ואמאי קרו ליה ראש המדברים בכל מקום דיתבי רבי יהודה ורבי יוסי ורבי שמעון ויתיב יהודה בן גרים גבייהו פתח ר' יהודה ואמר כמה נאים מעשיהן של אומה זו תקנו שווקים תקנו גשרים תקנו מרחצאות ר' יוסי שתק נענה רשב"י ואמר כל מה שתקנו לא תקנו אלא לצורך עצמן תקנו שווקין להושיב בהן זונות מרחצאות לעדן בהן עצמן גשרים ליטול מהן מכס הלך יהודה בן גרים וסיפר דבריהם ונשמעו למלכות אמרו יהודה שעילה יתעלה יוסי ששתק יגלה לציפורי שמעון שגינה יהרג
And why is Rabbi Yehuda called 'the first of the speakers'? Since Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Yose and Rabbi Shimon sat [together], and Rabbi Yehudah ben Gerim (son of converts) sat with them.
Rabbi Yehuda opened and said, "How fine are the deeds of [the Roman] nation; they set up markets, they set up bridges, they set up bathhouses."
Rabbi Yose was quiet.
Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai answered and said, "All that they set up, they didn't set up except for their own needs; they set up markets to place prostitutes in them, bathhouses to pamper themselves, bridges to take taxes from them."
Rabbi Yehudah ben Gerim went and told over their words and they were heard by the government. [The government officials] said, "Yehudah that elevated [us] should be elevated, Yose that was quiet should be exiled to Tsippori, Shimon that disgraced [us] should be killed."
(ג) הֱווּ זְהִירִין בָּרָשׁוּת, שֶׁאֵין מְקָרְבִין לוֹ לָאָדָם אֶלָּא לְצֹרֶךְ עַצְמָן. נִרְאִין כְּאוֹהֲבִין בִּשְׁעַת הֲנָאָתָן, וְאֵין עוֹמְדִין לוֹ לָאָדָם בִּשְׁעַת דָּחְקוֹ:
(3) Be careful about the authorities, as they approach a person only when for their own needs. They seem like dear friends in good times, but they don't stand up for that person in when they're in trouble.
What sort of people might have this attitude toward "authorities?" What might this tell us about Jewish experiences during this time period (roughly 150 CE)? How does this compare to your experiences of authorities today? What groups of people today might have a relationship that might reflect this attitude? How might this differ across different "authorities?"
(3) You shall not copy the practices of the land of Egypt where you dwelt, or of the land of Canaan to which I am taking you; and in their statues you shall not walk.
What might the significance of Egypt and Canaan be here? Why those nations and not any of the surrounding ones? What are some possible reasons for not wanting Israelites to take on the practices and statutes of these nations?
() תוספת הילקוט:[ח] "ובחוקותיהם לא תלכו". וכי מה הניח הכתוב שלא אמרו? והלא כבר נאמר "לא ימצא בך מעביר בנו ובתו באש...וחובר חבר..", ומה תלמוד לומר "ובחוקותיהם לא תלכו"? שלא תלכו בנימוסות שלהם, בדברים החקוקים להם כגון תיטריות וקרקסאות והאסטריות. רבי מאיר אומר אלו דרכי האמורי שמנו חכמים. ר' יהודה בן בתירא אומר שלא תנחור ושלא תגדל ציצית ושלא תספור קומי שפה. ושמא תאמר להם חוקים ולנו אין חוקים?!, תלמוד לומר "את משפטי תעשו ואת חוקתי תשמרו ללכת בהם אני ה' אלקיכם". עדיין יש תקוה ליצר הרע להרהר ולומר שלהם נאים משלנו, תלמוד לומר "ושמרתם ועשיתם..כי היא חכמתכם ובינתכם...".
"and in their statutes you shall not walk": What did Scripture leave unsaid (that this need be stated)? Is it not already written (Devarim 18:10) "There shall not be found among you one who passes his son or daughter through fire (for sacrifice to a foreign god is prohibited) and a sorcerer (is also prohibited)"? What, then, is the intent of "and in their statutes you shall not walk"?
In their customs — those things that are established for them — such as theatres, circuses, and sports.
R. Meir says: These are "the ways of the Amorites," which the sages enumerated.
R. Yehudah b. Betheira says: that you not preen yourself (to attract women), and not cultivate locks, and not wear the hair komi (a gentile fashion). And lest you say: "They have statutes and we have no statutes" — It is, therefore, written (18:9) "My judgments shall you do and My statutes you shall heed to walk in them; I am the Eternal your God."
How do these comments read the verse from Leviticus? What is their concern? What is the relationship between the legal and the cultural here?
