הַמֶּלֶךְ לֹא דָן וְלֹא דָנִין אוֹתוֹ, לֹא מֵעִיד וְלֹא מְעִידִים אוֹתוֹ . . .
The king does not judge nor is he judged; he does not testify and others do not testify against him . . .
כְּבָר בֵּאַרְנוּ שֶׁמַּלְכֵי בֵּית דָּוִד דָּנִין אוֹתָן וּמְעִידִין עֲלֵיהֶן. אֲבָל מַלְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל גָּזְרוּ חֲכָמִים שֶׁלֹּא יָדוּן וְלֹא דָּנִין אוֹתוֹ. וְלֹא מֵעִיד וְלֹא מְעִידִין עָלָיו. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁלִּבָּן גַּס בָּהֶן וְיָבוֹא מִן הַדָּבָר תַּקָּלָה וְהֶפְסֵד עַל הַדָּת:
We have already explained that kings of the Davidic dynasty may be judged and testimony may be given against them.However, in regard to the other kings of Israel, the Sages decreed that they neither sit in judgement or be judged. They may not give testimony, nor is testimony given against them. This is because they are arrogant and the matter may cause a tragedy and loss to the faith.
וּמוֹצִיא לְמִלְחֶמֶת הָרְשׁוּת, עַל פִּי בֵית דִּין שֶׁלְּשִׁבְעִים וְאֶחָד. וּפוֹרֵץ לַעֲשׁוֹת לוֹ דֶרֶךְ, וְאֵין מְמַחִין בְּיָדוֹ; דֶּרֶךְ הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵין לָהּ שֵׁעוּר . . . וְכוֹתֵב לוֹ סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה לִשְׁמוֹ. יוֹצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה, וְהִיא עִמּוֹ; נִכְנָס, וְהִיא עִמּוֹ; וְיוֹשֵׁב בַּדִּין וְהִיא אֶצְלוֹ; מֵסֵב וְהִיא כְנֶגְדּוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: (דברים יז,יט) "וְהָיְתָה עִמּוֹ, וְקָרָא בוֹ כָל יְמֵי חַיָּיו".
And he sends out to a milhemet reshut on the decision of the court of seventy one. And he may break through to make himself a road and none may rebuke him: the king’s road has no limit. . . .
He must write a Torah scroll for himself; when he goes forth to battle he shall take it with him, and when he returns he shall bring it back with him; when he sits in judgement it shall be with him, and when he sits to eat it shall be with him, as it says, “Let it remain with him and let him read it all his life” (Deut. 17:19)
אֵין הַמֶּלֶךְ נִלְחָם תְּחִלָּה אֶלָּא מִלְחֶמֶת מִצְוָה. וְאֵי זוֹ הִיא מִלְחֶמֶת מִצְוָה זוֹ מִלְחֶמֶת שִׁבְעָה עֲמָמִים. וּמִלְחֶמֶת עֲמָלֵק. וְעֶזְרַת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִיַּד צָר שֶׁבָּא עֲלֵיהֶם. וְאַחַר כָּךְ נִלְחָם בְּמִלְחֶמֶת הָרְשׁוּת וְהִיא הַמִּלְחָמָה שֶׁנִּלְחָם עִם שְׁאָר הָעַמִּים כְּדֵי לְהַרְחִיב גְּבוּל יִשְׂרָאֵל וּלְהַרְבּוֹת בִּגְדֻלָּתוֹ וְשִׁמְעוֹ:
A king should not wage other wars before a milchemet mitzvah. What is considered as milchemet mitzvah? The war against the seven nations who occupied Eretz Yisrael, the war against Amalek, and a war fought to assist Israel from an enemy which attacks them.Afterwards, he may wage a milchemet hareshut, i.e. a war fought with other nations in order to expand the borders of Israel or magnify its greatness and reputation.
וְלֹא דָנִין אוֹתוֹ.
עַל שֵׁם מִ֭לְּפָנֶיךָ מִשְׁפָּטִ֣י יֵצֵ֑א.
רִבִּי יִצְחָק בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי. הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהַצִּיבּוּר נִידּוֹנִין לְפָנָיו בְּכָל־יוֹם. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר. לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת ׀ מִשְׁפַּ֣ט עַבְדּ֗וֹ וּמִשְׁפַּ֛ט עַמּ֥וֹ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל דְּבַר־י֥וֹם בְּיוֹמֽוֹ׃
One may not judge him.
Because of "From You shall my judgment come" (Psalms 17:2).
Rebbi Isaac in the name of Rebbi, the king and the people are judged by Him every day, as it is said, "To provide the judgment of His servant and the judgment of His people Israel day by day" (1 Kings 8:59).
