Parshas Shoftim with Rabbi Yehoshua Weber

Okay. So the the topic dour is supposed to be malus, right? What our attitude to towards kings is monarchs in general. Are they good? Are they bad? Is is it something the Torah wants us to have as the Torah is that something tolerates? Or is it something that the Torah actually really doesn't want us to have at all, but it allows it because you really have no choice. The sometimes does that, right? An extreme situation. An extreme situation. Not saying malus is this but in extreme situations the concept of a person goes to battle he sees any woman that he finds attractive and if you don't allow him to have relationship with her he may have a relationship anyway so the Torah allows it not because it's good and not because it's even been the evidence terrible but we know that if you don't allow it he might just have that relationship anyway we don't want that to happen outside the framework of mitzvah so we allow it in this limited way. Um because you know otherwise there's just no choice in the matter. How do we view Malik? So it's actually a little bit surprising. You'll see a range of approaches among the some say it's really good to be ruled by a king. Some say it's actually really bad to be ruled by a king. Well, who's going to rule you if you don't have a king? Well, who rules you in contemporary America? Who rules you in contemporary Israel? There's a democracy. people vote and at least the Abarbanel says that's a much much much better thing because when you give a person too much power um you know the saying in English power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely now well why does the Torah allow it because if you don't allow it people are going to have a king anyway and let's sort of wind the clock back a little bit you know you can criticize America you can criticize the Israeli parliamentary system but essentially they work they're democracies um people's rights are respected. You don't have so many abuses. But how does democracy work? How do democracies work? People vote. And how do people vote? They have candidates. That means there's publicity. There's um ways to tabulate votes. There's you have technology that allows it. But wind back 5,000 years, how would you have a democracy? How would you even vote? You would have people vote in their little on little pieces of paper. You would count them. You transport them back to the center, I guess. >> But but a guy isn't to vote, right? So it was really, really hard. So in the ancient world, if you wanted leadership, if you didn't have monarchy, where you had a king and a son was king instead of him, you wouldn't have anything cuz it would be very hard to get democracy going. The Torah might have allowed monarchy, not because it's a good thing. It might have been a very bad thing, but because there may have been no choice. But in a world in which there are choices, a monarchy might not be a good thing at all, the Torah might not might not want it and the Torah might dissuade against it. Okay, so with just an introduction, let's get going. Let's start. And the starting point would be the pukim. The pukum that talk about malus are actually really surprising just the actual themselves. tells you come to the land saying gives you you take ownership of the land you settle there let me appoint a king of myself like all the what's odd about this the Torah is full of mitzvah right when the Torah tells you to perform a mitzvah doesn't say well if you want to perform a mitzvah you should perform a mitzvah you want to take l of filling you should wait film Why are you comparing to the guy? Like why >> that's another point and we're also comparing to the guy. So the first thing is the term makes it sound like it's optional. You want a you want a king you can have a king and then you say if I want a king to be like the go. It sounds terrible. It sounds like it's optional which you never have by mitzvah. You put on fillin and you take lulin and you and you make kesh on chabas. You do what you got to do. You don't say oh if I want to do it I'll do it. And you don't do mitzvah to be like goim. You do mitzvah because you're supposed to have a Jewish identity. It's a very strange strange I it's not strange. But the simple reading is very um troubling very hard to understand. And then the tells you well if you ask the next is also a little odd. We want to tell you that the king has to be Jewish. Makes sense. Even though why would you but the emphasizes it again and again point the king that that likes that um at least three times the repeats the same thing never does that every vow every syllable matters three times the terra goes out of its way to tell you the king has to be one of your own. You can't appoint um um um Ferdinand Isabella. Like why does the terror repeat this three times? So um let's let's analyze the story. And the best way to analyze the story is to travel with me to shul where we deal with the story of of the first malas, right? We came to we at Chaft Shftim. It's really hard to know exactly what they were, but it wasn't a a monarchy where it was transmitted father to son. It wasn't a dynasty. You had a person who ruled because he was most qualified. He died. Generally, someone else took over. So, there were stories about children taking over, but not that's not the way it was