[Avodah] HaShem HaMelech

[Daniel M. Israel]

Quoting shalomyitz at comcast.net:
> I guess on the one hand you have Paroh. But, on the other hand you
> have the 9 melachim involved in the war in Lech Lecha... How much
> territory could each one have controlled if there were 9 of them in the
> area?
>
> How are we supposed to think about HQBH based on this metaphor?

Hence "HaMelech, Malchei HaMelachim."  It was common (as was the case  
with the 9 melachim) for a local melech to be the vassal of another  
melech.  (In English we might think of a King and and Emperor.)  Which  
is why HKB"H is described not just as the melech over other melachim,  
but as the melech over the melachim who are themselves over other  
melachim.

At least is my reading.

In any case, for most of the common people, which level of melech you  
were relating to probably didn't matter much: relative to you the  
melech still had absolute power.  The melech-subject relationship is  
what we are supposed to feel in relation to HaShem in this context.   
The distinction you are making was only really relevant to other  
political actors, which goes beyond the intent of the mashal.

-- 
Daniel M. Israel
daniel at cornell.edu

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