Seeking David and Hashem
When the children of Israel approached prophet Shmuel to anoint a king, Hashem told him: וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל שְׁמַע֙ בְּק֣וֹל הָעָ֔ם לְכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־יֹאמְר֖וּ אֵלֶ֑יךָ כִּ֣י לֹ֤א אֹֽתְךָ֙ מָאָ֔סוּ כִּי־אֹתִ֥י מָאֲס֖וּ מִמְּלֹ֥ךְ עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ And the L ORD replied to Samuel, Listen to the voice of the people in everything they say to you. For it is not you that they have rejected; it is Me they have rejected as their king. (1 Samuel 8:7) This seems like a harsh rebuke of the people, implying that by requesting a human king, Israel has rejected Hashem as their King. It is as if for the Children of Israel at that time seeking a king and seeking Hashem were mutually exclusive. It was either one, or the other, but not both. We may now ask the question: Why weren't they able to accomplish both? Yet, in the future, the prophets tell us that Israel will indeed seek both Hashem and David their king, all at the same time, without contradiction, as we read: אַחַ֗ר יָשֻׁ֙בוּ֙ בְּנ...