meant to be. These um chauffeim really seemed to have been military heroes, strong people, right? That's they didn't seem to be people who sat and learned, but they were they were they were military. Um um their their prowess was military. And I'll tell you, I couldn't resist eating it. Um because right among friends here, right? You're a friend. You're going to if you're a friend. Let me I want to read a Rambam. Um >> let me know and I'll you know. >> Okay. The Rambam wrote a letter to Right. It's the Rambam, right? This is not you know this is the Rambam, right? You can't get more authoritative than the Rambam. Why was the second base of mus destroyed? for sure that played a role. Why was the first place destroyed right various the Rama says and then we have they didn't appreciate the Torah for sure that played a role you know you know what the Rama chooses to highlight look at the Ram source 10 >> he writes angeras so now could be thearas is forged but it isn't no one claims it is vodarasal his words in the Um, letter writes must say that that they looked at the idolatrous rights. They looked at the stargazers and what happens when they looked at the stargazers. How did that impact in their ability to succeed in war? The Rambam says it's not all it's about. He says when you're busy with a visor, you're not just doing an ava. You know what you're doing? You're also wasting your efforts on stupid things because you'll have the superstitious guy who tells you stand under the moon and stand on your head and spit wooden nickels and eat five pieces of schnitle and then you'll win your war and pay me money. If you would go to a military academy, they would tell you form an army and this is your battle strategy. A vidazara is not just the aa of a vidazara. When you have a a a group of people who follow leaders who don't have a sensible religion, they'll tell them all sorts of terrorist lux and all types of silly things and they won't do practical things. According to the Rambam, he's not saying that's all it is. And I'm not saying it's all it is, but the Rambam says this. And you really don't find a more authoritative source than the Rambam. Part of the problem with the vidazar is is that you're going to do stupid things because these are stupid religions that are based on paganistic ideas, gods who don't exist. And when you have sup people doing superstitious things, so they'll do this magic thing, they'll do that magic thing. Instead of having proper medicine, they'll pour lead this way and lead that way. That's not what you do. When if you want to fight a war, you learn battle strategy. You you you have a draft. You get people together. You train them in military skills, you um practice strategy, you learn. That's what you do. Do you see what the Ram is saying? >> What's he wrote down about blood? Is there there's a Facebook? >> So, that was just me being inappropriate. >> So, I'm saying is there there's a >> I don't know any I don't know. I don't >> I think what he's hinting at is the red string. >> I'm not going there and all. >> Yes. I don't know how that works. I I know that such things happen in our community. It's Yeah. I don't know. Is there a basement or just >> I don't I don't know base. Right. So, and I but I do know good people who put a lot of effort into things like that when they can just as easily be going to a doctor or watching their diet >> where they start charging money for all those >> they always charge money. None of these things happen without money. Now, it's it's it's a very strange coincidence, right? That it's a str that anyone does it to make money, but the funny thing is is that it's just a straight there's always money involved. Duck on an album by the closer. >> So um this ram is very important. I mean this ram is is there's more here than meets the end. Now why am I I'm raising this? You need to succeed practically in the ancient world. You couldn't organize a society. You get a bunch of nomads coming to what are you going to do? You'll set up a democracy. How are you going to do it? You'll you'll organize um you'll have people voting. You'll set up voting booths and you'll you'll send computerized ballots. How are you going to vote? How are you going to communicate? 12 different and you need a central authority. If you don't have a central authority leading you, you're finished because you're surrounded by enemies who are going to invade. So practically speaking, you need a king. Is it something that's a wonderful thing religiously? Could be for sure some shim say that. Is it something that's not so great? Could also be shim say that. Why does the So why does the allow it? So initially when you came there too you had no choice. Initially it's wild. You have shim but you want to settle down. And you want everyone to work together. If you have a king with a dynasty with children, the father dies, the child takes over, the child dies, his child takes over, at least you have leadership. But I must tell you when we talk about the first king, it's a story in actually you know the the language is worse than you would expect. So look at the language here. Now >> the difference between a and a king. >> So a is not a dynasty. A king is that means a king is who uban of a that means his son as first dibs is just the general duour who is strong who we appoint but he's but he