הלכות מלכים ומלחמות ג׳Kings and Wars 3

Halacha 1א׳

בְּעֵת שֶׁיֵּשֵׁב הַמֶּלֶךְ עַל כִּסֵּא מַלְכוּתוֹ כּוֹתֵב לוֹ סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה לְעַצְמוֹ יֶתֶר עַל הַסֵּפֶר שֶׁהִנִּיחוּ לוֹ אֲבוֹתָיו. וּמַגִּיהוֹ מִסֵּפֶר הָעֲזָרָה עַל פִּי בֵּית דִּין שֶׁל שִׁבְעִים וְאֶחָד. אִם לֹא הִנִּיחוּ לוֹ אֲבוֹתָיו אוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱבַד כּוֹתֵב שְׁנֵי סִפְרֵי תּוֹרָה. אֶחָד מַנִּיחוֹ בְּבֵית גְּנָזָיו שֶׁהוּא מְצֻוֶּה בּוֹ כְּכָל אֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל. וְהַשֵּׁנִי לֹא יָזוּז מִלְּפָנָיו אֶלָּא בְּעֵת שֶׁיִּכָּנֵס לְבֵית הַכִּסֵּא. אוֹ לְבֵית הַמֶּרְחָץ. אוֹ לְמָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין רָאוּי לִקְרִיאָה. יוֹצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה וְהוּא עִמּוֹ. נִכְנָס וְהוּא עִמּוֹ. יוֹשֵׁב בַּדִּין וְהוּא עִמּוֹ. מֵסֵב וְהוּא כְּנֶגְדּוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יז יט) "וְהָיְתָה עִמּוֹ וְקָרָא בוֹ כָּל יְמֵי חַיָּיו":

At the time when the king is established in his kingdom, he is bound to write a scroll of the law for himself, besides that which his forfathers have left him. This copy is to be corrected by the scroll in the court of the temple, under the superintendence of the great tribunal consisting of seventy-one members. In case his parents left not any copy of the law, then he is obliged to write two copies; the one he puts in his treasury, which copy he is enjoined to possess as well as any other individual of Israel; but the second copy must never be removed from him, except he enters a place which is not fit for reading therein, as a bath, etc. etc. If he go forth to war it must accompany him, when he comes back it must be with him; when he sits in judgment he must have it near him; when he sits down it must be in his front, for it is said: It shall be with him and he shall read therein all the days of his life, (Deut. 17. 19).

Halacha 2ב׳

לֹא יַרְבֶּה לוֹ נָשִׁים. מִפִּי הַשְּׁמוּעָה לָמְדוּ שֶׁהוּא לוֹקֵחַ עַד שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה נָשִׁים בֵּין הַנָּשִׁים וּפִלַּגְשִׁים הַכּל שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה. וְאִם הוֹסִיף אַחַת וּבְעָלָהּ לוֹקֶה. וְיֵשׁ לוֹ לְגָרֵשׁ וְלִשָּׂא אַחֶרֶת תַּחַת זוֹ שֶׁגֵּרֵשׁ:

He must not multiply wives; by inference they have learned that he is permitted to marry altogether eighteen wives and concubines. If he married one more and had conjugal intercourse with her, he incurred the penalty of the thirty-nine stripes and is compelled to divorce her.

Halacha 3ג׳

וְלֹא יַרְבֶּה לוֹ סוּסִים אֶלָּא כְּדֵי מֶרְכַּבְתּוֹ. אֲפִלּוּ סוּס אֶחָד פָּנוּי לִהְיוֹת רָץ לְפָנָיו כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁעוֹשִׂין שְׁאָר הַמְּלָכִים אָסוּר. וְאִם הוֹסִיף לוֹקֶה:

He must not multiply horses, only sufficient for his chariots, even one single horse not wanted and only for the purpose to run before him, as was the fashion with other kings was interdicted; and if he purchased one superfluous horse he is liable to the chastisement stated above.

