Part 1 Laws of Kings and Their Wars RAMBAM by Rabbi Aaron Dovid Poston

[Music] are going to do we're going to start reading and learning the Rambam rules about the king right it's there are myths of the 613 commandments in the Torah remember the word commandment is not a good translation the word mitzvot comes from the roots to come close and unite as right if we're talking about God's commandments to us it's a way we've commuted with Hashem we connect with the Shem we have a relationship with a Shem through the mitzvahs some of them are just for us something right in there's many different types of us like some are women summer men some performers somewhere a fireman summer cowboys right police men judges some of us are kings so they're gonna be mitzvot that applies just to whoever is selected and anointed as king and some of them will be on us and how we appoint or anointed king so this is going to develop into who the Messiah is or defining who the Messiah should be his role and the commandments that are coming upon the Jewish King okay because the word Messiah comes from the root of to anoint it means to anoint and there are many people who are anointed there's the Kohei is anointed the climene right the high priests and the priests and you have Kings okay so they're anointed that's why the club was she the Jewish concept of mashiach it has nothing to do with a personal Savior we'll find out what the tour has to say and we all have to live by the Torah so we'll see what the Torah has to say and we're using the Rama to explain in the Torah his book is called love Mishneh Torah and he with a fine-tooth comb goes through the Gemara right the Tommies before and it goes back of course to the written Torah so let's find out what he has to say so the first halacha he brings down believe it or not there are three commandments shalash mitts vote mitts taboo you saw Elba shot and he sat on the Eretz Israel was commanded to fulfill three mitzvahs when we enter the lands one is to choose the king to choose a king to appoint the king the verse says in Deuteronomy if you want to write it down anyone knows it says in Deuteronomy 17 15 some tossing it son double you shall surely it's command you shall surely place upon yourself a lesser melon okay you know that obligation those are personal obligation or is it a communal obligation tell me what do you think can i play me a king and you could put yourself a king or the rule ought to get together or somebody like the Sanhedrin perhaps perhaps appointed king that's Deuteronomy 17 15 another command the Rambam brings down so we come into the land of Israel is to destroy a nation thought I'm awake and it says in Deuteronomy 25 19 it says tips at a disease Hamlet to wipe out erase the remembrance or the memory of a nation caught on the lake I have to tell you the truth we don't know who they are today we do have an idea but it's probably not correct because more likely they are tried transmigration of souls reincarnated into different nations every generation we find people that hate us but they do with certain characteristics and it could be you know to these Chinese and transmigration of souls I know we have someone who here is German so 70 years ago or 80 years ago without them toys and today many of us think that Germany were parts of Germany or perhaps just the Nazis embellished the character traits of am awake that's easy to swallow correct some of us think that through the most transmigration of souls perhaps are some of our present-day enemies are Amelie but because we have no clear proof you cannot fulfill this myth without the prophet Elijah to let us know who is who okay so we'll put on the back shelf but we've historically speaking we're going to learn a lot and so maybe perhaps there's no way to really fulfill it in its fullness of wiping out and killing man woman and child from that particular nation because we don't know who the nations are but I will lead on to another idea and that is that according to an opinion that the ten tribes are supposed to come back you know about this idea we're hoping and praying everyday that they return there's an opinion that says only when all the nations return back to their original places then you'll know who the ten tribes are because guess where they're gonna end up right here in our laps don't know if the show is right the show who knows what but in the meantime we see in modern age in my opinions they do watch or hear the news there's a major migration shift going on throughout the world it's not just American student with immigration but all fashion also Israel has its own immigration issues with who's a Jew who's not a Jew who's from Sudan right who needs asylum who doesn't need asylum but throughout Europe throughout the Middle East I don't know what's happening in China I don't know if you guys have any type of immigration issues I'm sure a lot of people would like to leave China maybe I know I know North Korea they would like to leave you see some foreigners want to live in China I'm asking the question yes I heard found some more they want to go to China because the food is very delicious and the price is very cheap and the rent all seems very so that's so let's take what I'm saying doesn't matter the reason we don't always know the reason but when there is this migration going on that there must be God's hand behind it right we look around the world we always think God is behind everything so even if someone is only seeking asylum in afar in another country or they're going for economic reasons doesn't matter the reason the fact is they go to from country to country B and that's all you need to know okay where they end up that's anybody's guess guess what the third commandment that the Mott