Positive Commandment 17 (Digest)
The King's Torah Scroll
"And it shall be, when [the king] sits upon the throne of his kingdom, and he shall write for himself a copy of this Torah"—Deuteronomy 17:18.
A Jewish king is required to write (or acquire) for himself a Torah Scroll—from which he does not part all the days of his reign.
This scroll is in addition to the scroll he already wrote (or acquired) for himself before he ascended the throne (pursuant to Positive Commandment 18).
Unabridged English Text of this Mitzvah »
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> The 17th mitzvah is that we are commanded that every king who sits in rulership over the Jewish people shall write a Sefer Torah for himself;;) and that it shall never be separate from him.;)
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> The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement (exalted be He), "And when he is established on his royal throne, he shall write for himself a copy of this Torah."
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> All the details of this mitzvah have been explained in the second chapter of tractate Sanhedrin.;)
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> Footnotes
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> 1.
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> In addition to the one which every Jew is obligated to write. See P18.
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> 2.
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> "It shall not move from his presence except when he enters the bathroom, the bathhouse, or a place where one is forbidden to study. When he goes out to war, it must be with him; when he returns, it must be with him; when he sits in judgment, it must be with him; when he eats, it must be in front of him." Rambam, Hilchos Melachim, Chapter 3, Halacha 1.
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> 3.
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> 21b.