Mitzvas Minui Melech, Perek 1Class One: Introduction. 1) The RaMbaM (Hilchos Melachim Perek 4, Halacha 10): The role of the King was to strengthen Yiddishkeit and protect the people. The question is only which came first safety (wars) or Yiddishkeit. 2) The power of the King was much greater than the Sanhedrin and the Novi, and this authority he got from the Torah itself. 3) Because he had so much power, there was the need for a King to humble himself in various ways, (like carrying a Sefer Torah in his pocket, when he bowed in the beginning of Shmone Esrei he kept his head bent for the duration, etc.) The story of Shmuel and the Yidden asking him for a king. He was very disappointed.
Class Two: Inside 1) The idea of שום תשים עליך מלך is illustrated with a story of Reb Avrohom Pariz 2) Inside, why was Shmuel was so upset? 3) First role of the King- to make them closer to Hashem 4) The King’s closeness to Hashem (רוממות) is experienced by him as a deep Bittul, but by the subjects, it is an exaltedness which Bittuls them to him. 5) SO, their Bittul is rooted in the King’s Bittul to Hashem and as such, they are Bottul to Hashem as well.
Class Three: A short class explaining the intrinsic contradiction or extremes in the idea of Malchus (a King). In this instance it is: 1) Romemus, from the people 2) Hisbatlus, to Hashem. But they are the same: the closeness to Hashem makes him above the people and the being above the people makes him close to Hashem.
Class Four: The second role of the king is to force the community to have (and follow) the legal system. Both these reasons are needed for regular people, but real people, תלמידי חכמים, that have higher נשמות, do not need a King (for these reasons) at all. This is the first part of a class which will continue in the next class.
Class Five: The Tzemach Tzedek says: סתם תלמיד חכם הוא יראת שמים. He further says that people who have חכמה are humble and only fools have גאוה. This idea is explored here. The difference between intelligence (בינה) and wisdom (חכמה). All intelligence really comes from wisdom. If the two are linked there is humility and fear of G-d, if they aren’t, then the smart man is a fool. Example: the expression חזנים זיינען נערנים.
Class Six: The question is: Why was Shmuel upset that they had asked for a king. The answer is that he wanted them to first reach the highest level so the king will be of the highest levels. But Hashem agreed with them