(יא) וַיֹּ֕אמֶר זֶ֗ה יִֽהְיֶה֙ מִשְׁפַּ֣ט הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִמְלֹ֖ךְ עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם אֶת־בְּנֵיכֶ֣ם יִקָּ֗ח וְשָׂ֥ם לוֹ֙ בְּמֶרְכַּבְתּ֣וֹ וּבְפָרָשָׁ֔יו וְרָצ֖וּ לִפְנֵ֥י מֶרְכַּבְתּֽוֹ׃ (יב) וְלָשׂ֣וּם ל֔וֹ שָׂרֵ֥י אֲלָפִ֖ים וְשָׂרֵ֣י חֲמִשִּׁ֑ים וְלַחֲרֹ֤שׁ חֲרִישׁוֹ֙ וְלִקְצֹ֣ר קְצִיר֔וֹ וְלַעֲשׂ֥וֹת כְּלֵֽי־מִלְחַמְתּ֖וֹ וּכְלֵ֥י רִכְבּֽוֹ׃ (יג) וְאֶת־בְּנוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם יִקָּ֑ח לְרַקָּח֥וֹת וּלְטַבָּח֖וֹת וּלְאֹפֽוֹת׃ (יד) וְאֶת־שְׂ֠דֽוֹתֵיכֶם וְאֶת־כַּרְמֵיכֶ֧ם וְזֵיתֵיכֶ֛ם הַטּוֹבִ֖ים יִקָּ֑ח וְנָתַ֖ן לַעֲבָדָֽיו׃ (טו) וְזַרְעֵיכֶ֥ם וְכַרְמֵיכֶ֖ם יַעְשֹׂ֑ר וְנָתַ֥ן לְסָרִיסָ֖יו וְלַעֲבָדָֽיו׃ (טז) וְאֶת־עַבְדֵיכֶם֩ וְֽאֶת־שִׁפְח֨וֹתֵיכֶ֜ם וְאֶת־בַּחוּרֵיכֶ֧ם הַטּוֹבִ֛ים וְאֶת־חֲמוֹרֵיכֶ֖ם יִקָּ֑ח וְעָשָׂ֖ה לִמְלַאכְתּֽוֹ׃ (יז) צֹאנְכֶ֖ם יַעְשֹׂ֑ר וְאַתֶּ֖ם תִּֽהְיוּ־ל֥וֹ לַעֲבָדִֽים׃ (יח) וּזְעַקְתֶּם֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא מִלִּפְנֵ֣י מַלְכְּכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּחַרְתֶּ֖ם לָכֶ֑ם וְלֹֽא־יַעֲנֶ֧ה ה' אֶתְכֶ֖ם בַּיּ֥וֹם הַהֽוּא׃ (יט) וַיְמָאֲנ֣וּ הָעָ֔ם לִשְׁמֹ֖עַ בְּק֣וֹל שְׁמוּאֵ֑ל וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ לֹּ֔א כִּ֥י אִם־מֶ֖לֶךְ יִֽהְיֶ֥ה עָלֵֽינוּ׃ (כ) וְהָיִ֥ינוּ גַם־אֲנַ֖חְנוּ כְּכָל־הַגּוֹיִ֑ם וּשְׁפָטָ֤נוּ מַלְכֵּ֙נוּ֙ וְיָצָ֣א לְפָנֵ֔ינוּ וְנִלְחַ֖ם אֶת־מִלְחֲמֹתֵֽנוּ׃ (כא) וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל אֵ֖ת כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֣י הָעָ֑ם וַֽיְדַבְּרֵ֖ם בְּאָזְנֵ֥י ה' (פ)
(11) He said, “This will be the practice of the king who will rule over you: He will take your sons and appoint them as his charioteers and horsemen, and they will serve as outrunners for his chariots. (12) He will appoint them as his chiefs of thousands and of fifties; or they will have to plow his fields, reap his harvest, and make his weapons and the equipment for his chariots. (13) He will take your daughters as perfumers, cooks, and bakers. (14) He will seize your choice fields, vineyards, and olive groves, and give them to his courtiers. (15) He will take a tenth part of your grain and vintage and give it to his eunuchs and courtiers. (16) He will take your male and female slaves, your choice young men, and your asses, and put them to work for him. (17) He will take a tenth part of your flocks, and you shall become his slaves. (18) The day will come when you cry out because of the king whom you yourselves have chosen; and the Eternal will not answer you on that day.” (19) But the people would not listen to Samuel’s warning. “No,” they said. “We must have a king over us, (20) that we may be like all the other nations: Let our king rule over us and go out at our head and fight our battles.” (21) When Samuel heard all that the people said, he reported it to the Eternal.
While this text is about the question of having an Israelite king, it becomes the main text for exploring foreign kings' authority over the Jews in later discussions. What is the rationale here for maintaining Israelite/Jewish distinctiveness from other peoples? What is the concern with having a an Israelite king? How does this compare to some of the other texts? Which reasons, if any, feel more compelling to you?