[Avodah] The Shevatim - free and independent?

[Micha Berger]

On Thu, Oct 06, 2022 at 06:27:11AM -0400, Akiva Miller via Avodah wrote:
> (As an aside, as a child growing up, I viewed the 50 united States as
> merely administrative areas. It took a long time for me to realize - and
> even now I often forget - that in truth, "these united Colonies are, and of
> Right ought to be Free and Independent States", which banded together only
> for specific purposes. The independent Shevatim, and the united Bnei
> Yisrael, are similar.)

Actually, the States' Rights thing was decided by the Civil War. Which
is why you will see that newspapers in the north from the era would have
"The United States is" whereas those in the south would speak of "The
Confederate States are".

It is possible that the same was part of the story of Yerav'am's
revolt. The shevatim further from Yehudah were upset that all the power
was centralized in Jerusalem. And all the taxes going to Jerusalem.
They then set up two temples at opposited ends of Malkhus Yisrael,
so that their religion isn't localized.

But in particular, you write about the Kohein Gadol's sheivet. They
bedavka didn't have a nachalah, no "state"; they lived among everyone.

:-)BBii!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 The purely righteous do not complain about evil,
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   but add justice, don't complain about heresy,
Author: Widen Your Tent      but add faith, don't complain about ignorance,
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF    but add wisdom.     - R AY Kook, Arpelei Tohar