<div dir="ltr"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Sep 3, 2008 at 12:12 PM, Micha Berger <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:micha@aishdas.org">micha@aishdas.org</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
On Wed, Sep 03, 2008 at 06:36:32PM +0300, Eli Turkel wrote:<br>
: Thus there is no pasuk in the Torah where G-d himself describes<br>
<div class="Ih2E3d">: himself as king. Only 3 verses of praise by men that use this<br>
: description<br>
<br>
</div>Ein melekh belo am.<br>
<br>
The key to declaring Him "Melekh" is that it means He rules with<br>
the will of the people. Otherwise, the term would be "Mosheil". See<br>
<<a href="http://www.aishdas.org/asp/2005/09/coronating-g-d.shtml" target="_blank">http://www.aishdas.org/asp/2005/09/coronating-g-d.shtml</a>> for my take<br>
of the Gra's more lengthy discussion of this point.<br>
<br>
But it would make sense then that it's people who declare Him "Melekh"<br>
<br>
Tir'u baTov!<br>
-Micha</blockquote><div><br>As I understood it, a Mosheil is a sort of pragmatic dictatorship, and Melech connotes rulership that is deserved, that is reflective of <b>worth</b>, 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. Is this just a form of grandfathered supremacy, like the Consuls of Rome? Or do we mean that a melech need not gain permission from the people, but they need permission from Him! I never understood Divine Authority to be a social contract, though I understand that many of the sources can be understood that way...Just as many can be understood to establish G-d as the Boss, and not because He's bigger than you or me. Note that I included the description of G-d as HaKadosh, as well as Melech. Now please don't tell me that Kadosh is just some bland description of G-d's "otherness." Everybody knows deep down inside that Kadosh and kedusha are value judgments, not abstract philosophical measures of non-value qualities.<br>
<br>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.<br>
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