[Avodah] RSRH on Kings

[Prof. Levine]

Below are some selections from RSRH's commentary on Bereishis 14:1

It came to pass in the days of Amrafel king of 
Shin’ar, Aryoch king of Ellasar, Kedorla’omer 
king of Eilam, and Tid’al king of Goyim.

Here we have the first historical account of kings and their wars. Let
us consider the reality that is described here — apparently to give us a
better understanding of the mission of Avraham and his people.

The system of government introduced by Nimrod was quick to bear
fruit.

<Snip>

His system was to exploit the collective energies of his nation for his
own selfish ends, sacrificing the happiness of the individual on the altar
of national honor. Here we find this system in full flower. We read here
a history not of nations but of kings. In as small an area as the Jordan
Valley, no fewer than five kings reigned (v. 2)! Here we have the beginnings
of monarchy. Each city has its own king. Later, in the time of
Yehoshua, we find thirty-one kings in the small land of Israel! The other
rulers (v. 1) were more formidable sovereigns, reigning over entire countries
and provinces such as Shin’ar (Bavel), Eilam (Madai), and also
Goyim, a name that indicates several nations, not merely one. The better
known of these kingdoms, Bavel and Madai, were distant from Eretz
Yisrael, yet the kings of Eretz Yisrael were subject to Kedorla’omer for
twelve years. Kedorla’omer was already a king of kings.

Let us now see what form kingship actually assumed in the affluent
“cities of the plain.” Each of these cities considered it necessary to have
a king of its own, an outlook that may have resulted from wealth and
affluence.

There are nations that avoid thinking for themselves and unload
their concerns onto the head of the king. This occurs particularly in
nations where the citizens are busily preoccupied with themselves. People
who pursue comfort and wealth and ignore the idealistic interests of
their community are ready to sacrifice rights and assets — so long as
they are “excused from thinking.” Moreover, it is difficult to be king
over a poor people. People who have little to gain and nothing to lose
are not easily frightened or enticed into obedience.

The foregoing explains why every city in the luxuriant Jordan plain
had its own king. The people thus freed themselves from the burden
of thinking about and attending to the needs of the community. For
the same reason, these kings, in turn, agreed to become vassals to the
powerful ruler of another land; they were all avdei avodim, as Noach had
foreseen about the descendants of Cham! They willingly paid yearly
tribute as the price for peace and security, so as to rule and enjoy royal
status in their own lands.

<Snip>

A universal truth was revealed here to Avraham: Affluence enslaves
nations — from within and from without. <Snip> Man can be truly
free — inwardly and outwardly — only if he submits to the rule of the
moral law (see Commentary above, 9:27).

Yet another truth was revealed here to Avraham. He came face to
face with a reality that concerned his people in particular. In the land
promised to him as the future homeland of his people, the first trial
he faced was famine, and the second was war! The land does not, by
its very nature, provide material prosperity and political independence.
In both these respects, the land of Israel is the antithesis of Egypt. The
land is dependent on heaven for its fertility, and its political position
is one of dependence; it cannot offer resistance to a foreign invader. In
and of itself, the land of Israel is prone to famine and political dependence.
Since it is situated at the crossroads where Europe, Asia and Africa meet,
all the major wars that have shaken the world have inflicted severe
damage upon it.

But precisely for this reason it was chosen. Had Israel built a holy life
on this land, no foe would have dared to approach its borders. Three
times each year the borders of the land would have been left undefended
and vulnerable, yet no one would have covetingly touched the land (see
Shemos 34:24). All the malchuyos of the world would have fought one an-
other and passed near Israel’s land, but no sword would have entered
this most prosperous yet most defenseless of lands

<Snip>

To the people of Israel, who are destined to live in the environs of
the ruins of Sodom and Gomorrah, the events described in these verses
serve as a warning: If there is no countervailing moral force, abundance
and luxury are the natural enemies of freedom. Only if they devote
themselves to the Torah with all their might will the people of Israel
enjoy freedom and independence in this land. A rich land “flowing with
milk and honey” tends to produce a population of weaklings. Only
submission to the yoke of the Torah guarantees freedom and independence.
Every field in Eretz Yisrael should bear the imprint of the Torah’s
reign (klayim), and this applies with special stringency to viniculture, the
cultivation of the plant most symbolic of plenty and luxury.
Everywhere, and at all times, let this warning be heard: Only
on the basis of the Torah will Israel flourish; if it throws off the yoke
of the Torah, Israel will go to physical and social ruin.

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