[Avodah] Netziv on Monarchy

[Micha Berger]

I wonder if this is related to RAYK's position on the possibility of a democracy
having a din malkhus. (Given the rebbe-talmid relationship and all.)

>From http://revach.net/article.php?id=4701

    Parshas Shoftim: Netziv - A King Is Not For Every Society

    "Ki Savo El HaAretz... V'Amarta Asima Alai Melech", when you come into
    Eretz Yisroel... and you will say place upon us a king. The Mitzva of
    making a king is one of the Taryag Mitzvos. Why does the Torah says
    "V'AMarta", when you will say that you want a king? Is it optional?

    The Netziv answers that each country and each society is different.
    Some countries cannot function without a strong leader, while other
    cultures cannot tolerate a king dictating the country's order and
    policies. The leadership of a country needs to match the society
    and having a type of leadership that is incompatible with the people
    can have consequences bordering of Sakanas Nefashos, says the Netziv.
    Such drastic matters cannot be forced upon them by a Mitzvas Aseh.

    Therefore says the Netziv, the Mitzva of coronating a King is a
    democratic decision. Only when the people are ready for it and ask
    for it, only then must the Sanhedrin anoint a king. This is seen
    in history as Bnei Yisroel did not have a king until after being in
    Eretz Yisroel for 300 years. Until then there was no consensus for
    it, says the Netziv.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha