Shoftim 17:20 · unit 2

TT #115 · Parashas Shoftim · Second Aliyah · Passuk 17:20

The Complete Passuk

לְבִלְתִּ֤י רוּם־לְבָבוֹ֙ מֵֽאֶחָ֔יו וּלְבִלְתִּ֛י ס֥וּר מִן־הַמִּצְוָ֖ה יָמִ֣ין וּשְׂמֹ֑אול לְמַ֩עַן֩ יַאֲרִ֨יךְ יָמִ֧ים עַל־מַמְלַכְתּ֛וֹ ה֥וּא וּבָנָ֖יו בְּקֶ֥רֶב יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

So that his heart not be lifted above his brethren, and so that he not turn aside from the commandment to the right or to the left, in order that he may prolong days over his kingdom, he and his sons, in the midst of Yisrael.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Sifrei Devarim 162.

TT lemma: וּלְבִלְתִּי סוּר מִן הַמִּצְוָה.

Sefaria — Sifrei Devarim 162

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
וּלְבִלְתִּי סוּר מִן הַמִּצְוָה יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאול – שֶׁלֹּא יִסְטֶה מִן הַמִּצְוֹת לֹא לְהָקֵל וְלֹא לְהַחְמִיר.

English: ‘And so that he not turn aside from the commandment to the right or to the left’ – that he not deviate from the mitzvos either to be lenient or to be stringent beyond the law.

On the daf / in context: The king is bound by the same Torah as everyone else; he may not innovate in either direction.

Type of Learning

Derash on fidelity to the law (Sifrei) — the king must neither add to nor subtract from the commandments.

What Is Learned

The king may not turn aside from the mitzvos either to the right or to the left. He is subject to the Torah, not above it.