the Rambam brings now and that is to build a house for God now you may ask we didn't feel there when we first came into the land we had we had a tent we had the tabernacle I think she needs your help and that is live note date obihiro to build a chosen house as it says and we're going to see more than one verse but the Rambam brings down Deuteronomy 12 chapter 12 verse 5 seek out his presence and go there it's amazing we think about the base of meat - God says if you want a relationship with me relationship with God listen to the word this listen no teeth brushed it rasuu Obata Shama seek out his presence and go there here well we're talking about 1500 meters in that direction specifically the temple mill so we wanted to make sure the god we've to build him a house so we had a tent I mean I don't want to belittle it and call the tent it was the tabernacle but it was like Legos you could take it apart and it moved right did you transport it and then you rebuild it but it's not the same as a house which was the first temple the second temple and there's a prophecy about a third temple in Ezekiel it's not the only place that's talked about but in detail in detail it is spoken about that's the most amazing thing and that temple does not match it matches neither the first nor the second okay the second Halawa says the appointment of a king he's going to actually tell us the order as if there needs to be an order right is there why should we think there's any order you have these are commandments upon the people so it happened let the you know pick up sticks let it just wherever it falls whatever it happens no he tells us it was actually in order so the first thing he says is me knowing Melek owed them the measurement on my lake the first thing you do you need to appoint the king before you go to work against on the lake and how do we know because it says in 1st Samuel chapter 15 verses 1 through 3 we see that when Samuel appoints King Saul he commands him he appoint him he gives him a charge and he says this is what it says God sent me to anoint you as king now go and smite a Moloch these are the prophets word your points are all now that I appointed you a king go and smite a male so from here never the something about the prophets we should understand the prophets are really the oral torah the oral torah the written Torah was given letter from the letter by God to Moses undisputable there's no change it is solid concrete it's sturdy I'm not to say that the prophets are less dirty but the prophecy that Moses had was the clearest vision any prophet could ever have I was told literally what letters to write the prophets saw through a vision that was not crystal clear it wasn't crystal clear it was OPEC it was like looking through a telescope a of one glass after another a mirror a lens and ultimately they had a vision and on their own they described the vision it's a big difference between God's saying to you write this letter and I write that letter now write down like a space right word for word letter for letter but they describe the vision that they saw there's another law than a prophet nobody is allowed to add to the Torah so whatever the prophets are telling you it's something that you must already know because the main role of the Prophet is to rebuke the people okay if we were doing great fine doing everything we're supposed to do we wouldn't need the Prophet to come and tell us get your act together okay when you have a if a prophet Compton tells you a prophecy and it does not come to pass right but it's the tur say how do you know a false prophet because he tells you something that's gonna come to knock and it doesn't come to pass he's a false prophet you put him to death let me ask you something is that sure that he hates the Prophet says this is gonna happen and then it doesn't happen is he a false prophet prophet automatically you not yes what about you okay you're thinking can you say yes it would make sense but I'm gonna tell you your suitings you have to phone your seatbelts only when the Prophet tells you something good is going to happen and it doesn't happen then he's a false prophet why because if he tells you something Bad's gonna happen and it doesn't happen he's not a false prophet he is telling you to change your ways and if you don't change your ways does bad things gonna happen and then it doesn't happen so it'll be so that they listen to the Prophet they changed their ways he comes to warn the people to change and if you don't change this what's gonna happen so how many people does it take to how many juices to change your life or how many people does it make me to make a change for the disaster not that the prophet of doom not to take place I'll tell you we don't know only God knows he only knows the hardest it could have been one person it could have been the whole people just move one centimetre in the right direction could have been enough to stave off a disaster so if a prophet Compton tells this negative thing right you guys are doing this that the other thing and this is gonna happen and then it doesn't happen what is their assumptions what do we know that it didn't have to happen never had to happen and most likely it was a change obviously in the people's behavior thoughts and that's why so now we know a little bit more about prophecy so we're gonna be learning a lot about the prophecies I just wanted to get this as a foundation prophecy is you know if you weren't somebody you're not giving them right you're not allow to add to the Torah right the prophets never revealed anything that already wasn't established in the five books the people are living a Jewish lifestyle tour amidst this and then something happens so the Prophet is coming to warn them you get