In this weeks parsha the Torah commands us to appoint a king. There are many qualifications that one who is appointed as a king must possess. He must be a male and not descend from geirim, and be fit to rule the nation.
Many have asked how Dovid Hamelech was able to become king when he descended from geirim. Additionally they ask how Rechavam, the son of Shlomo Hamelech, was allowed to be appointed king, when his mother Neami converted from the nation of Amon. There were also several women who ruled as queens, such as Hilni, Shlomtzion and Devorah Haneviya, and we will explain how this was permitted.
The Ramban in Yevamos 45b answers regarding Rechavam that we only require that one’s father is a Jew. Since Rechavam’s father was Shlomo Hamelech he was qualified to be king. Tosafos in Yevamos 102 says that if either of one’s parents are Jewish he would be qualified to become king. The same answer would suffice to explain how Dovid Hamelech became king as well.
Tosafos in Sotah 41b however opines that both parents must not be geirim. We must answer how Rechavam was fit to become a king according to this opinion. The Minchas Chinuch suggest that Tosafos actually only requires that one of the parents not be a complete non-Jew. However he ultimately says that Tosafos implies that both parents must be non-geirim.
The Rishonim do not ask how Dovid Hamelech was fit to become a king. Perhaps this is because both of his parents were in fact non-geirim; only his great-grandmother was a ge’ores. Perhaps in their view this restriction only applies to a first generation ger. However the Rambam (Hilchos Melachim 1:4) says that in order to appoint a king one must not descend from geirim even after many generations. According to this we must explain how Dovid Hamelech ws able to become king.
We can suggest that since Hashem Himself appointed Dovid there is no question. The rules are only in place for when we must chose a king ourselves.
The Nodah B’Yehudah (Choshen Mishpat 1) and the Chasam Sofer (Orach Chaim 12) suggest an answer as to how Rechavam became king. They say that the only requirement of one’s parents not being geirim is when one is being appointed as a king. However once Dovid Hamelech became king his descendants do not need a new appointment, they assume the thrown without the appointment ceremony. Therefore even though Rechavam’s mother was a ge’ores he was fit to become king because he was not appointed as king, he assumed the thrown with out an appointment.
Based on this the Minchas Chinuch (mitzvah 497:2) says that if a woman is the inheritor of her father she would be fit be become a ruler as well. Since the restrictions only apply to one who is being appointed as king if she inherits the thrown it would be hers to rule. Perhaps this is the reason that Shlomtzion was able to rule and was praised by the chachamim (Midrash Vayikra 35:10). Similarly this may be the reason that we find that the chachamim did not have an issue with Hilni Hamalka (Sukkah 2b).
Parenthetically, regarding Atalya (Melachim II 11:1) we do not find that any of the chachamim acquiesced to her ruler ship. On the contrary she stole the kingdom and ruled by force.
I have a question on the answer of the Minchas Chinuch. The Gemara in Rosh Hashanah says that we only start counting the years of a king who inherited the thrown from his father, from the day that he begins ruling, not from when he was appointed to be the king. We see from here that even a son who inherits the thrown requires an appointment to become the king.