The Torah permits Israel to appoint a king, but what follows is striking.

It does not begin by describing the king’s powers. It describes his limitations. He may not accumulate too many horses. He may not accumulate too many wives. He may not accumulate excessive silver and gold. And then the Torah explains the deeper purpose behind these restrictions:

לְבִלְתִּי רוּם לְבָבוֹ מֵאֶחָיו — “So that his heart not become exalted above his brethren” (Deuteronomy 17:20).

This may be one of the Torah’s most profound insights into political leadership. The danger of power is not only that a leader may become corrupt. It is that he may gradually come to believe that he is fundamentally more important than the people he governs.

The king possesses authority that ordinary citizens do not. He commands armies, controls resources, and is surrounded by advisers, officials, and symbols of prestige. It is therefore easy for him to forget that beneath the office and ceremony he remains מֵאֶחָיו — one of his brothers.

The Torah is deeply........

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