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Parshas Shoftim

“If I Were a Rich Man”
We are commanded to appoint a king to rule over the Jewish people. However, there are various warnings given to the king. He should not acquire too many horses; he should not take too many wives, and he should not amass too much gold and silver.

The Daas Zakainim explains that each of these excesses is singled out to protect the king from a particular danger. The danger of amassing too much wealth is that it leads to arrogance.

We are obligated to treat a king with great respect

This Daas Zakainim is difficult to understand because, as the Rambam explains, we are obligated to treat a king with great honor; it is vital for his effectiveness as a ruler. As a result, any individual walking into the chambers of a king must bow down full face to the ground, even if he is the greatest talmid chacham or even if he is a Navi. Additionally, no person is allowed to sit in the presence of the king, and the King must also guard his honor.

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