Translation:Mishnah/Seder Nezikin/Tractate Sanhedrin/Chapter 2/2

Introduction

Sanhedrin deals primarily with the court and with court cases. The second chapter of Sanhedrin is focused on laws concerning the High Priest and the King.

The second mishnah of this chapter explains the rules for the King. They are very similarly structured as the rules for the High Priest, though often with the exact opposite rule.

Hebrew Text

המלך לא דן ולא דנין אותו, לא מעיד ולא מעידין אותו , לא חולץ ולא חולצין לאשתו.

לא מיבם ולא מיבמין לאשתו.

רבי יהודה אומר, אם רצה לחלוץ או ליבם, זכור לטוב.

אמרו לו, אין שומעין לו.

ואין נושאין אלמנתו.

רבי יהודה אומר, נושא המלך אלמנתו של מלך, שכן מצינו בדוד שנשא אלמנתו של שאול, שנאמר (שמואל ב יב,ח) ואתנה לך את בית אדניך ואת נשי אדניך בחיקך.

English Translation

The king cannot judge or be judged himself, cannot serve as a witness nor can others serve as a witness against him, cannot perform Levirate nullification, nor can others perform Levirate nullification for his widow. Rabbi Yehuda says, if he wants to perform Levirate nullification or marry through Levirate marriage, allow it. They [the sages] answered him: don't listen to him. And no one may marry his widow. Rabbi Yehuda says, a king may marry the widow of another king, like we find when David married the widow of Saul, as it is written (II Samuel 12:8), "and I give you the house of your master and the women of your master in your lap."

Explanation

This is an explanation of which parts of court proceedings apply to the king. Unlike the High Priest, he is treated as completely different from normal citizenry. An explanation of important terms:
Levirate nullification/marriage - When a man dies and leaves a widow but he has not yet born children, the responsibility to bear heirs falls to the nearest of kin to the man. [This is the Levirate marriage.] If the man and widow choose not to fulfill this responsibility, he may take off his sandal and the widow spits in the sandal. [This is the nullification.]