Shoftim

This parsha speaks about the mitzvah of appointing a king. The Torah states, “and it will be when he shall sit on his throne he should write for himself ‘Mishneh Torah’ on a sefer…and it shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life in order to learn to fear Hashem…” What is this ‘Mishneh Torah’ that the king writes for himself?

Rashi writes that these are two Sifrei Torah; one which he keeps in a safe place at home and the other which he brings with him wherever he goes.

The Da’as Zekainim M’Ba’alei Tosfos teaches that the second Torah was hung on his arm and consisted of the Aseres HaDibros. The Torah hints that this is a “Sefer Torah” because the Aseres HaDibros is written with 613 letters which corresponds to the taryag mitzvos.

The Gemara has a first thought that the Sefer Torah needed to be with the king at all times – including when entering a bathroom or bathhouse. The passuk writes the words, “והיתה עמו וקרא, and it shall be with him and he shall read” to teach that the Sefer Torah can only be in a place where it can be read. Therefore, a bathroom and bathhouse are excluded. Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz points out that we see from here that the king needed to always have the Sefer Torah with him, without a hefsek. This is the prescribed way for the king to be zoche to yirah; by always carrying the Torah with him and reading it!

Rav Shimon Schwab writes that surely the king who was chosen to lead Hashem’s nation is a yarei Elokim! If so, what then is the meaning of the words, “למען ילמד ליראה את ה’”? Rav Schwab explains that after one has attained such a high position and receives great honor, he then must learn and review the Torah to check his state of yiras Hashem once again, anew!

The Mishnah teaches: an empty person is not a “yirei chait, afraid of sin.” A person who doesn’t know the rules and regulations cannot be afraid of sin; he does not know what is right or wrong. One must learn to know the ratzon Hashem; what does He command me not to do and to keep away from and vice-versa. By learning Hashem’s Torah and mitzvos he will become aware and familiarize himself to be able to achieve becoming a yirei chait.

May we learn from the message to the king that constant learning causes a person to be a yarei Shamayim!