Halacha 4ד׳

וְלֹא יַרְבֶּה לוֹ כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב לְהַנִּיחַ בִּגְנָזָיו וּלְהִתְגָּאוֹת בּוֹ אוֹ לְהִתְנָאוֹת בּוֹ. אֶלָּא כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּתֵּן לְחֵילוֹתָיו וְלַעֲבָדָיו וּלְשַׁמָּשָׁיו. וְכָל כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב שֶׁיַּרְבֶּה לְאוֹצַר בֵּית ה' וְלִהְיוֹת שָׁם מוּכָן לְצָרְכֵי הַצִּבּוּר וּלְמִלְחֲמוֹתָם הֲרֵי זֶה מִצְוָה לְהַרְבּוֹתוֹ. וְאֵין אָסוּר אֶלָּא לְהַרְבּוֹת לְעַצְמוֹ בְּבֵית גְּנָזָיו שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יז יז) "וְלֹא יַרְבֶּה לּוֹ". וְאִם הִרְבָּה לוֹקֶה:

He must not accumulate silver and gold for the purpose of hoarding it up in his treasury, for mere display, or even for his own enjoyment; only so much he is permitted to procure as is required for maintaining his troops and remunerating his servants. All wealth he does lay up in the treasuries of the temple, to be devoted to public wants, and to defray the expenses of war is considered a God-pleasing act: he is only prohibited from storing up superfluous riches for his personal comfort and aggrandisement; any contravention of that prohibition would render him amenable to the above-mentioned infliction, etc., etc.; for it is said: He shall not multiply silver and gold, (Deut. 17. 17).

Halacha 5ה׳

הַמֶּלֶךְ אָסוּר לִשְׁתּוֹת דֶּרֶךְ שִׁכְרוּת. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי לא ד) "אַל לַמְלָכִים שְׁתוֹ יָיִן". אֶלָּא יִהְיֶה עוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה וּבְצָרְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּיּוֹם וּבַלַּיְלָה. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יז יט) "וְהָיְתָה עִמּוֹ וְקָרָא בוֹ כָּל יְמֵי חַיָּיו":

A king is prohibited from drinking wine to excess, that might cause intoxication; for it is said: It is not for kings to drink wine, (Prov. 31. 4); but his time both day and night ought to be devoted to study the law, and to promoting the public well being; for it is said: It (the law) shall be with him and he shall read therein all the days of his life, (Deut. 17. 19).

Halacha 6ו׳

וְכֵן לֹא יִהְיֶה שָׁטוּף בְּנָשִׁים. אֲפִלּוּ לֹא הָיְתָה לוֹ אֶלָּא אַחַת לֹא יִהְיֶה מָצוּי אֶצְלָהּ תָּמִיד כִּשְׁאָר הַטִּפְּשִׁים. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי לא ג) "אַל תִּתֵּן לַנָּשִׁים חֵילֶךָ". עַל הֲסָרַת לִבּוֹ הִקְפִּידָה תּוֹרָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יז יז) "וְלֹא יָסוּר לְבָבוֹ". שֶׁלִּבּוֹ הוּא לֵב כָּל קְהַל יִשְׂרָאֵל לְפִיכָךְ דִּבְּקוֹ הַכָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה יֶתֶר מִשְּׁאָר הָעָם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יז יט) "כָּל יְמֵי חַיָּיו":

He shall not be addicted to women even if he had only one wife, he should not be uxorious like other dotards; for it is said: Do not give thy strength to women, (Prov. 31. 3). The law is particularly anxious about his heart not being led astray; for it is said: That his heart turn not away, (Deut. 17. 17). His heart is comparatively considered the heart of the whole nation, therefore the law desires him to be constantly attached to the study of the law, more than any other individual of Israel; for it is said: all his lifetime, (Deut. 17. 19).

Halacha 7ז׳

כְּבָר בֵּאַרְנוּ שֶׁמַּלְכֵי בֵּית דָּוִד דָּנִין אוֹתָן וּמְעִידִין עֲלֵיהֶן. אֲבָל מַלְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל גָּזְרוּ חֲכָמִים שֶׁלֹּא יָדוּן וְלֹא דָּנִין אוֹתוֹ. וְלֹא מֵעִיד וְלֹא מְעִידִין עָלָיו. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁלִּבָּן גַּס בָּהֶן וְיָבוֹא מִן הַדָּבָר תַּקָּלָה וְהֶפְסֵד עַל הַדָּת:

We have already stated that the kings of the house of David are summoned to judgment, and evidence may be given against them; but not so the kings from other tribes of Israel, owing to their heart being inflated with pride we apprehend that they might not submit to judgment, which might lead to mischief and eventually be prejudicial to our law, therefore our sages decreed that kings of Israel cannot be summoned before justice, nor can they sit in judgment; neither would we receive any evidence against them, nor would we ever accept their evidence.