doesn't if >> does he have the same authority as >> um no so the rules but I think the primary we'll see the primary difference that it's not a dynasty he won't have the same authority either in ter but the prime at least how the defines it and we'll soon see why I'm quoting this >> like this is action um between the and stuff are those are just >> so the RAM is actually not drama is a general statement about what leadership is about it's about practical you need a practical leader dhamma is really an introduction we we'll see the sheetas now okay but you these are good questions so when you look at schmoo the first day of the king it's horrible is aging and logical to him would be that his children take over his children are not what they should be now it's and there are stories in the deb's children not being quite what they should be um and like a children before him and Pikashak He appointed them in in positions, but they weren't what they should have been. Um there were improprieties happening. Um and and and judgment wasn't appropriate. Skeptical. They came to him on third line. Your age, you'll be passing on your children are following your path. See, let's have a king because um and and this the languages come um the was it was really bad to him that now is really upset by this. Now remember this was also so hurtful because his own children weren't what they should have been. But no father can hear that his children aren't what they should be. There's nothing that's more painful to a parent. And so this is very very hurtful. But he also, it seems the whole idea of a king was foreign to him. And seems to agree. Um um let's continue. Um listen to the people. It's not you that they're disgusted by they're disgusted by me by asking for a king that turning away from. And why is saying this? If it's if it's because they don't want Shu's children to rule, the Pik is explicit. Shul's children were not really they um you know it's you don't want to speak badly about the children of Shulavi, but the Pik says they took bribes. What exactly it means, I don't know, but some impropriy. um there was some type of miscarriage of justice mishbat. So it's it's appropriate for them not to leave. It's the is absolutely clear. Um so they're asking for a king but says kings are not good. They they despise me. And then criticizes them terribly. Says that from the moment they left Egypt made mistakes and that this is one of those mistakes and it seems to be referring to you know the problems in the desert the the all the complaints the um the love and the moragum and and the egel and and and during during the years up to so it's and then pulls him he warns him. He says you'll appoint the king over you. You know what he's going to do? He's going to take your daughters to bake for you and your sons to run before the chariots. He's going to steal your land and steal your crops and confiscate you. He says, "Why do you want this?" And the people said, "We need it. We need leadership." And said, "If that's what they want, they'll get it, but it's not good for them." So here the we need dynasties if appointed up why. >> So that's a very very good question and I think the answer would be is that kadesh doesn't really invol tries to create a ha where kadesh isn't involved. You don't see nam every day. That's not the way the world is supposed to function. It's supposed to function with some type of esropotum. So it we need to so what you have is a dynasty. Now today we can have elections but elections were very hard then. Right. So so the pik is actually curious. The nvi is is very negative more so than people realize. Look after pikmu is negative and was negative. And then the garra reflects back in these two stories. It reflects back on the pasim and then it reflects back on on on the story in it brings down twoas about what her attitudes towards um a king rahuda and rab nayroy. It's really hard to know what pac is. We generally pass like of mayor his voice usually prevails and they argue about what what what are attitudes towards the king and it's it's the gumar it's thefta it's it's it's the missions it's it's it's just it's a argument that repeats itself in many many places. Okay. You're happy you joined. Okay. And we're friends. So you got a friendship you get a share and you get you're set. Okay. Okay. So the three mitzvah these are three mitzvah that are imperative. we suggest it's really a little bit of an aor almost they have tinus so have a king it almost sounds like he's comparing it almost you have to be very careful because um it's not for me to make absolute comparisons but there are mitzvah that aren't really mitzvah but where allows people to do something that is not good but if it's what you have to do it's what you have to do and again the classic example I referred to before is a terrible thing a man is at war. He's um it's Darwinian. It's bloody. It's hand-to- hand combat. 