Questions tagged [malchut-royalty]

Questions about kings and monarchy in Judaism.

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Is a Jewish Queen allowable?

The Torah gives us halachos of a king, but I'm curious whether anyone discusses whether it is halachically acceptable to have a female reigning monarch - a queen, and if there was one, whether she ...
Moses Supposes's user avatar
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Democratically elected leader vs King

I've heard that a number of different opinions suggest that a king is not the ideal situation, but that the Torah gives us halachos of monarchy because that's what people often want. At the time that ...
Moses Supposes's user avatar
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If Jews conquer a random new land does it become holy like Eretz Yisrael? How might this relate to kibbush yachid? And does kibbush yachid even count?

If Jews conquered New York City let's say does New York City become holy just like Eretz Yisrael? What if a "Jewish king" declared it as a Jewish state? I'm very curious..
Joshua Friedman's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
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Milchemes mitzvah in Shoftim according to Rambam

According to the Rambam that you need a Melech for a milchemes mitzvah, how does the Rambam understand all the milchamos in the book of Shoftim?
Josh's user avatar
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Is there a special term for a King who is also a Rabbi?

I'm looking for whether there is a specific term or a title for a King who also happens to be a Rabbi/Chief Rabbi. In other words, both the religious authority and the political authority. Just as an ...
setszu's user avatar
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2 votes
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Royal convert, still royal?

What is the situation with royal converts, i.e., converts who come from royal blood or are of royal relatives? Are they still royal? Do we have to stand for them as with any royal, do we not have to ...
Gabriel's user avatar
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Do non-Israelite soldiers in the army of an Israelite king observe Shabbat?

Does וְגֵרְךָ, אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ apply to non-Israelite soldiers serving in the army of an Israelite king?
הראל's user avatar
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Splitting of Power between Judges and Kings

In Dvarim 16, G-d orders the Judges to judge the nation. In the next chapter the concept of a Jewish King is introduced. It seems like the Torah supports splitting of powers. On the other hand,from ...
Vyacheslav Yosef Dobrovych's user avatar
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Which political system is the one most promoted/considered generally "correct"/optimal in the Torah & Jewish sources? [duplicate]

The Torah discusses kingship and G-d, blessed be He, and the problems that it could lead to. There is of course the infamous kritarchy (rule by Judges) and the results it produced. However, I've seen ...
setszu's user avatar
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Was Assir a son of Jeconiah or an attribute of him?

In 1 Chronicles 3:17 in the most acclaimed versions it is stated that the sons of Jeconiah were Assir and Shealtiel. Would it be a mistranslation to put Assir as if he were a person when it could be ...
Thales's user avatar
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Criteria for legitimate kings

Why do they say that Zerubbabel is not called king but governor as in the book of Haggai simply because he was placed by the Persians while Jehoiakim and Zedekiah are considered legitimate kings being ...
Thales's user avatar
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Why Yosef became the king of Egypt?

Why H'shem chose specifically Yosef to become the king of Egypt and not another brother? Wasn't it more suitable to Yehuda, for instance, who already represented the "Malchut" of Israel, or ...
Renan Suchmacher's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
103 views

Why is the King of Nineveh in Yonah unnamed?

To clarify, I'm not asking who the King of Nineveh in Sefer Yonah was. I'm simply wondering why he's unnamed (see Yonah 3:6-7). He was probably some sort of Assyrian ruler, and several of those were ...
Harel13's user avatar
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Who was Tzimtzemai Malketa?

In Shabbat 63a it says: "On the topic of Jerusalem, Raḥava said that Rabbi Yehuda said: The logs of Jerusalem used for fuel were from the cinnamon tree, and when they would ignite them, their ...
Harel13's user avatar
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What Ever Happened To Palti Ben Laish After He Returned Michal To King David?

Did he end up marrying someone else? I feel so bad for him that someone he loved so dearly was taken away from him after being teased. etc. I'm not condemning What King David did but hindsight he ...
TheTribeOfJudah's user avatar
1 vote
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66 views

When can leaders lie to their people?

I am looking for Jewish sources that discuss when leaders can justifiably lie to their people for a greater purpose. (Reasons might be to avoid a panic, to avoid revealing sensitive secrets, to spare ...
Maurice Mizrahi's user avatar
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1 answer
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Is anything else known about King Ahab's sister, who according to the medrish was a Judean queen?

In I Kings 16:22, Rashi quotes Seder Olam that King Asa, the righteous king of Judea, married his son Yehoshafat (also a good guy) to the daughter of the not-so-righteous King Omri of North Israel. Of ...
Shalom's user avatar
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melech lemech klum - What is the source? מלך למך כלם

What is the source of this abbreviation? melech is an acronym for: m = moach (brain), l = lev (heart), k = kaved (liver) if a person is as he should be, so he is melech (king) [brain rules], if a ...
boruxk's user avatar
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Why must Jewish kingship be hereditary?

