[Avodah] kingly G-d

[Micha Berger]

On Wed, Sep 03, 2008 at 07:58:27PM -0500, Ira Tick wrote:
: > The key to declaring Him "Melekh" is that it means He rules with
: > the will of the people. Otherwise, the term would be "Mosheil". See
: > <http://www.aishdas.org/asp/2005/09/coronating-g-d.shtml> for my take
: > of the Gra's more lengthy discussion of this point.

: As I understood it, a Mosheil is a sort of pragmatic dictatorship, and
: Melech connotes rulership that is deserved, that is reflective of *worth*,
: not just popular reverence.  In fact, in Jewish Law, a melech is not a
: melech if his powers are subject at all to popular will...

First, is your impression supported by the word's use in Tanakh? The
Gra refers to "Ki Lashem hamlukhah, umosheil bagoyim" -- Hashem is in
reality a Melekh, but since the nations don't accept Him as such, he
serves as a Mosheil to them. Also, while "Memshaltekha" is only "bekhol
dor vador", "Malkhusekha malkhus kol olamim". Memshalah will evaporate
through the course of history, becoming full Malkhus.

Not that His Power is subject to public will, but that being a Melekh
means having people willingly follow Him. Being a Mosheil means
imposing that Power despite them. As I wrote in the post I pointed you to:
> This casts the point of Rosh haShanah into being about accepting Hashem
> as our Melech, thereby changing His relationship to us from one of
> Mosheil to that of Melech.

> A Melech need not impose His will in the same way that a Mosheil does. A
> Melech, therefore, has the opportunity to act with kindness and mercy at
> times when a Mosheil could not. We therefore introduce High Holidays,
> the days of judgement, by declaring G-d's meluchah. By voluntarily
> accepting Him as king we obviate the need for G-d to direct us on the
> right path through trials and tribulations.

Pretty close to your conclusion:
: As for the dictum "Ein Melech B'lo Am"  I think that refers to the fact that
: G-d goes unappreciated without people to revere Him, and that all His power
: and authority are unfulfilled  without creation to take part in it.

I think we differed because my line:
:> The key to declaring Him "Melekh" is that it means He rules with
:> the will of the people...
was insufficiently clear.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Like a bird, man can reach undreamed-of
micha at aishdas.org        heights as long as he works his wings.
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Fax: (270) 514-1507      he plummets downward.   - Rav Yisrael Salanter