Why it's good to be the king

"You shall be to me a kingdom of ministers and a holy nation..."(Ex. 19:6) What is the difference between a kingdom of ministers and a holy nation? A kingdom bases itself around the theme of kingship, of having a king, and of each member of the society being therefore an extension of the king's rulership and power. How do we manifest this kingship in our daily lives? By seeking to emulate the ways of the king.

The one major characteristic of a king which is manifest in all monarchies is that of supremacy and aloofness, rising far beyond the common people. In Torah, this aloofness manifests itself in terms of absolute security in G-d's protection and experiencing many miracles throughout one's life. There have been three kings of the Jewish people who have particularly displayed this supernatural success in all matters. The first king of the Jewish people was Moses, and he is renowned for all the miracles he wrought in Egypt as well as throughout the desert wanderings of the Children of Israel. King David was the first king of the Davidic dynasty and throughout his life experienced many miraculous rescues from the hands of his enemies. Rabbi Israel Ba'al Shem was a leader of the Jewish people who also initiated the Chassidic dynasty of leaders of the Jewish people. His life was so miraculous that after him was coined the expression, "a ba'al shemske ma'ase", a miraculous event (literally an deed worthy of the Ba'al Shem Tov).

These three leaders opened up channels of faith in G-d in three different periods. Moses led the Jewish people in times of complete freedom from worries of livelihood, when all their needs were fulfilled by G-d in a miraculous way. King David led the Jewish people in the Land of Israel when the worries of livelihood were already a part of their daily lives, and the Ba'al Shem Tov led the Jewish people in the time of exile when their physical existence was constantly in peril. Each leader in his own period nurtured the faith of the Jews of his time, and strengthened them in terms of their commitment and self-sacrifice for learning of Torah, and the fulfillment of its commandments.

All these three leaders represent for us three ways in which our unswerving commitment to G-d must be expressed at all times. Moses represents every Jew's costant commitment to learning Torah, while King David with his Psalms represents the Jew's faith in G-d's power to intervene at all times as expressed in the act of prayer to G-d. Finally, the Ba'al Shem Tov channeled to every Jew a self-sacrifice for the fulfillment of the practical Mitzvos.