expense of the nation. Extreme kindness, chessed, and concern for others, can protect the king from corruption. Ruth presents a model that can defend a king from his own strength, and ensure that the king channels his powers for the good of the nation.
Naomi's Child: The Movement toward Kingship
Dr. Yael Ziegler
In Ruth and Naomi's struggle for food and progeny, God gives both through his agent Boaz. The story is filled throughout with blessings symbolizing the end of the accursed era of the Judges and the ushering in of the blessed Davidic dynasty. Boaz and Ruth disappear from the narrative leaving only Naomi's character.
The Victory Over Midyan
Rabbi Michael Hattin
Gideon's brief but disturbing exchanges with the people of Sukkot and Pnuel highlights an ongoing problem in the book of Judges: The feeling among certain tribes or even towns within tribes that unless direct and immediate benefit was to accrue to them for their participation in the larger conflicts, they would much prefer to sit it out and leave the fighting to someone else, namely, their compatriots that were more directly threatened by the oppressor. The tribes still had a very long way to go in forging a national identity that could transcend narrow partisan concerns to address the greater issues and threats of the day.

The Midianites raise the possibility of Gideon being a king, a possibility that the people subsequently raise, but Gideon refuses because he feels that such innovations will have the effect of shifting communal and national focus away from serving God to instead concentrate it upon man.

The end of Gideon's life is marred by the episode of the golden Ephod, but his victories are remembered and referred to throughout Tanakh.
The Brief Reign of Avimelekh
Rabbi Michael Hattin
Yotam, in his parable comparing Avimelekh to an Atad is stating that Avimelekh lacks any of the constructive and useful qualifications to become a good king and useful leader, he has seized the vacant position by force. And though he promises to protect those who had been persuaded to appoint him, in the end he will destroy them and himself with his self-centered recklessness.

This chapter serves as a severe caution, providing us with a profile of the anti-ruler who must not be empowered even when the people are justifiably desperate for leadership. The anti-ruler candidate possesses a lust for power that should immediately be regarded with suspicion and alarm.
The Shepherds of Israel, in the Past and in the Future
Dr. Tova Ganzel
Yehezkel records a harsh prophecy directed against the kings of Israel, the nation’s leaders, whom he compares to shepherds who do not tend to their flocks. In the future, the leadership will be taken from these shepherds who failed in the past to properly lead the nation. God Himself will gather up the flock, rehabilitate it and hand it over to a different shepherd who will fulfill his role faithfully.

The new shepherd will be a descendant of David. However, the present model of leadership will come to an end. It will not be a mere technical replacement of personnel, but rather a fundamental change in the essence of the role. Therefore in speaking of David’s future status he is not referred to as “king” but as a “Nasi” – prince.

Since the institution of kingship has failed, an alternative form of leadership must replace it. One of the roles of the king of Israel is to bring about a situation that will facilitate the Divine Presence coming to rest amongst the nation. The kings of Israel, as depicted in Sefer Yehezkel, brought about the opposite situation: defilement and the distancing of the Divine Presence. Now it is too late; there is no repair for the corrupt kingship, and therefore it is replaced by the station of the “Nasi.”
Lions of Judah
Rabbi Ben-Tzion Spitz
Monarchical Vacillation
Rabbi Ben-Tzion Spitz
Authorship of the Books of the Prophets and Writings
Part 3
Rabbi Amnon Bazak
Internal contradictions within the appointment of Shaul as king and the crossing of the Jordan in the time of Yehoshua are examined. Bible critics over the generations have raised suggestions as to how the various verses represent different sources, without any such division successfully solving the issue. Here, too, it seems that the aspects approach may be utilized to show how the text endeavors, by means of overlapping descriptions, to convey the different aspects of the story.

These examples demonstrate that the "aspects approach" represents an effective and practical way of understanding textual difficulties in the Books of the Prophets, just as it is in explaining similar difficulties that arise in the Torah itself.
The Prince and the Prison
Rabbi Chanoch Waxman
Yosef finds favour while he is a slave in Egypt - in Potiphar’s house, and in jail. The text emphasizes again and again how God is helping Yosef. But if this is so, why does God bring Yosef continually downward? What is the meaning and message of Yosef’s descent?
Rav Amital on the Unnatural Jewish Monarchy
Rabbi David Silverberg
Haftarat Vayechi: Why Shlomo?
Rabbi Jonathan Snowbell | 16 דקות
In this shiur, we look at optimistic ideas about kingship and the Beit HaMikdash. We examine David's instructions for what is to happen when he is gone, detailed in this week’s haftara. How does the Torah counter the problems that can come with a dynasty? We analyze the haftara: how is Shlomo chosen as king of Israel? What qualities does he have that can help with this? We look at this week's parasha for clues about Yehuda's selection for the future monarchy. Shlomo signifies not perfection, but teshuva and ability to recognize and correct mistakes.
Why did the Ammonite Threat Provoke the Israelites to Demand a King?
Rabbi David Silverberg