As we see in the scriptures many kings from the line of David sinned and caused devastation in Israel. What is the logical reason for kingship being inherited no matter what kind of person is the king?...
Al Berko's user avatar
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Whose blood did Manasseh shed in Jerusalem & why?

I ask this question based on the below verses that indicate that G-d punished Judah because of the sins of Manasseh. Are there some scriptures / texts where I can find more details? 2 Kings 21:16 ...
Yeddu's user avatar
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6 votes
2 answers
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Why couldn't the Jewish people return to live in Egypt? Till when was this valid? At some point later in history Jewish people did live there

One of the commandments of a Jewish king is not to have too many horses, so that the Jewish people won't go back to live in Egypt, where the best horses came from. Question: till when was this valid? ...
Sarah's user avatar
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Bowing at the royal coat of arms

In British Magistrate and Crown Courts the royal coat of arms is located behind the bench where the magistrates or judge sit. It is etiquette for solicitors/barristers and anyone giving evidence to ...
EliDov 's user avatar
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Why didn't Yehoshafat intervene?

In Melachim 1:22:7-28 and in Divrei Hayamim 2:18:6-27 we're told that Yehoshafat joined his father-in-law Achav to do battle with Aram. Unsure of the future, they decide to ask prophets what will be ...
Harel13's user avatar
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Why is Yehoshafat called the King of Yisrael in Divrei Hayamim?

In Divrei Hayamim 2:21:2 it says: "He had brothers, sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were sons of King Jehoshaphat of Israel. But ...
Harel13's user avatar
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2 votes
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What is the halachic source that allows the king of Israel to acquire a pilegesh through yichud alone?

In Mishneh Torah-The Laws of Kings 4:4 Rambam says: (The king of Israel) may take wives and pilagshim from the entire territory of Eretz Yisrael. The term 'wives' implies women who were married with ...
Amos74's user avatar
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1 vote
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Is there anything in Jewish texts says Israel must be theocratic?

Is there anything in Jewish texts says Israel must be theocratic?
Henda Brahem's user avatar
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History of Chabad Moshiach flag

I'm working up a presentation on flags in our history, and I need information on the unofficial but commonly displayed Chabad Moshiach flag. Does anyone know when and where it was first flown, and ...
cosmansbcglobalnet's user avatar
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2 answers
116 views

Can someone with a blemish be king?

I saw somewhere recently that when Tzidkkiyahu was blinded, he was invalidated from hypothetically returning to rule over Judea as king, because he now had a halachic blemish (מום). Is this true, that ...
Harel13's user avatar
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1 answer
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Being a "son of God" among "sons of God"

During the course of Hashem's explanation of his relationship to the Children of Israel, he likens them to his child: Yirmiyahu 31:9 "כִּֽי־הָיִ֤יתִי לְיִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לְאָ֔ב וְאֶפְרַ֖יִם בְּכֹ֥רִי ...
rosends's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
159 views

Why did the tribe of Yehuda merit to have the king descending from it?

What special merit did the tribe of Yehuda have to merit that all kings would descend from him?
Sarah's user avatar
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5 votes
2 answers
940 views

Who can become king of the Jews?

The Talmud says: חכם קודם למלך ישראל חכם שמת אין לנו כיוצא בו מלך ישראל שמת כל ישראל ראוים למלכות -- A Torah Sage comes before the king of Israel, because if a Sage dies, we have no one like him to ...
Maurice Mizrahi's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
957 views

Are a convert's children considered to be of Jewish lineage?

Last week's parsha talks about appointing a Jewish king over Israel, and that it is prohibited to appoint a king who is not of Jewish lineage, even if he is a convert. At what point are one's children ...
OB7DEV's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
741 views

Cyrus, Darius, Artexerxes - From Good to Bad?

After reading this question - I am now more confused! The Gemara in Rosh Hashanah 3b writes that Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes were all the same person: All three names are referring to the same ...
Dov's user avatar
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1 vote
2 answers
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How can the Rambam say anointing a King requires a Sanhedrin, when Shmuel anointed King David alone?

The Rambam says a King must be anointed by a Sanhedrin, why did Shmuel seemingly go alone in secret?
Fei23's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
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Was Achashveirosh feeling unwell in beginning of chapter six?

In the beginning of chapter six it says that the king couldn't sleep and he was told a story of how Mordechai saved him, etc. And it them says that Haman was coming to tell the king about his plan. ...
larry909's user avatar
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3 votes
2 answers
181 views

What is the basis in the Torah permitting a king to kill someone?

