פירוש על קהלת 8:2

My [advice to you is] keep the King’s command. Therefore, I need to and I am prepared to observe the commandment of the King of the Universe, which is the best of them all.

“I observe the king’s command, and the word of an oath to God” (Ecclesiastes 8:2).
“I observe the king’s command.” Rabbi Levi said: I will observe the word of the King of kings, the Holy One blessed be He, the mouth which said: “I am the Lord your God” (Exodus 20:2); “and the word” – “you shall not have [another god before Me]” (Exodus 20:3); “of an oath” – “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain” (Exodus 20:7).

And do so because of the oath to God. Which we swore to Him at Choreiv, to keep His commandments.

Another explanation: I am prepared to observe the command of the kings of the nations who rule over us with head taxes and property taxes. And do so because of the oath to God. Provided that they do not cause us to violate the oath [of allegiance] that we swore to the Omnipresent.

And do so because of [the oath]. And alongside the oath of God, I will keep the command of the kings.⁴I.e., I will obey the command of kings as long as it does not conflict with the oath of allegiance that we swore to God. And similarly we find with Chananyah, Mishaeil, and Azaryah, who said to Nevuchadnetzar, “they said, ‘O King Nevuchadnetzar, we are not worried about replying to you about this matter.’”⁵Daniyeil 3:16. If he was king why [call him] “Nevuchadnetzar,” and if Nevuchadnetzar, why [call him] “king”? But, this is what they said to him, “We say to you that you are our ‘king’ regarding work and the head taxes, but regarding your ordering us to worship idols, you are ‘Nevuchadnetzar,’ and not king.”