Asking For A King

During the period when the Prophet Samuel was the leader of the Jewish people, he was very upset when the people asked for a king to reign over Israel.

He felt that this request was motivated by a desire to be like the neighboring nations, and not a desire to get closer to Hashem.

He tried to discourage them by telling them all of the restrictions that might be placed on them, if they did have a king.

He was free to levy taxes as he saw fit, he could confiscate their property, and he could declare war that would enlist young men to battle. Samuel was trying to warn them that they should be careful what they are wishing.

The Alshich does not understand the reason for Samuel’s discontent. After all, the Torah specifically gave the laws related to the appointment of a king. Why couldn’t the people ask for that which the Torah permitted?

He answered that we need to look at when this request was made. It was roughly 300 years after the exodus from Egypt. They managed reasonably well during this period without a king. They understood that Hashem is the only King, worthy of worship, and a human king was not necessary.

This explains why Shmuel took all of this personally. He saw this as a rebellion against him and his leadership. It was only after Hashem told Shmuel that the rebellion was against Him and not His prophet.

We know that in an ideal world, we need to do three things to bring Mashiach. We must appoint a king, destroy Amalek, and build the Temple.

That king will actually prove to be the Mashiach. He will lead the people both spiritually and materially, and he will help raise the spiritual level of the entire nation.