60 70% of the people that you fight with are dead already. You killed your enemy handto hand. And and here there's this woman that you captured. And we'll give a share in this. I think we I think we learned this together. This woman I I don't think we did this in the shar. This woman at least according to the nitiv was a prostitute who traveled with the enemy army. She wasn't just any woman. I think we went through this. I know that. >> Yeah. That's the reading. So >> that means you can't just violate any woman that you capture. But there were women who would travel with the enemy army as >> for what reason? >> To to to service them, >> right? Um so then I'm I'm I'm I'm changing what the nitiv says. He says not so much to service them but to be trophy wives to held up that if if a if a warrior is very strong and successful, he'll be zoh to marry this woman. But she was really in a terribly moderate situation. She was part of the enemy battalion. So to hold a man back from violating her when anyway anyway she represented the enemy army was very very hard. The nitiv says he couldn't violate any woman he captured just those women. Nitiv has a strong base in the guess we never came up in a shir here but we learned this when I think we went through this right oh we didn't see I don't remember what I learned where >> right um um so um so but any which way but but it it's a terrible thing the tyra allows it because because if you don't allow it he's going to violate her anyway because he's so going to do well then >> it's a way to sort of keep within the framework sometimes you know you know a parent will sometimes allow a child your child is 20 this is a bad thing you don't want your child to do it but he's not going to listen to you right so >> well that's the result of of that relationship >> well yes yes but remember so sometimes you allow a child because um because you know this is what you have to do and the child has to make his mistake right so the tyra allows this with the fastra There's an meat. He's not a fan of meat. The ty loves meat because people are going to eat it anyway. Just you can't control them. But um the um at least Rebay seems to be saying people wanted a king because they felt insecure without a king. So the terra allows it. But it's not a good thing. That's what he seems to be saying. Is very explicit and the language of the lends itself. You know will allow it. So he has a strong base in the past. But how do we Pascin where really do do we go? So you could almost predict right we shine them like the Rambal who try to keep things very black and white say no the Tyra says to have a king and it's the Ram also actually the Tyra says to have a king you have a king that's it um it means we'll explain what does the Raman say about this the Raman says well why does if if you're allowed to have a king why does the Tyra tell you that just say have a king take Lul here we villain have a king It's a mitzvah. But you know, we're not telling you have a king, it's a mitzvah. We're telling you if you ask for it, you'll have it. Why is it they were writing it that way? I mean, at least according to it's not really mitzvah, but according to this seems to be what the says, so it would be normative. It it's it's it's a mitzvah like all other mitzvah. So why do we write it this way? >> Whether it is or not, it's still awkward wording for sure. >> So why does he use awkward wording? >> Why does it do that? Um, so it's it's the Ramban and it's a quintessential Ramban. It's an arctypical classic Ramban. It's Ramban in sync with all the other Rambans to the Tyra. The Ramban is a great believer in the Torah being a code that tells you the future. Uh, mice have a similar um learning for a little bit of time, but not this these Rambans haven't come up here, but you've learned them, right? You've seen these Rambans, right? The Torah talks about twoas, right? twoas, one at the end of one at the end of why what does the Raman say? You can guess what the Ramban says. >> First and second, it's all foretold. Babel says it's not true. It's foretold because it's all based on if they would do if they wouldn't have done a varan says it's foretold. The Torah talks about six days of creation. Why six? >> It's this is human destiny to a large degree is foretold. You'll say free choice. The Romans says how far is free choice? There's a limit to free choice. What? That's not so you know the we can't these are the greatest minds have all debated this. Every 16-year-old stays awake at at trying to resolve it. Every 46-year-old knows that he can't and and he starts sleeping again. Such is the nature of life. Right? This is it's but um but let's come back. But 16-year-olds I think that's very good. You should know but at 46 you don't think the same way. Right? So um >> so the world was created in six days. Why six days? How world how long is the world supposed to last? 6,000 years. The first day is the first thousand. It's the Ramban, right? Um my similar, right? The whole story of the AOS, you've heard this in Shagurum. This is standard in every yeshiva mim, right? Abram goes down to Egypt. We're going to go down to Egypt. Abram suffered in Egypt. His wife was they tried to violate his wife, but he got out and he came out with riches. We went down to Egypt. We suffered. We left with great riches. Right? You've heard these Rambans, right? The Raman believes everything is foretold. Everything is there in the Torah. That means people make choices but not so so much. So what do you think the Raman says? The Raman says the Tyra uses because what is the foreshadowing? What is this about the way people are going to ask for the king? The first time they asked for the king what do they say? We want them like the They shouldn't have asked that way but that's