[ד"א ירא את ה' בני ומלך]. כל מי שירא מן הקב"ה נעשה מלך, ממי אתה למד מאברהם על ידי שנתיירא מן הקב"ה נעשה מלך, שנאמר כי עתה ידעתי כי ירא אלהים אתה (בראשית כב יב), ומניין שנעשה מלך, [אמר ר' ברכיה הכהן ברבי בשם ר' חלבו] כתיב אל עמק שוה הוא עמק המלך (בראשית יד יז), [מהו עמק שוה], שהושוו הכל ונטלו עצה וקצצו ארזים ועשו כסא והושיבו אותו עליהם מלך, ולא תאמר אברהם בלבד אלא משה שנתיירא מן הקב"ה נעשה מלך, [ומניין שירא, שנאמר ויסתר משה פניו כי ירא מהביט אל האלהים (שמות ג ו), ומניין שנעשה מלך], שנאמר ויהי בישרון מלך (דברים לג ה), א"ל הקב"ה למשה מלך עשיתיך, מה מלך כשיוצא למלחמה תוקעין לפניו, אף אתה כשאתה יוצא למלחמה יהי תוקעין לפניך, שנאמר עשה לך שתי חצוצרות כסף.
[Another interpretation (of Prov. 24:21): FEAR THE LORD, MY CHILD, AND THE KING.] Whoever is in fear of the Holy One becomes a king. From whom did you learn <that>? From Abraham because he was in fear of the Holy One and became a king. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 22:12): FOR NOW I KNOW THAT YOU FEAR GOD. But where is it shown that he became a king? [R. Berekhyah the Priest Berabbi said in the name of R. Helbo:] It is written (in Gen. 14:17): <AND THE KING OF SODOM CAME OUT TO MEET HIM … > AT THE VALLEY OF SHAVEH, i.e., THE VALLEY OF THE KING. [What is the meaning of THE VALLEY OF SHAVEH (rt.: ShWH?] That they all became equal (rt.: ShWH). So taking counsel (or taking wood),54‘Etsah. The word can mean either “counsel” or “wood”. they cut cedars, made a throne, and set him over them as king. And you should not say <this> only <in the case of> Abraham alone. In the case of Moses <as well>, because he was in fear of the Holy One, he became a king. [Now where is it stated that he feared <the Holy One>? Where it is stated (in Exod. 3:6): THEN MOSES HID HIS FACE, FOR HE WAS AFRAID TO LOOK AT GOD. And where is it shown that he became a king?] Where it is stated (in Deut. 33:5): THEN HE BECAME KING IN JESHURUN.55Thus the king of whom Prov. 24:21 demands obedience, is a king who fears the Holy One like Abraham or Moses. The Holy One said to Moses: I have made you a king. As they blow trumpets before a king when he goes forth to war, so shall they blow trumpets before you when you go forth to war. It is therefore stated (in Numb. 10:2): MAKE TWO SILVER TRUMPETS.56The context of the passage concerns the sounding of an alarm in time of war.
[ד"א ירא את ה' בני ומלך]. כל מי שירא מן הקב"ה נעשה מלך, ממי אתה למד מאברהם על ידי שנתיירא מן הקב"ה נעשה מלך, שנאמר כי עתה ידעתי כי ירא אלהים אתה (בראשית כב יב), ומניין שנעשה מלך, [אמר ר' ברכיה הכהן ברבי בשם ר' חלבו] כתיב אל עמק שוה הוא עמק המלך (בראשית יד יז), [מהו עמק שוה], שהושוו הכל ונטלו עצה וקצצו ארזים ועשו כסא והושיבו אותו עליהם מלך, ולא תאמר אברהם בלבד אלא משה שנתיירא מן הקב"ה נעשה מלך, [ומניין שירא, שנאמר ויסתר משה פניו כי ירא מהביט אל האלהים (שמות ג ו), ומניין שנעשה מלך], שנאמר ויהי בישרון מלך (דברים לג ה), א"ל הקב"ה למשה מלך עשיתיך, מה מלך כשיוצא למלחמה תוקעין לפניו, אף אתה כשאתה יוצא למלחמה יהי תוקעין לפניך, שנאמר עשה לך שתי חצוצרות כסף.
[Another interpretation (of Prov. 24:21): FEAR THE LORD, MY CHILD, AND THE KING.] Whoever is in fear of the Holy One becomes a king. From whom did you learn <that>? From Abraham because he was in fear of the Holy One and became a king. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 22:12): FOR NOW I KNOW THAT YOU FEAR GOD. But where is it shown that he became a king? [R. Berekhyah the Priest Berabbi said in the name of R. Helbo:] It is written (in Gen. 14:17): <AND THE KING OF SODOM CAME OUT TO MEET HIM … > AT THE VALLEY OF SHAVEH, i.e., THE VALLEY OF THE KING. [What is the meaning of THE VALLEY OF SHAVEH (rt.: ShWH?] That they all became equal (rt.: ShWH). So taking counsel (or taking wood),54‘Etsah. The word can mean either “counsel” or “wood”. they cut cedars, made a throne, and set him over them as king. And you should not say <this> only <in the case of> Abraham alone. In the case of Moses <as well>, because he was in fear of the Holy One, he became a king. [Now where is it stated that he feared <the Holy One>? Where it is stated (in Exod. 3:6): THEN MOSES HID HIS FACE, FOR HE WAS AFRAID TO LOOK AT GOD. And where is it shown that he became a king?] Where it is stated (in Deut. 33:5): THEN HE BECAME KING IN JESHURUN.55Thus the king of whom Prov. 24:21 demands obedience, is a king who fears the Holy One like Abraham or Moses. The Holy One said to Moses: I have made you a king. As they blow trumpets before a king when he goes forth to war, so shall they blow trumpets before you when you go forth to war. It is therefore stated (in Numb. 10:2): MAKE TWO SILVER TRUMPETS.56The context of the passage concerns the sounding of an alarm in time of war.