Tanach
Devarim 17:14-20 דברים י״ז:י״ד-כ׳
Part of: ShoftimShoftim, Aliyah 2Chapter 17
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
כִּֽי־תָבֹא אֶל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ וִֽירִשְׁתָּהּ וְיָשַׁבְתָּה בָּהּ וְאָמַרְתָּ אָשִׂימָה עָלַי מֶלֶךְ כְּכׇל־הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבֹתָֽי׃
When you arrive in the land that Adonoy, your God, is giving you and inherit it and live in it, and you say, ‘‘Let me appoint over me a king like all the nations around me;’’
When you arrive in the land that Adonoy, your God, is giving you and inherit it and live in it, and you say, ‘‘Let me appoint over me a king like all the nations around me;’’
שׂוֹם תָּשִׂים עָלֶיךָ מֶלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בּוֹ מִקֶּרֶב אַחֶיךָ תָּשִׂים עָלֶיךָ מֶלֶךְ לֹא תוּכַל לָתֵת עָלֶיךָ אִישׁ נׇכְרִי אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא־אָחִיךָ הֽוּא׃
Appoint are you to appoint over yourself a king whom Adonoy, your God, will choose. From among your brothers are you to appoint over yourself a king; you may not place over yourself a foreigner who is not your brother.
Appoint are you to appoint over yourself a king whom Adonoy, your God, will choose. From among your brothers are you to appoint over yourself a king; you may not place over yourself a foreigner who is not your brother.
רַק לֹא־יַרְבֶּה־לּוֹ סוּסִים וְלֹֽא־יָשִׁיב אֶת־הָעָם מִצְרַיְמָה לְמַעַן הַרְבּוֹת סוּס וַֽיהֹוָה אָמַר לָכֶם לֹא תֹסִפוּן לָשׁוּב בַּדֶּרֶךְ הַזֶּה עֽוֹד׃
However, he must not acquire an abundance of horses for himself so that he will not return the people to Egypt in order to acquire an abundance of horses, because Adonoy told you, ‘‘You are not to proceed to return along this route again.’’
However, he must not acquire an abundance of horses for himself so that he will not return the people to Egypt in order to acquire an abundance of horses, because Adonoy told you, ‘‘You are not to proceed to return along this route again.’’
Rashi
וְלֹא יַרְבֶּה־לּוֹ נָשִׁים וְלֹא יָסוּר לְבָבוֹ וְכֶסֶף וְזָהָב לֹא יַרְבֶּה־לּוֹ מְאֹֽד׃
And he is not to acquire an abundance of wives for himself so that his heart will not veer; and silver and gold he may not accumulate for himself in great abundance.
And he is not to acquire an abundance of wives for himself so that his heart will not veer; and silver and gold he may not accumulate for himself in great abundance.
Rashi
ולא ירבה לו נשים. אֶלָּא י"ח, שֶׁמָּצִינוּ שֶׁהָיוּ לוֹ לְדָוִד שֵׁשׁ נָשִׁים, וְנֶאֱמַר לוֹ (שמואל ב י״ב:ח׳) "וְאִם מְעָט וְאֹסִפָה לְּךָ כָּהֵנָּה וְכָהֵנָּה":
He may not acquire an abundance of wives. No more than eighteen, as we find that Dovid had six wives, and it was said to him, “If this is insufficient, then I shall add, for you, as many, and again.”
וכסף וזהב לא ירבה לו מאד. אֶלָּא כְּדֵי לִתֵּן לְאַכְסַנְיָא (ספרי; סנהדרין כ"א):
And silver and gold he may not accumulate for himself in great abundance. Except as required to maintain his retinue.
וְהָיָה כְשִׁבְתּוֹ עַל כִּסֵּא מַמְלַכְתּוֹ וְכָתַב לוֹ אֶת־מִשְׁנֵה הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת עַל־סֵפֶר מִלִּפְנֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים הַלְוִיִּֽם׃
It shall be, that when he occupies the throne of his kingdom, he must write for himself a duplicate of this Torah in a scroll form [the scroll] before the kohanim—the Levites.
It shall be, that when he occupies the throne of his kingdom, he must write for himself a duplicate of this Torah in a scroll form [the scroll] before the kohanim—the Levites.
Rashi
והיה כשבתו. אִם עָשָׂה כֵן כְּדַאי הוּא שֶׁתִּתְקַיֵּם מַלְכוּתוֹ (ספרי):
It shall be, that when he occupies. If he fulfills this, then he is worthy of his kingdom enduring.