the way they asked. So the Torah records this as a foreshadowing as an avua of what eventually was going to happen. It's it's it's it's classic classic Raman. It's part of the Raman's whole you know people have an approach you would you know some people like that you know some people when a conversation like this take it this way some people take it that way. The Ramban is a great believer in the Tyra being sort of a scientific document that foretells the future. Again, you have to be careful because then there's no free choice. You take it all away. But the Ramban more than other is that's the Ramban. This is so this that's the Raman's answer, right? That why does the Terra use awkward language to foreshadow what's going to happen? Will the satisfy all resham? No, because the Raman takes away free choice. At least some level of choice. >> Foreshadow. Okay. But now why is it important though? >> So, so the T is full of secrets about the future. That's the Ramban's um that's one of his primary ideas because we're supposed to know. We're supposed to look to the Torah to tell us the way things are going to be. >> My question is is when the Torah does do that and it happens very often, there's a lesson that's learned out of it. My question is what's the lesson? >> Uh maybe the maybe it's just guidance and how to live. Maybe it's this is the human condition. Maybe it's tells you that some aspects of human nature are so built in, so baked in that that's just the way they are. But the Raman tells you it's all foreshadowed. Okay. So, um that's the Ramban's answer. That's um and again this is what you would expect. This is the Ramban if you learn the Ramban. And again, basic not I'm not I'm talking about someone whose whole life is Ramban. This is the Ramban. It's it's in sync. Now what I mean Allah your question is better than my answer like why does there have to tell you this I mean to tell you what >> obviously there >> right but but like what what do you gain from this to tell you that went to Mit first it's like Jewish history but why is the ter telling you about this specific your question is better than my answer I don't have a good answer but but this is the Ramb okay Rashi seems why would the foreshadow everything would discourage everyone >> from making for choice choice is yes. So maybe to tell you first of all it's a great question. It needs it needs a serious answer. I don't you know I can't first of all I don't have a full answer because the question is better than any answer I can give and any answer I give would be very lengthy but part of the idea is is that there are limits to human ability that there is much more divine control of our futures and that itself might be part of the lesson but that's not a full answer that's not that's not a >> whole it's going to happen regardless of whatever >> right but ain't Right. So there's a just you will not the is telling you was telling you there's no such thing but there's a limit how far takes you. So that's but again your question is better than my answer but this is the ramban rashi works with a similar idea but I question you um you know we're learning you know what for quite a while now rashi we we really don't know out of all the rish rashi sometimes the most mysterious because more than other rashi is a malik he quotes how he really reads it I don't I don't want to focus on rashi because rashi is unclear but a topical looking reading of rashi is like the rabban but now I want you to go towards the interesting rash what >> so I mean rashi is everything but rashi at the very same time is is I think I think but again I'm I'm I'm just one me right there are lots of other smart people out there who might disagree some people you're not you'll be surprised but some people disagree with some of the things I say it's happened before right um so um so rashi is you know it's not I don't want to but I I want to jump to the rishim that really are are are so thoughtprovoking. I want to go to the Barbaranel standard region right what rash I'm not I'm not really rashi seems to be a lot like the why we use this odd language of but again it needs analysis and again rashi is really more of a maket here so I don't know you have a few rashi but I I want to lead you towards the barbell standard again if the if the barbanell would have been written in a different style he would be learned as much as the ramban or the sarno the only reason people learn him so so much. It's cuz he's very lengthy. But the barbanell is great. Great. The barbanell. You know what the barbell says? It's a bad thing. But I didn't even have the heart to bring down the whole of Barbaranell. I brought down some. You look at the whole barnel side. It's really upsetting. He says, "Look at the kings we had in Jewish history. One was worse than the next. We had David. There were some very difficult stories David. So there are reasons. Don't oversimplify and they're actually very good you know with Bachva there's a beautiful M that really you know gives the story much depth so it's not really what people see it as but once you leave towards the later kings it's not the way we imag >> right right but by reason by a shiny one is worse than the next that's what the um barbanell tells you he says and why are they why did they do the terrible things they did because they were kings because who