9
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Source for how Agag had a child after being captured
Amalekites and magic:
The Amalekites' ability to change into animals is brought by Rashi on Shmuel 1:15:3 and the Rid on the same verse, and mentioned as a midrash in the Kitzur Ba'al Haturim's ...
- 23.2k
9
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Secret Ops, The President, and The Blessing On a King
The Radbaz's language (responsum #296) is that he can kill "keMishpat", lawfully. A mob boss, for instance, has the ability to kill, but not lawfully. So I presume if the use of power was totally ...
- 128k
9
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Why did Mordechai not let Bigson & Seresh assasinate the king?
Rabbi Yonason Eibushutz answered humorously that disposing of two evil doers ( Bigsan and Teresh) is better than one ( Ahashverosh)
The midrash (footnote 73) and Sefarim Chitzonum writes that Bigsan ...
- 7,460
9
votes
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Why does David refuse to kill Shimi b. Gera, but then later tell Shlomo to kill him?
Both Targums on Esther 2:5 identify The Shimei in Mordecai's lineage with Shimei Ben Gera. They state that David saw through a prophetic experience that Mordecai (and Esther according to the first ...
- 8,134
9
votes
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Do Rome and Persia's kingdoms still exist?
Many meforshim understand that when the Gemara refers to Rome it is referring to the Christian nations. See here for example in the Ramban in Sefer HaGeulah - start from last word on the sixth line. ...
- 1,364
8
votes
Who can become king of the Jews?
See Rambam Hilchot Melachim Chapter 1.
Any Jew can be appointed king as long as he is not a convert nor descended exclusively from converts (Law 4), a woman (Law 5) nor currently or previously ...
- 39.6k
7
votes
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What tribe was Jehu from?
From Menashe. See Pesikta Rabbati 3
ובמלכים ירבעם בן נבט משל אפרים ואחרי כן יהוא בן (מנשה) [נמשי] משבט
מנשה
- 6,805
7
votes
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What happens if a Jewish king marries a 19th wife?
Rambam, Hilchos Melachim 3:2:
ואם הוסיף אחת ובעלה לוקה
If he adds an extra wife and has relations with her, he gets lashed.
So that answers question #3. As for the others:
On the face of it, ...
- 7,587
7
votes
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Are a convert's children considered to be of Jewish lineage?
Rambam in Hilchot Melachim 1:4 writes:
A convert may not be appointed king, even after many generations, until one has a Jewish mother.
Kesef Mishneh (ad loc.) writes that the same is true if he has ...
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7
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Why did the tribe of Yehuda merit to have the king descending from it?
When Yaakov is about to die and calls in his sons to bless them, he says to Yehuda (Bereishis 49:8-9):
יְהוּדָ֗ה אַתָּה֙ יוֹד֣וּךָ אַחֶ֔יךָ יָדְךָ֖ בְּעֹ֣רֶף אֹיְבֶ֑יךָ יִשְׁתַּחֲוּ֥וּ לְךָ֖ בְּנֵ֥י ...
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6
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Why did Mordechai not let Bigson & Seresh assasinate the king?
Pirkei Avos says: "Hevei mispallel b'shloma shel malchus" - Pray for the peace of the government.
Even though there is no concept of lo ta'amod for Mordechai to adhere to, the assassination of the ...
- 5,104
6
votes
Accepted
Hakhel: Source for leader of generation replacing king
Minchas Chinuch suggests it:
והנה מבואר בש"ס דהמלך הי' קורא וא"י אם הל"מ כ"ה דדוקא מלך ואם אין מלך בישראל אין מצוה כלל א"כ עד שאול המלך עליו השלום לא נתקיימה מצוה זו ואפשר דל&...
- 1,657
6
votes
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Why is Yehoshafat called the King of Yisrael in Divrei Hayamim?
R. Hayyim Joseph David Azulai raises this question in his commentary to that verse and notes that he hasn't seen anyone discuss it:
לא ראיתי מי שדיבר למה נקרא מלך ישראל מאחר שהוא ממלכי יהודה ועיין ...
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6
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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
The prohibition of living in Egypt has never changed. The question is to who did it apply to in the first place?