את משנה התורה. שְׁתֵּי סִפְרֵי תוֹרָה, אַחַת שֶׁהִיא מֻנַּחַת בְּבֵית גְּנָזָיו, וְאַחַת שֶׁנִּכְנֶסֶת וְיוֹצֵאת עִמּוֹ (סנהדרין כ"א); וְאֻנְקְלוֹס תִּרְגֵּם "פַּתְשֶׁגֶן", פָּתַר משנה לְשׁוֹן שִׁנּוּן וְדִבּוּר:
A duplicate of [this] Torah. Two Torah scrolls, one to be stored in his treasure chamber, and one to accompany him on his arrivals and departures. Onkelos, however, translates “text,” rendering מִשְׁנֵה as “teaching,” or “word.”
וְהָיְתָה עִמּוֹ וְקָרָא בוֹ כׇּל־יְמֵי חַיָּיו לְמַעַן יִלְמַד לְיִרְאָה אֶת־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהָיו לִשְׁמֹר אֶֽת־כׇּל־דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת וְאֶת־הַחֻקִּים הָאֵלֶּה לַעֲשֹׂתָֽם׃
It is to accompany him and he is to read in it all the days of his life, in order that he learn to fear Adonoy, his God, to guard every word of this Torah and these statutes to fulfill them;
It is to accompany him and he is to read in it all the days of his life, in order that he learn to fear Adonoy, his God, to guard every word of this Torah and these statutes to fulfill them;
Rashi
דברי התורה. כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ:
Every word of this Torah. This follows the plain meaning.
לְבִלְתִּי רוּם־לְבָבוֹ מֵֽאֶחָיו וּלְבִלְתִּי סוּר מִן־הַמִּצְוָה יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאול לְמַעַן יַאֲרִיךְ יָמִים עַל־מַמְלַכְתּוֹ הוּא וּבָנָיו בְּקֶרֶב יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ {ס}
That his pride not increase over his brothers and he does not stray from the commandment right or left; so that the days of his reign are lengthy over his kingdom, he and his sons within Yisroel.
That his pride not increase over his brothers and he does not stray from the commandment right or left; so that the days of his reign are lengthy over his kingdom, he and his sons within Yisroel.
Rashi
ולבלתי סור מן המצוה. אֲפִלּוּ מִצְוָה קַלָּה שֶׁל נָבִיא:
And he does not stray from the commandment. Even an easily fulfilled directive by a prophet.
למען יאריך ימים. מִכְּלַל הֵן אַתָּה שׁוֹמֵעַ לָאו; וְכֵן מָצִינוּ בְשָׁאוּל שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ שְׁמוּאֵל (שמואל א י') "שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תּוֹחֵל עַד בּוֹאִי אֵלֶיךָ", לְהַעֲלוֹת עוֹלוֹת, וּכְתִיב (שם י"ג) "וַיּוֹחֶל שִׁבְעַת יָמִים", וְלֹא שָׁמַר הַבְטָחָתוֹ לִשְׁמֹר כָּל הַיּוֹם, וְלֹא הִסְפִּיק לְהַעֲלוֹת הָעוֹלָה עַד שֶׁבָּא שְׁמוּאֵל וְאָמַר לוֹ "נִסְכָּלְתָּ לֹא שָׁמַרְתָּ וְגוֹ' וְעַתָּה מַמְלַכְתְּךָ לֹא תָקוּם", הָא לָמַדְתָּ שֶׁבִּשְׁבִיל מִצְוָה קַלָּה שֶׁל נָבִיא נֶעֱנַשׁ:
So that the days of his reign are lengthy. Implicit in the positive is the negative. We find this with Shaul, whom Shmuel told, “Wait seven days, until I come to you, etc.,” to offer olah-sacrifices. And it is written, “He waited seven days,” but did not keep his commitment to wait the entire day. He had hardly completed the olah-offering, when Shmuel arrived, and told him, “You have been foolish! You have not kept. etc., so now your reign will not endure.” Thus, you learn that, over an easily fulfilled directive by a prophet, he was punished.
הוא ובניו. מַגִּיד שֶׁאִם בְּנוֹ הָגוּן לְמַלְכוּת הוּא קוֹדֵם לְכָל אָדָם (הוריות י"א):
He and his sons. This teaches that if his son qualifies as a regent, he takes precedence over all other candidates.
לא ירבה לו סוסים. אֶלָּא כְּדֵי מֶרְכַּבְתּוֹ, שֶׁלֹּא ישיב את העם מצרימה, שֶׁהַסּוּסִים בָּאִים מִשָּׁם, כְּמָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בִּשְׁלֹמֹה (מלכים א י') וַתַּעֲלֶה וַתֵּצֵא מֶרְכָּבָה מִמִּצְרַיִם בְּשֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת כֶּסֶף וְסוּס בַּחֲמִשִּׁים וּמֵאָה (סנהדרין כ"א):
He may not acquire an abundance of horses for himself. Except as required for his riding entourage, so that he does not send the people back to Egypt, the source of supply for horses, as it is said concerning Shlomo, “Chariots were brought up out of Egypt for six hundred silver pieces, and horses for one hundred fifty.”