stops a king a king there's no one stopping him. When a a leader is elected, he knows that after four years, there's going to be another election. And let's say he steals and kills while he's in office, what's going to happen to him? He's going to be punished because because there's a balance of power. With kings, there was limited balance of power. >> What? >> These days, they'll re-elect him. >> They'll reelect them. So, um, so um, so the Abinel says kings are not a good thing at all. So what's this business of a of the terra allowing a king? You know, if you're you're in the desert and you have to survive the desert and the only way and you're surrounded by cannibals on one side and bandits on the other um and and and and there's no food and no water and there's one guy who knows how to who who's a desert guide who can guide you out of the desert, but the only way to do it is to rob everybody and and do terrible things. People just might allow him to do it so they can survive. You know, when you have anarchy and you're surrounded by enemies, unless you have clear absolute leadership, you will die. So, we will allow a monarchy. But it's a bad thing and you're supposed to grow beyond it. And the Ababanel writes, "I only brought down part of the Ababanel. I feel bad. I should have brought down more, but come open the Ababanel and Shim." The Ababanel says, "I lived it." The Ababanel says, "I spent my life in Spain and Spain was a monarchy and the kings did terrible things." Barbanell had to leave because of course the Inquisition right >> right he was given the choice of staying but he's he chose to leave anyway he went to Italy and what did he find in Italy so Italy was actually a little bit ahead of Europe and for many many years it's a it's odd that Italy has become what it has become but for many centuries Italy was ahead was the center of the Renaissance was the center of art a lot of of a lot of scientific and artistic discovery stem from Italy. Think of the great artists and painters, right? Who comes to mind? >> Um Michelle Langalo, think think um Italy? Italy. There's a lot of innovation and thought and creativity. And he says, "What is how does leadership in Italy work?" >> So they didn't have a democracy. How could you have a democracy? Voting, tabulating votes. But they had something called sort of like an oligarchy or plutoaucracy, different words. You had a bunch of families. They were all powerful. They ruled together. They would balance each other out. It wasn't I don't know exactly how it worked. What >> would that be better? >> Well, it's it's it's it's better than a king. This balancing, but it's not of true democracy. So, look what he writes. I I wrote just a I brought down a little bit of the Barbaranel. I should have The big question is if you're going to come back next week, that's then I'm going to know if it was a good share. We only have regulars today and a lot of some of our regulars are away. So, but if it's too good, you're not going to come back cuz you're going to be so excited. It's going to be too much, right? So, too much is not good either. Okay. Okay. Look at it's not impossible. We have people getting together and voting. They'll be appointed for a year for three years. Look at his language. The later ones will judge the early ones. It's you're more likely to have one person sinning than lots. He says experience proves that this is the way it is that you know sayings when you have sayings when there's a saying whether it's English or Hebrew it means that's the human condition one of the most well-known sayings in English is power corrupts absolute power >> corrupts >> absolutely right is it not such a well I think Yeah. So, um, and there must there were sayings like this. Um, um, so how did such a saying emerge? Too much power was no good. It's a problem today in in lots of circles. I >> Yeah. And I don't want to talk about our community, but sometimes it's a problem in our community, too. I I think I think some may disagree, but I think sometimes it's a problem in our community, too. You need balance. You need people to talk back. You need push back. you need lots of different ideas because otherwise you just end up having bad decisions being made. So he says it's not a good thing and he says it's progress when you move towards democracy. He's very clear. The truth is his language is a little bit more Serbic. I I didn't have the heart to bring down the whole Abarbanel um because I I like staying on the straight and narrow and behaving right because everything is taped. Um but the Abarbanel is very um is now now so the Abarbanel is a long time ago right the Abarbanell is is the 16th century but you know with the passage of time right the acqu are more black and white there's an it is 19th century I tell my kids all the time it must have come up in the year the nitiv is an aan who like writes like a I think I think he's a who writes like a what I think he's a cuz he's innovative He he's an individual. He speaks his mind. He's an a who writes like a I want you to see the is actually tries to bring it all together. You've got some sources saying the Tyra allows it. If it's a bad thing, why would the Tyra allow it? And you have the Rama bring it down as a mitzvah, but at the very same time, the Pik tells you, well, if you need a king, get a king, which makes it