Rambam in the laws of kings 3:10 states כל ההורג נפשות שלא בראיה ברורה. או בלא התראה. אפלו בעד אחד. או שונא שהרג בשגגה. יש למלך רשות להרגו ולתקן העולם כפי מה שהשעה צריכה. והורג רבים ביום אחד ותולה ...
rikitikitembo's user avatar
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1 answer
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What is the Chidush that Parashat Hamelech is read off the Torah scroll in Hebrew?

ואלו נאמרין בלשון הקודש: מקרא ביכורים, וחליצה, ... ברכת כהנים,... ופרשת המלך... (Sotah 32a) these are recited only in the sacred tongue, Hebrew: Bikkurim and Chalitzah and the blessings and curses ...
Al Berko's user avatar
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1 vote
2 answers
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What is the official title for the wife of a Jewish king?

The Rambam in Hilchos Melachim U'Milchamot 1:5 writes: אֵין מַעֲמִידִין אִשָּׁה בְּמַלְכוּת שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יז טו) "עָלֶיךָ מֶלֶךְ" וְלֹא מַלְכָּה. We may not appoint a woman to the ...
alicht's user avatar
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2 votes
0 answers
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Underage Jewish King in Judaism

Parshas Shoftim deals with some Mitzvos for a Jewish King. IIRC, a son inherits his father king and can be appointed as such at any age1 - Solomon, for example, was 12 and Yoash was 7 ("בֶּן-שֶׁבַע ...
Al Berko's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
280 views

Do Rome and Persia's kingdoms still exist?

The Gemara in Avoda Zara 2b says: וכי מאחר דחזו לקמאי דלא מהני ולא מידי מ"ט עיילי סברי הנך אישתעבדו בהו בישראל ואנן לא שעבדנו בישראל מאי שנא הני דחשיבי ומאי שנא הני דלא חשיבי להו משום דהנך משכי ...
Akiva___'s user avatar
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5 votes
1 answer
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Why didn't the Jews appoint a king before rebuilding the temple?

In the times of Ezra and Nechemia the temple was rebuilt. Rambam codifies that the mitzvah to appoint a king comes before the mitzvah to build the temple. If that is the case why didn't the Jews ...
postinganonymously's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
65 views

Why isn't there a specific number given for the amount of horses and gold/silver that a king is allowed to own?

The Rambam in Hilchos Melachim 3:2 writes how a king can't have more than 18 wives: לֹא יַרְבֶּה לוֹ נָשִׁים. מִפִּי הַשְּׁמוּעָה לָמְדוּ שֶׁהוּא לוֹקֵחַ עַד שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה נָשִׁים בֵּין ...
alicht's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
56 views

Does the King have to ask for forgiveness?

If the King of Israel sins against another Jew, (e.g cursing, speaking badly, etc.) is he obligated to ask for forgiveness?
Fei23's user avatar
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4 votes
2 answers
344 views

When can the brother of a man who died childless do neither yibbum nor chalitzah?

I was under the impression that if a man dies childless and has a brother, then the brother must do either yibbum (marrying his wife) or chalitzah (rejecting the marriage) -- his choice, but he has to ...
Monica Cellio's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
98 views

Why was King David allowed to mourn on the floor?

I heard from my rav that one of the laws of a king is that during mourning, he is not allowed to sit on the floor. Rather he sits on a couch, so as not shame his status as the king. If this is true, ...
DanF's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
95 views

Why would becoming king or kohein gadol exempt one from atoning for past sins?

To atone for certain transgressions, the torah (Vayikra 4) mandates different offerings depending on the status of the person who transgressed. Horayot 3:3, talking about the king or the kohein gadol,...
Monica Cellio's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
184 views

What happens if a Jewish king marries a 19th wife?

The mishna on Sanhedrin 21a teaches us that a king may not have more than 18 wives, and this is also codified by The Rambam (Hilchos Malachim 3:2): לֹא יַרְבֶּה לוֹ נָשִׁים. מִפִּי הַשְּׁמוּעָה ...
alicht's user avatar
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1 vote
0 answers
83 views

Do the 3 Mitzvos of entering Israel apply to the Second Temple?

וכן היה רבי יהודה אומר ג' מצות נצטוו ישראל בכניסתן לארץ: להעמיד להם מלך ולהכרית זרעו של עמלק ולבנות להם בית הבחירה (Sanhedrin 20b) Rabbi Yehuda says: Three mitzvot were commanded to the Jewish ...
Al Berko's user avatar
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0 votes
2 answers
357 views

What happened to Zerubbabel? [duplicate]

Regarding the curse of Jenconiah and his descendants (Jeremiah 22:28-30). I am a little confused to what happened with Zerubbabel. He appears in the oracles of Zechariah and Haggai but no clear ...
Elchanan Campan's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
108 views

Why was a king necessary in the first place?

When Moshe led the Jewish people, there came a time where he spoke with Hashem and asked for him to relieve his burden. He needed help with the responsibility that had been placed upon him. This led ...
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