Mishnah
Mishnah

Quotation for Sanhedrin 2:2

הַמֶּלֶךְ לֹא דָן וְלֹא דָנִין אוֹתוֹ, לֹא מֵעִיד וְלֹא מְעִידִין אוֹתוֹ, לֹא חוֹלֵץ וְלֹא חוֹלְצִין לְאִשְׁתּוֹ. לֹא מְיַבֵּם וְלֹא מְיַבְּמִין לְאִשְׁתּוֹ. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, אִם רָצָה לַחֲלֹץ אוֹ לְיַבֵּם, זָכוּר לָטוֹב. אָמְרוּ לוֹ, אֵין שׁוֹמְעִין לוֹ. וְאֵין נוֹשְׂאִין אַלְמָנָתוֹ. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, נוֹשֵׂא הַמֶּלֶךְ אַלְמָנָתוֹ שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ, שֶׁכֵּן מָצִינוּ בְדָוִד שֶׁנָּשָׂא אַלְמָנָתוֹ שֶׁל שָׁאוּל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמואל ב יב) וָאֶתְּנָה לְךָ אֶת בֵּית אֲדֹנֶיךָ וְאֶת נְשֵׁי אֲדֹנֶיךָ בְּחֵיקֶךָ:

A king does not judge and he is not judged. [This, only with the kings of Yisrael, who do not defer to the sages; but kings from the Davidic line judge and are judged, viz. (Jeremiah 21:12): "House of David, thus says the L rd: 'Ply justice in the morning.'"]. He does not testify and he is not testified for. He does not administer chalitzah and his wife does not receive chalitzah. He does not perform yibum and his wife is not taken in yibum. R. Yehudah says: "If he wishes to perform chalitzah or yibum, let him be remembered for the good!" They said to him: He is not heeded, [for a king may not "waive" his honor, and it is demeaning for him to perform chalitzah and have her spit in his face; and if chalitzah does not obtain with a woman, neither does yibum.] And his widow is not wedded. R. Yehudah says: A king may marry a king's widow. For thus do we find with David, who married Saul's widow, viz. (II Samuel 12:8): "And I gave you (David) the house of your master (Saul), and the wives of your master in your bosom." [The halachah is in accordance with R. Yehudah in this.]

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