[Avodah] Love of Israel

[Marty Bluke]

A number of people wanted to bring a proof from Achav about malchus
and kavod. The proof from Achav is actually a machlokes. After Eliyahu
Hanavi's success at Har Hacarmel, he is left alone with the King,
Achav. Achav starts riding home all alone and Eliyahu runs in front of
Achav's chariot to honor the King.

Why did Eliyahu Hanavi honor Achav by running in front of his chariot,
after all Achav was a rasha? One school of thought answers that the
Mitzva of giving honor to the King even applies to a rasha. The mitzva
is to give honor to the office not the person. The King represents
Hashems malchus on earth, whether he is a rasha or not is irrelevant.
Others say that Achav did teshuva along with all of Bnei Yisrael and
therefore Eliyahu honored him. However, you are not allowed to honor a
King who is a rasha.

As expected, the Satmer Rebbe took the second approach while R' Henkin
(writing before the State of Israel existed) assumed like the first
approach. Both approaches are based on earlier sources (Tumim,
Maharsha, Ralbag).