[Avodah] Love of Israel

[Chana Luntz]

> 
> 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

But I thought that the teshuva of an idolator was never accepted (does
not the gemora in fact prove this specifically in the context of the
discussion regarding Achav on Chullin 5a)?  And was Achav not
specifically listed as one of the kings who do not have a portion in
olam haba in the Mishna in Sanhedrin?

 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).

Actually, I think there were two different aspects of malchus and kavod
under discussion.  The first was whether there was a requirement to give
kavod in circumstances where the melech was not from beis David, and
even if you take the Satmer Rebbe's point of view, it would still seem
that so long as the person is righteous, he would agree that the
technical requirements of being a melech from beis David are not
required.  I agree that the second aspect - ie are you required to give
kavod to a king who is a rasha, cannot be proven from Achav if Achav is
considered to be a tzadik at the time that Eliyahu haNavi honoured him.
How does the Satmer Rebbe deal with with the issues raised above (ie the
gemora regarding teshuva of an idolator and the Mishna regarding Achav's
portion in the world to come)?

Shabbat Shalom

Chana

PS I can understand if you do not have time to respond before Pesach, I
am struggling to keep up with (not to mention read) the email
correspondence at the moment, despite a whole host of interesting
threads going on) - which is why I am posting at well past midnight
which I really shouldn't be doing.  So I probably would be greatful if
there was something of a hiatus too.