Chinuch (71) It is impossible for the settlement of people without their making one of them head over the others, to do his command and fulfill his decrees. As the opinions of people are different and they will never all agree to one opinion - to do one thing from among the many things. And from this, the result will be idleness and a cessation of actions. And therefore they need to accept the opinion of one of them - whether it is good or whether it is bad - so that they will be successful and be involved in the business of the world, sometimes finding great benefit from his will and counsel and sometimes finding the opposite. And all of this is better than disagreement which causes complete idleness. And since the one appointed as head is the cause for the benefit that we said - whether he is big in leading us in the ways of religion or whether he is big in the kingdom to guard a man from his neighbor that is more powerful than he - the matter is fitting and proper that we not treat his honor lightly, and also that we not curse him.
“Authority is indispensable” The Malbim is so good here.
ReplyDeleteמשלי פרק כד
(כא) יְרָא אֶת יְקֹוָק בְּנִי וָמֶלֶךְ עִם שׁוֹנִים אַל תִּתְעָרָב:
(כב) כִּי פִתְאֹם יָקוּם אֵידָם וּפִיד שְׁנֵיהֶם מִי יוֹדֵעַ:
מלבי"ם משלי פרק כד פסוק כב
כי פתאום יקום אידם, א] כי המורדים האלה אידם יקום פתאום, אם יתגלה המרד והקשר, שאז יקום אידם, וחוץ מזה שגם אם יצלח המרד וישנו ההנהגה, מי יודע פיד שניהם ר"ל הפיד שיקום על ידי השינוי שלהם, וע"י ההנהגה השניה שמקימים, אם לא תהיה רעה ופיד ושבר, כי הם יקימו הנהגה כחפצם לעשוק ולחמס ולרוצץ את העם:
Malbim on Mishley by Rabbi Charles Wengrov, 1982, p. 250:
“21-22. God is to be feared in religious matters and the king in matters of law and social order. Dissenters and revolutionaries who seek to change the social order should be avoided, for they break the Divine law---which commands obedience to human authority---as well as the law of man. Moreover, when the revolutionary conspiracy is discovered , then the rebels are doomed. And even if the revolution succeeds, it is not certain if the new regime will be better. It may be worse than the old. With anarchy and violence the order of the day.”
Wow wow.
Proverbs 24:21-22 “Fear the Lord, my son, and the king. And do not mix with dissenters, For disaster comes to them suddenly; The doom both degree who can foreknow?”