Un roi ne juge pas et il n'est pas jugé. [Ceci, seulement avec les rois d'Yisrael, qui ne s'en remettent pas aux sages; mais les rois de la lignée davidique jugent et sont jugés, à savoir. (Jérémie 21:12): "Maison de David, ainsi dit le Seigneur:" Rends justice le matin ""]. Il ne témoigne pas et il n'est pas témoigné. Il n'administre pas de chalitzah et sa femme ne reçoit pas de chalitzah. Il ne fait pas de yibum et sa femme n'est pas prise en yibum. R. Yehudah dit: "S'il souhaite exécuter la chalitzah ou le yibum, qu'il se souvienne de lui pour le bien!" Ils lui dirent: Il n'est pas écouté, [car un roi ne peut «renoncer» à son honneur, et il est humiliant pour lui d'accomplir la chalitzah et de la faire cracher au visage; et si la chalitza n'obtient pas avec une femme, yibum non plus.] Et sa veuve n'est pas mariée. R. Yehudah dit: Un roi peut épouser la veuve d'un roi. Car c'est ainsi que nous trouvons avec David, qui a épousé la veuve de Saül, à savoir. (II Samuel 12: 8): "Et je vous ai donné (David) la maison de votre maître (Saul), et les femmes de votre maître dans votre sein." [La halakha est en accord avec R. Yehudah en cela.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
המלך לא דן ולא דנין אותו – and specifically the kings of Israel who do not listen to the words of the Sages. But a king from the kings of the House of David, [serve as] judges and we judge him, as it says (Jeremiah 21:12): “O House of David, thus said the LORD: Render just verdicts morning by morning…”
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sanhedrin
Introduction
Mishnah two contains special rules regarding the king.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
אין שומעין לו – since a king who has forgone the honor due to oneself, his honor is not remitted and it is a disgrace to him that he should loosen his shoe and she should spit in his face. And whomever is not someone who should undergo the ceremony of removing the shoe, she also is not someone who should undergo levirate marriage, and such is the Halakha.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sanhedrin
The king can neither judge nor be judged, he cannot testify and others cannot testify against him. The king cannot participate in the regular system of the court. This is probably due to the fear that the king will threaten the existence of the court if a decision is not found in his favor. Since he cannot be tried, it is not fitting to allow him to testify. There is also an issue of honor at stake in this prohibition. The king’s honor is not just an issue of personal concern but of national concern as well. Forcing a king to participate in the legal system would, in the mind of the Mishnah, diminish his authority.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
מלך נושא אלמנתו של מלך – And the halakha is according to Rabbi Yehuda in this.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sanhedrin
He may not perform halitzah, nor may others perform halitzah for his wife. He may not contract levirate marriage nor may his brothers contract levirate marriage with his wife. Rabbi Judah says: “If he wished to perform halitzah or to contract levirate marriage his memory is a blessing.” They said to him: “They should not listen to him.” The king also may not participate in the halitzah ceremony, since part of this ceremony is the woman spitting in front of the dead husband’s brother. This is obviously not respectful to a king. It is also not a sign of respect for him to have to marry his dead brother’s widow (levirate marriage) in order to bring forth children under his brother’s name. Since his widow may not remarry, his brothers do not perform halitzah for her or contract levirate marriage with her. Rabbi Judah says that a king can perform halitzah and levirate marriage, and it is actually praiseworthy for him to do so (but not mandatory). In other words, according to Rabbi Judah, a king is allowed to forgo his own honor. According to those who respond to him, he is prohibited to do so.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sanhedrin
None may marry his widow. Rabbi Judah says: “The king may marry the widow of a king, for so have we found it with David, who married the widow of Saul, as it says, “And I gave you my master’s house and my master’s wives into your embrace” (II Samuel 12:8). According to the first opinion, the widow of a king may not remarry, since this is disrespectful to the dead king. However, Rabbi Judah finds precedent in David who married Saul’s widow, and therefore he allows all kings to marry other kings widows (this should remind us of MacBeth!).