sound like it's almost like a we only allowed because of the need. Then you have this the story in where there's a mitzvah the but criticizes them chastises them so forcefully. How do you have the to do this? What is it good? Is it bad? You have all of these confusing sources. Theel says the says something so sensible and it's so obvious. Tell me it's good for people to get married, right? But can every man marry every woman? >> Not for everybody. But >> right, you need you need to be compatible, right? People, you know, need to earn panasa. But can everyone be a surgeon? Can everyone be an electrician? Can everyone be a teacher? You have a different kunus, right? Um different people need to do different things, right? Different people need to marry different people. Different people just people, you know, people are different, societies are different. Um I don't know that Kenya functions exactly the way um um um Germany does. Different countries, different needs, different they're different, right? No one functions like Israel. Israel is just from right functions or this functions but no one every country has its own, you know, needs, right? And there are different periods in time. So the nitiv says something so extraordinary. He says there are mitzvah that are about kadusha holding a lulv. It does something for you. There's something there. There's it's it's a real mitzvah. It it recalls um the s recalls that defines your yiddishkite. But then there are things that are about being practical. Someone loses something you you you um return it. But I'm not sure that it's such a good idea to go ahead and steal something from somebody so that you should go ahead and return it. Right? Sometimes it's about addressing a need is about addressing a need. Um um get no one should face this. Um divorce is a mitzvah. So are you going to tell me, oh I want I want the mitzvah of get I'll divorce my wife and I'm not a coin anyways. I can remarry her if I can get a double mitzvah. Right. That's a little bit crazy. You know some things are about addressing needs and Oh yeah yeah yeah. >> Guys please. There's a sugar going on. >> Yeah. And some things are about kaduca. some things that that are about kaduci you search and you try to do but when it's about addressing a need if if if god forbid a husband and wife can't make it work they have to get divorced so there's a divorce but you don't search out a mitzvah like this you don't I mean um if if something is lost you return it but you don't steal steal it to return it was it's sort of obvious right it's a mitzvah to return a stolen item you don't steal to return it to mitzvah it's sort of a silly right it's it's it's obvious um mal is a little bit like this. Some societies need a melik. Maybe ancient primitive societies. How in the world would you have a fair election in the ancient world? How would you have an election at all? Um to so the United States was able to pull something together in 1776, but you already have a it wasn't the modern world yet, but you had a little bit you had a little bit of technology already. Things were beginning, right? It's after 1500. But in the ancient world, how would you have an election? How would you have an election? And how long would And how would the people who are voting know the candidates? H how would you keep track of this? Right? And and if it would be one country, but you have 12wat who are markedly different who fight against one another sometimes and and you would you would have an election without having a corruption, you it would be impossible. And if you would be a society that's at peace. But if you're a society that is barely surviving because you have the pushim to the south, you have Ammon and Moab to the east, you have Amalik, little pockets of them all over, you're in a society that is barely surviving because you have real enemies. You need strong leadership. How are you going to around the leader? How are you going? So, you might need a king. But if you reach a point where things are established and maybe there's technology that allows for a proper election, then you don't need a king. And if you don't need a king, why should you have one? Cuz there's such a downside to a king. Because once he's a king and he might be a very moral, decent person, but the fact of the matter is his son is going to grow up with the mala. Very possible a son will become corrupt because you go ahead and you have too much too easy, very hard to be a disciplined person. Um, so why do you want it? So some societies need it and some societies don't. And so the Torah deliberately uses this vague, fluid, unclear language. If you ask for a king, then you get a king. And it is a mitzvah going to Yehuda because then it's a real real need. It's almost like he's melding rahuda and into one. It's a response to need, but when there's a need, it's an absolute mitzvah. He's trying to bring it all together. And he is in a really extraordinary way which you would expect of the look at the okay. But there's a he's going through It's like a ship without a captain. You can't make this an absolute mitzvah. Sometimes you need it and sometimes you don't. as well. There's no absolute comm because sometimes it's excellent and sometimes it's terrible. Um, so what he's doing then with the wisdom that the always does. He's referencing the Abaranel's