Halacha 8ח׳

כָּל הַמּוֹרֵד בְּמֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל יֵשׁ לַמֶּלֶךְ רְשׁוּת לְהָרְגוֹ. אֲפִלּוּ גָּזַר עַל אֶחָד מִשְּׁאָר הָעָם שֶׁיֵּלֵךְ לְמָקוֹם פְּלוֹנִי וְלֹא הָלַךְ אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יָצָא מִבֵּיתוֹ וְיָצָא חַיָּב מִיתָה. וְאִם רָצָה לְהָרְגוֹ יֵהָרֵג. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יהושע א יח) "כָּל אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יַמְרֶה אֶת פִּיךָ". וְכֵן כָּל הַמְבַזֶּה אֶת הַמֶּלֶךְ אוֹ הַמְחָרְפוֹ יֵשׁ לַמֶּלֶךְ רְשׁוּת לְהָרְגוֹ. כְּשִׁמְעִי בֶּן גֵּרָא. וְאֵין לַמֶּלֶךְ רְשׁוּת לַהֲרֹג אֶלָּא בְּסַיִף בִּלְבַד. וְיֵשׁ לוֹ לֶאֱסֹר וּלְהַכּוֹת בְּשׁוֹטִין לִכְבוֹדוֹ. אֲבָל לֹא יַפְקִיר מָמוֹן וְאִם הִפְקִיר הֲרֵי זֶה גֵּזֶל:

Whosoever is found rebelling against the king has forfeited his life, and the king has the power to sentence him to death at once. Even if the king should command an individual to proceed to a certain place, and he did not do so, or he was prohibited from leaving his house, and acted against it, he is guilty of death; and if the king wishes he can sign the death warrant at once; for it is said: Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thee, shall be put to death, (Joshua 1. 18). Likewise, whosoever despiseth or affronts him, he is empowered to doom to death at once; as the instance of Simei, the son of Gera, (I Kings 2. 8). But he cannot sentence to any other death but to being beheaded with the sword. He is also empowered to send any refractory person to prison and condemn him to flogging; but he cannot dispossess any one of his property, by declaring it free property; and if he should do so, it is considered depredation.

Halacha 9ט׳

הַמְבַטֵּל גְּזֵרַת הַמֶּלֶךְ בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁנִּתְעַסֵּק בְּמִצְוֹת. אֲפִלּוּ בְּמִצְוָה קַלָּה הֲרֵי זֶה פָּטוּר. דִּבְרֵי הָרַב וְדִבְרֵי הָעֶבֶד דִּבְרֵי הָרַב קוֹדְמִין. וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר אִם גָּזַר הַמֶּלֶךְ לְבַטֵּל מִצְוָה שֶׁאֵין שׁוֹמְעִין לוֹ:

He who contravenes the mandate of a king, owing to, having been engaged in performing a Divine precept, even a slight one, is exempt from penalty, because the obedience to the Divine precept supersedes the mandate of the king. Much more, if the king should command to break a Divine precept, that we must not obey him.

Halacha 10י׳

כָּל הַהוֹרֵג נְפָשׁוֹת שֶׁלֹּא בִּרְאָיָה בְּרוּרָה. אוֹ בְּלֹא הַתְרָאָה. אֲפִלּוּ בְּעֵד אֶחָד. אוֹ שׂוֹנֵא שֶׁהָרַג בִּשְׁגָגָה. יֵשׁ לַמֶּלֶךְ רְשׁוּת לְהָרְגוֹ וּלְתַקֵּן הָעוֹלָם כְּפִי מַה שֶּׁהַשָּׁעָה צְרִיכָה. וְהוֹרֵג רַבִּים בְּיוֹם אֶחָד וְתוֹלֶה וּמַנִּיחָן תְּלוּיִים יָמִים רַבִּים לְהָטִיל אֵימָה וּלְשַׁבֵּר יַד רִשְׁעֵי הָעוֹלָם:

Whoever has committed murder, but there is no clear evidence to prove it, or he, the perpetrator, was not warned, or only one witness testifies to the crime, or one slew a person unwittingly, but he was an enemy of the murdered person, in all such cases the king has the power to sentence to death, for the maintenance of the public welfare, according as the time requires it. He may doom to death a multitude of people and order them to be hung, and leave even their carcasses upon the gibbet in order to strike terror into the hearts of the evildoers, and to break the power of the malicious.