a warning on something that you know about right because it's not behaving properly so that's morning number one and morning number two do you get pulled over by the police you can't say it I didn't know you got a license they give you a you notice I meant so you say I didn't see it let's see decide it's not that you didn't know the law but you weren't aware of everything so okay so that's what the prophets do and we're gonna see a lot of revelation through the prophets but don't think of it as a brand new revelation but think of it as a way of speaking to the people about something they already know it has to be that way they're revealing something to the people that they already know but me to strengthen themselves here in another language in other way but they're not they weren't might not be familiar with that it can't be new it's forbidden it says in the Torah right if a prophet comes and tells you about something your forefathers did not know about chuck them out he a prophet or he's a false prophet so with the first thing we see that in inspir samuel chapter 15 verses 1 through 3 that samuel says to king saul god sent me to appoint you as a king o te la hashem Lim sha ha ha Lim Chaka to make you the Messiah lamella to make you Messiah right Malik I'm a Shia to make you be a Anointed One to be a king but too late now go the Akita i'ma let go and wipe that on the lake okay now i'm alexi should be annihilated before the construction of the temple and we don't see them being totally annihilated be close to it if you look in second samuel chapter 7 verse 1 and 2 it actually says the heat Jasha family that they drove by sending me off lovely saasy Nicole evolved the Omaha melet um nothing Anna B I know - yo she even baked a receipt so what it does is having a conversation with Nathan the Prophet and it says and it came to pass when the King dwelled in the palace as King David he's dwelling in a real solid stone maybe Jerusalem stone similar to a house and you live in and the king is living in his palace God gave him peace from all his enemies and surrounded him and the King said to Nathan to the Prophet look I'm dwelling in a house of cedar right a real sturdy home but the Ark of God dwells within curtains I said before about a tent exactly a tent but it is a tent that dove it felt I have it better off than God not does God need a house really truly we call him Hakam how many present he's everywhere the world is in the world the whole rule is within him so we'll have to discuss what exactly is the role of the temple okay that's for sure sure so we see here also that there is an order so you know it the king before you like try to wipe out on my leg and then you have to wipe out on my leg or at least a good portion of them before building the house since it's a mitzvah to appoint a king what is going to be our question we have to ask why was God or even Samuel displeased with the response with the request to anoint the king especially since the Rob says as soon as you come into land you dismissal is incumbent but they didn't how many years must have passed the King David lived approximately 400 years after we came into the land correct little more than that but okay so why for 400 years did we ask before and when we finally do ask there's a criticism and how do I know those are criticism if you look at first samuel chapter 8 verse 7 it says it is not you but me they have rejected meaning God says to Samuel this whole request for a king because nothing's not the best option here it's not it's not the first option not the best option so it is not you Samuel that has to be despondent or hurt or personally taken the front light but me that rejected got sense so let me just read it the Hebrew because this was a beautiful Hebrew way of explaining may a harsh I come out to melody mitzvah after they after they wanted to do the the appointment of the king la valeur uh Turkish bar who - Shalu Melanie me wish more why was God not satisfied why is he not pleased by the fact that they asked for a king from Samuel the feature Shalu patron bit-bit Tom Romans because they asked in a complaining way that's the Rambam language what were they complaining of that some of the words they used were we want to be like everyone else we want to be in Eurovision we want to be in the World Cup we want to be I don't know I can come up with a few other but I only know that much about the world ah but I know what would I read the newspapers which I don't fine but anyway they asked they made the request in a spirit of complaint bit tongue Romans the low shall Ulukaya they didn't say we want to fill the Mitzvah remember the whole idea behind misses is composed to God that relationship with God if they would said we want to come closer to God we want to do mitzvahs and one of the 613 mittens is to have a king so let's do it that's not quite a complaint that would have been perfect and no problems however whether in God's eyes or Samuels eyes but that's not what they did that's what they said and that's what that's not what they meant apparently elet bid they should cut super Shmuel Hanavi it sounds like they're a little bit disgusted or rejecting Samuel Santa was the leader so he was a prophet but you know take the Prophet saying you know it's not good enough we want a cake it's basically what they were saying and that's why God responds they're not rejecting you it has to do missus and so we read the verse in 1st Samuel 8 7 verses kilo of Tom Mossel it's not you think they disgust or despise Quixote muscle God says it's me okay the third Halawa King may only be anoint appointed by court of 71 elders the king must be obviously we've had many kings that were not the question is why how does it work I'll tell you real quick