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How can Adoniyahu claim kingship while Dovid is still alive? The shiur develops a fundamental yesod from the Rambam (רמב"ם): when a king is anointed, the malchus belongs to him *and his children* immediately—not only through inheritance. This principle explains the entire story of Yaakov becoming "Yisrael": he abdicated active rule to allow his sons to function as kings, which is why Shimon and Levi negotiated with Shechem, why Reuven could challenge them by moving Bilhah's bed, and why the brothers sold Yosef without consulting their father.
The shiur opens with a striking question from Sefer Melachim: How can Adoniyahu ben Chagis declare himself king and gather supporters—including Yoav ben Tzruya and Evyasar Kohen—while Dovid HaMelech is still alive? The entire story seems impossible: kings inherit through succession, but Dovid has not died. How can anyone claim malchus during the lifetime of a reigning king, and how can the gedolei Yisrael support such a claim? This would seemingly constitute rebellion against the king (marid b'malchus), a capital crime. Rabbi Zweig presents a fundamental chiddush from the Rambam (רמב"ם) in Hilchos Melachim (1:7). The Rambam states that when you anoint a king, "he merits the kingship for him and his children forever." This formulation is puzzling: why doesn't the Rambam simply state that malchus goes through inheritance, as he does for a Kohen Gadol? Instead, the Rambam uses unique language: the moment the king is anointed, the position belongs to him "and his family"—not only after his death, but immediately. This means that malchus creates a "royal family" from the moment of appointment. While the king retains ultimate ownership and can reassign authority, his children have the right to *function* as king even during his lifetime, especially if the king becomes incapacitated or chooses not to actively rule. This is categorically different from all other positions of authority, where succession occurs only through death and inheritance.
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Parshas Vayishlach
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