וְאָמַרְתָּ אָשִׂימָה עָלַי מֶלֶךְ, עַל דַּעַת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (ספרי ראה סז, סנהדרין כ א) כְּמוֹ וֶאֱמֹר אָשִׂימָה עָלַי מֶלֶךְ, וְהִיא מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה, שֶׁיְּחַיֵּב אוֹתָנוּ לוֹמַר כֵּן אַחַר יְרֻשָּׁה וִישִׁיבָה, כִּלְשׁוֹן (דברים כב ח) וְעָשִׂיתָ מַעֲקֶה לְגַגֶּךָ וְזוּלָתָם. וְהִזְכִּיר וְאָמַרְתָּ, כִּי מִצְוָה שֶׁיָּבוֹאוּ לִפְנֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים הַלְוִיִּם וְאֶל הַשֹּׁפֵט, וְיֹאמְרוּ לָהֶם רְצוֹנֵנוּ שֶׁנָּשִׂים עָלֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ. וּלְפִי דַּעְתִּי עוֹד שֶׁגַּם זֶה מֵרְמִיזוֹתָיו עַל הָעֲתִידוֹת, שֶׁכֵּן הָיָה כְּשֶׁשָּׁאֲלוּ לָהֶם אֶת שָׁאוּל, אָמְרוּ לִשְׁמוּאֵל (שמואל א ח ה): שִׂימָה לָּנוּ מֶלֶךְ לְשָׁפְטֵנוּ כְּכָל הַגּוֹיִם, וְכֵן כָּתוּב שָׁם (שמואל א ח כ): וְהָיִינוּ גַם אֲנַחְנוּ כְּכָל הַגּוֹיִם וּשְׁפָטָנוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ וְגוֹ', כִּי מָה טַעַם שֶׁתֹּאמַר הַתּוֹרָה בַּמִּצְוָה כְּכָל הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבֹתָי, וְאֵין יִשְׂרָאֵל רְאוּיִים לִלְמֹד מֵהֶם וְלֹא לְקַנֵּא בְּעוֹשֵׂי עַוְלָה. אֲבָל זֶה רֶמֶז לְעִנְיָן שֶׁיִּהְיֶה, וּלְכָךְ בָּאָה הַפָּרָשָׁה בַּלָּשׁוֹן הַבֵּינוֹנִי, כַּאֲשֶׁר פֵּרַשְׁתִּי כְּבָר. וְטַעַם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ בּוֹ עַל דַּעַת הַמְּפָרְשִׁים, שֶׁיִּהְיֶה נִבְחָר עַל פִּי נָבִיא אוֹ בְּמִשְׁפַּט הָאוּרִים, יְצַוֶּה הַכָּתוּב תָּשִׂים עָלֶיךָ מֶלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ בּוֹ, כִּי הוּא יִבְחַר וְלֹא אַתָּה. וּבְסִפְרֵי, שׂוֹם תָּשִׂים עָלֶיךָ מֶלֶךְ - מֵת מַנֵּה אַחֵר תַּחְתָּיו, מֶלֶךְ - וְלֹא מַלְכָּה, אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ - עַל פִּי נָבִיא. אִם כֵּן מָה טַעַם לְהַזְהִיר לֹא תוּכַל לָתֵת עָלֶיךָ אִישׁ נָכְרִי, וְהַשֵּׁם לֹא יִבְחַר בְּנָכְרִי. אֲבָל לְדַעַת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ יֵשׁ בַּכָּתוּב הַזֶּה תְּנַאי נִסְתָּר, יֹאמַר שׂוֹם תָּשִׂים עָלֶיךָ הַמֶּלֶךְ שֶׁיִּבְחַר הַשֵּׁם בּוֹ, אִם תּוּכַל לַעֲשׂוֹת כֵּן שֶׁיַּעַנְךָ הַשֵּׁם בַּנְּבִיאִים, אֲבָל אִישׁ נָכְרִי לֹא תוּכַל לָתֵת עָלֶיךָ לְעוֹלָם. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט אָמְרוֹ שׂוֹם תָּשִׂים עָלֶיךָ מֶלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ בּוֹ, וְלֹא אֲשֶׁר שָׂנֵא ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ, כִּי הוּא בָּחַר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וְלִהְיוֹת הַמּוֹלֵךְ מִבְּחֻרָיו וְלֹא מִקֶּרֶב הָעַמִּים אֲשֶׁר שָׂנֵא. וְדַעְתִּי בְּדֶרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט, כִּי טַעַם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר שֶׁכָּל מוֹלֵךְ עַל עַמִּים, מֵאֵת הָאֱלֹהִים הִיא לוֹ, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁכָּתוּב (דניאל ד כט): דִּי שַׁלִּיט עִלָּאָה בְּמַלְכוּת אֲנָשָׁא וּלְמַאן דִּי יִצְבֵּא יִתְּנִנַּהּ. וְכָךְ אָמְרוּ (ב"ב צא), אֲפִלּוּ רֵישׁ גַּרְגּוּתָא מִן שְׁמַיָּא מוֹקְמֵי לֵיהּ. יֹאמַר, שׂוֹם תָּשִׂים עָלֶיךָ מֶלֶךְ, כָּל אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה נִגְזַר מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם שֶׁיִּמְלֹךְ, וְאִם הוּא מִקְּטַנֵּי שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ הַצְּעִירָה; אֲבָל אִישׁ נָכְרִי לֹא תַּמְלִיךְ עָלֶיךָ לְעוֹלָם. וְכֵן עַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ בּוֹ, כָּל שֶׁיִּבְנוּ שָׁם בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ לַה', הַכֹּל מֵרְצוֹן ה'.