idea without quoting it, but you know, he saw this barbanell. He's referencing rabihuda raoy. He's almost coalesing them all into one. It's a mitzvah sometimes when you need it. When you don't need it, it's not a mitzvah at all. when during Schmool's period the people did not need it. How do we know they didn't need it? Because tells me you didn't need it. Now were schmoo's kids unsuitable tells you they weren't suitable. That's clear. Other people but that period didn't need it because I know you don't need it and you're asking for this now is unnecessary. But when they do need it, it's an excellent thing. Okay. Um So sometimes it's yes and sometimes it's not. Okay. So it all ties together and so go to the end of the okay last few lines. So then it's it's interesting it's and it's all coalesing into one. Sometimes it's an absolute mitzvah and sometimes it's when the people were asking for it in time it was the wrong thing to do knew they didn't need it was telling them you don't need it. Um was enough he was telling them you don't need it. How will they manage? Maybe they couldn't pull off an election. Um but still maybe a chauffeet would have been better. a melik where you're establishing a dynasty that continues was not the right thing. Now this has created great discussion in contemporary troll you should know there's such a you don't have it here but init learning is exciting in a way that it isn't here because if you're living in aritis ro and you're thinking about it then think about everything there what type of government should the country have if you vote you're part of it well what should it be should it should there be a king you know a king doesn't have to be an absolute king. England has the king that plays almost no role. It adds a certain dignity, a seomnity. Maybe we should have, maybe we shouldn't have. Um um but but there are great minds. One of the there was Rashan Marazar Israeli was a great mind. He actually won the Israel prize um which means respected all across the spectrum. Um and he writes at length about this and he and he really he really works with an itive type of approach. He says in the modern world look look around you what functions better democracy you have democracies. There are plenty of countries where you still have autotocracies. Where do people fear better? Where are people treated better? Where do economies grow? Which which which which type of societies provide greater liberties? Even religious liberties have >> democracies always absolutely and and there you know I I remember when when when when when did I don't I think this came up >> Iran >> right when England was fighting Argentina and the Falklands I don't know how it started but there was a a line circulating that two democracies never waged war against one another. It's an extraordinary point. War is the most destructive of um is the most destructive activity a society can engage in is war. Sometimes it's necessary, but it's the most destructive. But two democracies never waged war against one another. Why not? Because democracies are run by people who care about people. They know that when there's a war, my sons are going to be going to the front and fighting. No mother wants her son to die. When it's an autocracy, you can bet that the king's son is not going to go to the front. Other people's kids will go. So, he'll have no problem sending his people to war. Now, sometimes a democracy has to fight against autotocracies. So, democracies fight autotocracies. Israel has to fight to stay alive. America's fighting Iran. But um but two democracies are not going to fight one another because the people are going to make good decisions and millions and tens of millions and hundreds of millions of lives will be saved because they're democracies. So the Nits is saying explicitly that it's a sensible path. The Abrael is actually more farreaching than the Nits because the says democracies are better. The Nits is a little bit more politically correct. He says every society knows what is best and people are given the choice. Theel says you and I know what is best. You and I know democracies fear better and there's less corruption. And look at history. Talks about non-Jewish history. And he talks about Jewish history. Kings are not good. Kings just because they're kings because they get away with whatever they want because they know everything. They um and no one counters them. And what ends up happening when no one counters you is your mind ends up shrinking. When everyone tells you, looks at you and says, "Oo, you know everything." You end up knowing less because there's no give and take, right? There's no give and take. You you it's everything is you. There's no give and take. So kings end up being less capable of making good decisions. Certainly they're not driven by moral needs. And so um that's where they go. So >> they they do have their advisors >> but they don't have to listen to their advisors, >> right? And advisors try to curry favor because what happens is is that gradually they become more paranoid and gradually they start killing their advisors. It it it's not a good place to be a king's adviser. You ought to be a rap. >> Sounds like the story of B. >> Yeah. Okay. It's nice to be back. Some of our boys were back. Some were not. But they'll be back next week. Got to get Zisha back. I hold. Okay.