Put Your Faith in G-d, Not a ‘King’

In the second reading of this week's Torah Portion (Shoftim, or Judges), G-d anticipates that the Children of Israel will forget G-d many years after settling Eretz Yisrael (D'Varim 17:14-20) and demand a king like all the nations around it.  This occurred in Chapter Eight of the First Book of Samuel when the Israelites asked Samuel to give them a king because Samuel was old and his sons were corrupt.  Even though Samuel warned the Israelites that they would go from being

In the second reading of this week's Torah Portion (Shoftim, or Judges), G-d anticipates that the Children of Israel will forget G-d many years after settling Eretz Yisrael (D'Varim 17:14-20) and demand a king like all the nations around it.  This occurred in Chapter Eight of the First Book of Samuel when the Israelites asked Samuel to give them a king because Samuel was old and his sons were corrupt.  Even though Samuel warned the Israelites that they would go from being servants of G-d to helo…