that once the Kings appointed his son doesn't need to be appointed his son won't automatically become king so you don't need an appointment by the next generation but it's not always the son okay we didn't have it by the Hasmonean kingdom right or after that okay so a king they only be annoyed appointed by the court that's the Sanhedrin of 71 elders a meaty melon tequila I mean the best way you know really annoyed the King appointed King LLP baked in shall she be music aiming by that he said it's translated in English 71 there really were 71 yet the 7d said Henchard and he had a leader of the Senate room that could be I've baked in the head of the court Alpina VIII and through a prophet so it's not just it's not just the same Hedrick but it's also the prophet a prophet so we're looking forward to Elijah the prophet who will let us know Joshua shimi Naju moshe rabbeinu base to know just like Joshua was appointed by Moses and Moses is based in meeting Moses court was involved with what such as Moses that made the decision and just like a shuttle King the SAP Saul and King David so that was not father the son so you didn't need the same Hedren and the Prophet for both and shimmy Nam ul Haram Massey who based dinner that Shmuel the Prophet from remote which is not far from here and his based in anointed both King saw when he was anointed and of it when he was elected you wouldn't need that for Saudi dollar ami be Melanie how Gary a fellow after Commodore owes okay this may be surprising to somebody we love to see anything that's written here you have to find and ask what's the where does it say that all right the king should not be appointed so your question is what the original question about the converting how do you know how does one know who is a continent so the Jewish people are extremely particular about who's equals that's genealogy who's from who like colony can't just marry anyone a mom's there someone who was born from a forbidden relationship can only marry another mom sir there are certain nations that we know how to marry at all and we're going to talk about that the kingdom of Mo of that actually we were allowed to marry their female converts but their male converts would never allow it to the congregation yeah okay so you have to know and believe it or not the Jewish people are a great experiment when genealogists want to get together figure out what's what's going on they use the Jewish people because we actually have many records and if someone wants to take Ali out today they have to come to shut their records who are you were you from where's your mother well you know they really want to know and a lot of people cannot provide or anybody who cannot provide goes through conversions and today with computers so it's easier there's a database back in the day you lived in the community how can did you live even today how can you live as a Jew not a community so everybody knew basic business I mean you know your own personal business they might not know but at least who you're but were you from yeah believe it or not all the Jewish people collectively converted at Mount Sinai so the airdrop the mixed multitudes and the Jews we all became equal Jews together okay and now this particular mister you may not appoint a foreigner who is not one of your brothers the previous part of the verse says you you should you should be appointing one of your brothers over you not a foreigner who's not your brother so the instructions that we receive that Sinai is that a convert cannot be appointed as a leader not just as a king as a leader in any area of authority but their children can notice that Ruth herself was a contract her grandchild David became King so it made me a restriction as a person shouldn't convert thinking they're gonna become a king yeah they might be a prince like the rest of us but do not can become the Kings and there's probably some deep-rooted psychological issues perhaps even within the nation to accept the authority of a father might be very difficult okay so there may be other practical reasons you have question it's not a question it's just a comment it's really make sense because somebody who must burn up in the community in the culture will better be more appropriate to leave than somebody who is coming from another the background and of course I'm just going to say no you should know every rule always has its exceptions so if somebody excels and exceeds the the rule could be pushed aside maybe not for a king but in the general concept of appointing meters we had in our past we had my eval tally on two great rabbis who were conference and they became the leaders of the generation not just the leaders of generous you have to understand in our book for perco vote that mentions the ethics of our fathers as the generations went on Smythe tally on are listed but we know that the pair's they're listed one was the head of the court and what was the prince - e leu the king we know that when we didn't have Kings we had an XLR we were under the Babylonian rule okay so we had like a governor so to speak so enough seats called so the schmeyer thoughts how I'll tell y'all what was the head of the court and what was the the secular head so to speak like a king and they were converts because they excel even though there's a rule also we're gonna see a woman you shouldn't have pointed the King because it says Kate not Queen says King but on the mitzvah to find a queen a queen will come as a result of being married to the king she'll be queen and maybe he'll die and should remain queen for a while who knows and we had Queens and we had prophetess we had women that excelled as prophets so the general was not to a noite Emperor point but there will always be exceptions okay [Music]