Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 157
Can copy this into an AI, or connect the whole library to your assistant. For deeper learning, you can directly use the original seforim, sites, and apps.
(דברים יז טו) שׂוֹם תָּשִׂים, מֵת – מַנֵּה אַחֵר תַּחְתָּיו.
(Devarim 17:15) "Place shall you place over yourself a king": If he dies, appoint another in his place.
מֶלֶךְ – וְלֹא מַלְכָּה.
"a king": and not a queen.
אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ בּוֹ – עַל פִּי נָבִיא.
"whom the L-rd your G-d shall choose": by word of a prophet.
מִקֶּרֶב – וְלֹא מֵחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ.
"from the midst of your brothers": and not outside of Eretz Yisrael.
אַחֶיךָ – וְלֹא מֵאֲחֵרִים.
"your brothers": and not others.
תָּשִׂים עָלֶיךָ מֶלֶךְ, וַהֲלֹא כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר שׂוֹם תָּשִׂים עָלֶיךָ מֶלֶךְ, וּמַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר תָּשִׂים עָלֶיךָ מֶלֶךְ? שֶׁתְּהֵא אֵימָתוֹ עָלֶיךָ! מִכָּן אָמְרוּ: מֶלֶךְ אֵין רוֹכְבִים עַל סוּסוֹ וְאֵין יוֹשְׁבִים עַל כִּסְאוֹ וְאֵין מִשְׁתַּמְּשִׁים בְּשַׁרְבִיטוֹ וְאֵין רוֹאִים אוֹתוֹ עָרוֹם וְלֹא כְּשֶׁהוּא מִסְתַּפֵּר וְלֹא בְּבֵית הַמֶּרְחָץ.
"shall you place over yourself a king": But is it not already written "Place shall you place over yourself a king"? Why, then, "shall you place over yourself a king"? That his awe be over you — whence it was ruled: One is not permitted to ride on his horse or to sit on his throne or to make use of his sceptre or to see him naked or when he is having his hair cut or when he is in the bathhouse. [Variantly: "from the midst of your brothers shall you place": All the "placings" that you "place" shall be only from the midst of your brothers — whence it was ruled: A leader is not appointed for the congregation unless his mother is an Israelite.]
דָּבָר אַחֵר: שׂוֹם תָּשִׂים עָלֶיךָ מֶלֶךְ – מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה.
"from the midst of your brothers shall you place over yourself a king": This is a positive commandment.
לֹא תוּכַל לָתֵת עָלֶיךָ אִישׁ נָכְרִי – מִצְוַת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה.
"You shall not be able to place over yourself a strange man, who is not your brother": This is a negative commandment.
אִישׁ נָכְרִי – מִכָּן אָמְרוּ: הָאִישׁ מְמַנִּים פַּרְנָס עַל הַצִּבּוּר, וְאֵין מְמַנִּים הָאִשָּׁה פַּרְנֶסֶת עַל הַצִּבּוּר.
"a strange man": an idolator. (whence it was ruled: A leader is not appointed for the congregation unless his mother is an Israelite.)
(סוטה פ״ז מ״ח) אֲשֶׁר לֹא אָחִיךָ הוּא, כְּשֶׁהָיָה אַגְרִיפַּס מַגִּיעַ לְפָסוּק זֶה הָיָה בּוֹכֶה, וְהָיוּ כָל יִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹמְרִים לוֹ: ״אַל תִּירָא אַגְרִיפַּס, אָחִינוּ אַתָּה, אָחִינוּ אַתָּה!״
"who is not your brother": This is a slave. When (King) Agrippas came to this verse, he would burst into tears, (his father being a non-Jew), whereupon all of Israel said to him: "Fear not, Agrippas; you are our brother, you are our brother," (his mother being Jewish).