AND THOU SHALT SAY: ‘I WILL SET A KING OVER ME.’ In the opinion of our Rabbis [who say that “The Israelites were obliged to fulfill three commandments upon their entry into the Land: to appoint a king etc.”] this verse is like “and thou shalt surely say ‘I will set a king over me.’” This is a positive commandment, for He has obligated us to say so after conquering and settling [in the Land]. The expression is similar to and thou shalt make a parapet for thy roof [which is also a matter of obligation and not one of choice], and other verses besides these. He mentioned and thou shalt say because it is commanded that the people come before the priests of the tribe of Levi, and to the judge and say to them, “It is our wish that we set a king over us.” It is my further opinion that this is also one of his [Moses’] allusions to future events, for so it happened when the people asked for Saul, saying to Samuel, Now make us a king to judge us like all nations, and similarly it is written there, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us etc. For what reason is there that the Torah should say in connection with a commandment [‘I will set a king over me] like all the nations that are round about me’ when it is not proper for Israel to learn their ways and neither be envious against the workers of evil. But this is an allusion to what will be, and therefore the section is written in an intermediate tense [and not in the form of a command] as I have already explained. THOU SHALT BY ALL MEANS SET HIM KING OVER THEE, WHOM THE ETERNAL THY G-D SHALL CHOOSE. In the opinion of the commentators this means that he is to be chosen according to the word of a prophet or the judgment of the Urim. Scripture is thus commanding: “You shall set up a king over you, whom the Eternal thy G-d shall choose, for it is He Who will choose and not you.” And in the Sifre it is stated: “Thou shalt by all means set him king over thee. If he dies, appoint another one in his place. A king — but not a queen. Whom the Eternal thy G-d shall choose — according to the word of the prophet.” But, if so, what sense is there to warn [in the verse before us], thou mayest not put a foreigner over thee, who is not thy brother, when G-d would not choose a foreigner? However, in the opinion of our Rabbis there is in this verse a hidden condition, stating: “you shall by all means set a king over you, whom G-d shall choose provided you can do so — if G-d will answer you through prophets; but a foreigner you may never appoint as king over you.” And in line with the plain meaning of Scripture they have said, “thou shalt by all means set him king over thee, whom the Eternal thy G-d will choose and not him whom the Eternal thy G-d hateth, for He will choose an Israelite to be king over His chosen ones and not from among the other peoples.” In my opinion the simple meaning of the expression whom He will choose is that every ruler over people receives his position from G-d, as it is written until thou wilt know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will. Similarly the Rabbis have said: “Even a superintendent of the well is appointed in heaven.” Thus the verse is stating: “thou shalt by all means set him king over thee — whoever it be decreed by Heaven that he is to reign, even if he be of the smallest of the tribes of Israel and of the least of all the families of the tribe — but you are never to invest a foreigner with regal power.” Similarly, by way of the plain meaning of Scripture, the expression the place which the Eternal thy G-d shall choose means “wherever G-d’s Sanctuary shall be built, was all the Will of G-d.”