What's wrong with the world?

I was checking out a verse I remember reading earlier about God's instructions for the kings that would be ruling Israel.

It shall be that when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself two copies of this Torah in a book, from before the Kohanim, the Levites. It shall be with him, and he shall read from it all the days of his life, so that he will learn to fear Hashem, his God, to observe all the words of this Torah and these decrees, to perform them, so that his heart does not become haughty over his brethren and not turn from the commandment right or left, so that he will prolong years over his kingdom, he and his sons amid Israel.

                    (Deuteronomy 17:18-20, Hebrew Bible)
Does this mean the king is to actually write out, copy carefully, his own copy of the Torah (first 5 books of the Old Testament)? Looks like that to me.
Actually, 2 copies, according to the Hebrew Bible -- other translations say 1 copy.
Here's the way the NIV translates it:

When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the priests, who are Levites. It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the LORD his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees, and not consider himself better than his brothers and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign for a long time over his kingdom in Israel.

I decided to check my old, interesting Chumash (collection of rabbinical commentaries on the Torah) to read their thoughts:
Their records say the king is to write out two copies. He is to keep one copy in his treasury, and to keep the other one with him at all times. These scrolls are to remind him at all times, august as his position may be, that he is a servant of the Torah. This is especially important in the royal treasury, where the presence of his wealth could easily blind him to his responsibilities.

If the king inherited Torah Scrolls from his father, he must nevertheless write one new one for himself; but if his father did not leave him any, he must write two.

The king is to copy his Scroll from the authoritative one that Moses placed in the safekeeping of the Kohanim.

He shall read and observe...In its plain sense the verse is quite clear. But, the Chumash says, there are deeper meanings as well. The king should have the physical Scroll with him at all times, but also the king should consult the Torah for guidance on how to deal with whatever happens to him, for all the events of all the days of his life. And how to react to all circumstances.

It continues...If a king, who must maintain his dignity and for whom a certain level of pomp is proper, is forbidden to be haughty, then certainly each individual must purge himself of this distasteful and abominable trait from his heart. Grandeur is God's alone and human beings should take pride only for their degree of service to him.

I enjoy reading the Chumash....but look at that last sentence -- human beings should take pride only for their degree of service to him (God).

Isn't that the opposite of what Jesus taught? And remember Paul.."not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:9)...and remember the Pharisees?

Ignoring God's Word - Isn't this, in reality, exactly what is wrong with the whole world?

But taking pride in our service to God -- isn't that, in part, what's wrong with the church?

P.S. Notice the Hebrew translation says to make (by hand) copies of the Torah - that would be the first 5 books--Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Most Gentile commentaries take it to mean the book of Deuteronomy only, but still a big task...requiring patience and skill....