You shall surely set over yourself a king whom the Eternal your God will choose; from among your brethren you shall set a king over yourself; you may not place over yourself a foreigner who is not your brother.
English: Rabbi Nehorai says: This passage was said only in response to the complaints of Yisrael.
On the daf / in context: There is a dispute whether the appointment of a king is an ideal mitzvah or a concession to the people’s desire to be like the nations.
Type of Learning
Dispute (R’ Yehudah / R’ Nehorai) — one view sees kingship as a positive mitzvah; the other sees the Torah’s language as addressing a reluctant concession.
What Is Learned
Authorities disagree whether the Torah’s command to appoint a king is an ideal obligation or a response to the people’s demand to be like other nations.