מֶלֶךְ לֹא דָּן כּוּ׳. אָמַר רַב יוֹסֵף: לֹא שָׁנוּ אֶלָּא מַלְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֲבָל מַלְכֵי בֵּית דָּוִד דָּן וְדָנִין אוֹתָן, דִּכְתִיב: ״בֵּית דָּוִד כֹּה אָמַר יהוה דִּינוּ לַבֹּקֶר מִשְׁפָּט״.
וְאִי לָא דָּיְינִינַן לֵיהּ, אִינְהוּ הֵיכִי דָּיְינִי? וְהָכְתִיב: ״הִתְקוֹשְׁשׁוּ וָקוֹשּׁוּ״, וְאָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ: קְשֹׁט עַצְמְךָ וְאַחַר כָּךְ קְשֹׁט אֲחֵרִים.
A king does not judge.
Rav Yosef says: "They taught this only with regard to the kings of Israel but the kings of the house of David judge and are judged, as it is written: “O house of David, so says the Lord: Execute justice in the morning” (Jeremiah 21:12)."
If they do not judge him, how can he judge? Isn’t it written: “Gather yourselves together and gather together” (Zephaniah 2:1), and Reish Lakish says, "Adorn [kashet] yourself, and then adorn others".
אֶלָּא מַלְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מַאי טַעְמָא לָא? מִשּׁוּם מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁהָיָה, דְּעַבְדֵּיהּ דְּיַנַּאי מַלְכָּא קְטַל נַפְשָׁא. אֲמַר לְהוּ שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן שָׁטַח לַחֲכָמִים: תְּנוּ עֵינֵיכֶם בּוֹ וּנְדוּנֶנּוּ.
שְׁלַחוּ לֵיהּ: עַבְדָּךְ קְטַל נַפְשָׁא. שַׁדְּרֵיהּ לְהוּ.
שְׁלַחוּ לֵיהּ: תָּא אַנְתְּ נָמֵי לְהָכָא, ״וְהוּעַד בִּבְעָלָיו״
אָמְרָה תּוֹרָה – יָבֹא בַּעַל הַשּׁוֹר וְיַעֲמוֹד עַל שׁוֹרוֹ.
But what is the reason that kings of Israel are not? Because of an incident that happened, when the slave of Yannai the king killed someone.
Shimon ben Shataḥ said to the Sages: Put your eyes on him and let us judge him.
They sent to him: Your slave killed someone. He sent him to them. They sent to him: You also come here, “Evidence was given against his owner” (Exodus 21:29).
The Torah stated that the owner of the ox should come and stand over his ox.
אֲתָא וִיתֵיב. אֲמַר לֵיהּ שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן שָׁטַח: יַנַּאי הַמֶּלֶךְ, עֲמוֹד עַל רַגְלֶיךָ וְיָעִידוּ בָּךְ. וְלֹא לְפָנֵינוּ אַתָּה עוֹמֵד, אֶלָּא לִפְנֵי מִי שֶׁאָמַר וְהָיָה הָעוֹלָם אַתָּה עוֹמֵד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְעָמְדוּ שְׁנֵי הָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם הָרִיב וְגוֹ״.
אָמַר לוֹ: לֹא כְּשֶׁתֹּאמַר אַתָּה, אֶלָּא כְּמָה שֶׁיֹּאמְרוּ חֲבֵרֶיךָ.
He came and sat down. Shimon ben Shataḥ said to him: Yannai the king, stand on your feet and they will testify against you. And it is not before us that you are standing, but before the One Who spoke and the world came into being that you are standing, as it is stated: “Then both the people, between whom the controversy is, shall stand [before the Lord, before the priests and the judges that shall be in those days]” (Deuteronomy 19:17).
He said to him: not when you say, but according to what your colleagues say.
נִפְנָה לִימִינוֹ – כָּבְשׁוּ פְּנֵיהֶם בַּקַּרְקַע. נִפְנָה לִשְׂמֹאלוֹ – וְכָבְשׁוּ פְּנֵיהֶם בַּקַּרְקַע.
אָמַר לָהֶן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן שָׁטַח: בַּעֲלֵי מַחְשָׁבוֹת אַתֶּם, יָבֹא בַּעַל מַחְשָׁבוֹת וְיִפָּרַע מִכֶּם!
מִיָּד בָּא גַּבְרִיאֵל וַחֲבָטָן בַּקַּרְקַע, וּמֵתוּ. בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה אָמְרוּ: מֶלֶךְ לֹא דָּן וְלֹא דָּנִין אוֹתוֹ, לֹא מֵעִיד וְלֹא מְעִידִין אוֹתוֹ.
He turned to his right. They looked down at the ground.
He turned to his left. They looked down at the ground.
He said to them: You are masters of thoughts. May the Master of thoughts come and serve judgment on you. Immediately Gabriel came and struck them to the ground, and they died. At that moment they said, "The king does not judge nor is he judged; he does not testify and others do not testify against him".