There are various opinions among the Rishonim Among them are that it only applies to
(...
- 4,333
5
votes
Why did Mordechai not let Bigson & Seresh assasinate the king?
Two Possible Answers:
The Megillah states that Mordechai would stay by the gate to hear what was done to Esther. Possibly Mordechai was looking out for Esther's safety. It was common practice at the ...
- 5,242
5
votes
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Did Pharaoh himself drown at Yam Suf
The Mechilta in Bishalach 2,6 makes a drasha from the words 'ad echad', seemingly the Torah lists there was none left 'until one', that is Pharaoh was left. It goes on to bring an opinion that ...
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5
votes
Does one make a Bracha when seeing the Pope?
The Pope is the head of state and government of the Vatican City, which is an internationally recognised nation-state. As the Vatican even controls a small military (The Swiss Guards).
As an absolute ...
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5
votes
Under whose rule was the second Beis Hamikdash destroyed?
Since the days of Hurkanus and Aristoblus, Rome ruled over Eretz Yisroel. The kings were completely answerable to the Romans. See Bava Basra 4 where Hurdus had to get Roman approval for renovating the ...
- 4,906
5
votes
How Could Jezebel, the Worshipper of Baal, be the Mother of Two Kings of Israel?
This is a complicated issue. You should read these two articles 1 2.
Some Rishonim say explicitly that Jezebel did not convert, and that was part of Ahab's sin in marrying her (see, for instance, ...
- 96k
5
votes
Can Jews elect a non-Jewish king?
In terms of permissibility according to Jewish law, the answer is found in the Mishnah Torah, Laws of Kings and their Wars, Chapter 1:4
A convert may not be appointed king, even after many ...
- 13k
5
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Was Achashveirosh feeling unwell in beginning of chapter six?
In the days of absolute monarchy, the king would start his day whenever he felt like. Those who wanted to get something from him would come as early as they could in order to be available whenever he ...
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5
votes
History of Chabad Moshiach flag
The History:
According to Chabapedia (in Hebrew), the flag was first printed in the Hebrew year 5755 (1994-1995) by Yaakov Ben Ari of Tzfat, Israel.
The general design of the flag seems to have ...
- 23.2k
4
votes
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Can a Davidic King rule while his father is still alive?
Exactly. It is explicit in the beginning of Melachim Aleph (1:30) that King David ordered for Solomon to reign in his lifetime, which answers your question.
כִּ֡י כַּאֲשֶׁר֩ נִשְׁבַּ֨עְתִּי לָ֜ךְ ...
- 84
4
votes
Why didn't the Jews appoint a king before rebuilding the temple?
Some commentators say that Zerubbabel was supposed to be king (such as Ibn Ezra, see e.g. his commentary to 4:14). Zerubbabel is never explicitly called a king, but he was from the royal family (1 ...
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4
votes
What is the official title for the wife of a Jewish king?
I’m aware of two terms used in Tanach: either calling her מלכה anyway, as in אסתר המלכה (Esther 5:2-3, 7:1-3, etc.), or the more crass term שגל, “royal consort” (Tehillim 45:10 and Nechemiah 2:6, as ...
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4
votes
Accepted
Was Assir a son of Jeconiah or an attribute of him?
Like @Harel13 notes there are differing opinions:
The Malbim spells out the differing viewpoints:
There are those who say that "Assir" is descriptive of Yechonya since he was incarcerated ...
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3
votes
Why did Mordechai not let Bigson & Seresh assasinate the king?
The Chassam Sofer* says that accepting the fact that a king has been appointed by Hashem and has some of Hashem's glory is included in the fact that we must fear and honor a king as a point of fearing ...
- 32.8k
3
votes
Name of Pharaoh that we were enslaved to in Mitzrayim
According to this article by Mitchell First, if one accepts the chronology presented by I Kings (6:1), then combining that with other historical sources would lead to the conclusion that the Pharaoh ...
- 35.1k
3
votes
Was Bar Kochba a King?
Rabbi Mordechai Hakohen in his book "אישים ותקופות" (People and Eras), pg. 105-108, discusses this issue and concludes, based on various midrashim and aggadatot on Bar Kochva, together with ...
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