Midrasch zu Schemuel II 21:17

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Another interpretation (of Gen. 28:10): BUT JACOB SET OUT. This is one of four children of Adam for whom the land (i.e., spatial distance) was contracted. They are the following: Abraham, Eleazer, Jacob, and Abishai.²³Cf. Sanh. 95 (bar.), which omits Abraham from the list. In the case of Abraham, where is it shown? < It was > when he went forth to pursue the kings < that > the land contracted before him. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 14:15): AND THE NIGHT WAS DIVIDED AGAINST THEM.²⁴I.e., Abraham only needed to pursue the kings until midnight because God had shortened the pursuit. So Gen. R. 43:3; Exod. R. 18:1; cf. Gen. R. 43:3. And in the case of Eleazer, where is it shown? < It was > when he went to bring a wife for Isaac < that > the land contracted before him.²⁵Sanh. 95a; PRE 16. What is written about him (in Gen. 24:42)? AND I CAME TODAY (i.e., in one day) TO THE SPRING. The day he set out was the very day on which he arrived. And in the case of Abishai, where is it shown? When he fought with Ishbi-benob the brother of Goliath.²⁶See also Gen. R. 59:11. What did he do? He went after David with his shield at the ready. In that hour the Holy One put the fear of David upon him, since he said: How swift this man is! Where are David and his mighty men? And where is it shown? Where it is so written (in II Sam. 21:15): AND DAVID WAS WEARY. At that time David had said: Oh, that someone would put one of my sister's sons here for me. Now Joab and Abishai were far away from him where they were fighting with the children of Ammon and with Aram (cf. I Chron. 19:10f.) However, when David prayed, the Holy One contracted the land before Abishai, as stated (in II Sam. 21:17): BUT ABISHAI BEN ZERUIAH CAME TO HIS AID. And our father Jacob was also one before whom the Holy One caused the land to contract.²⁷Sanh. 95b; Gen. R. 68:8. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 28:10; 29:1): AND JACOB SET OUT FROM BEERSHEBA AND WENT TO HARAN…. [THEN JACOB CONTINUED HIS JOURNEY (literally: RAISED HIS FEET)]. Our masters have said: In the case of all the children of Adam, their feet carry them; but in Jacob's case, he keeps his feet up. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 29:1): THEN JACOB RAISED HIS FEET.

(II Sam. 21, 16) And Yishbi at Nob, who was of the children of the Raphah, the weight of whose spear was three hundred shekels of copper, being girded with new armour, thought to slay David. What does Yishbi at Nob mean? R. Juda, in the name of Rab, said: "A man [who came] because of that which was done to [the inhabitants of] Nob." The Holy One, praised be He! said to David: "How long will you keep in your hand this iniquity? Through thee came the destruction of Nob, the city of the priest. Through thee came the trouble upon Doeg the Edomite, and through thee Saul and his three sons were killed. Now dost thou want that I shall destroy thy children or that thou shouldst be delivered over to thy enemies?" And he answered: "Sovereign of the Universe! it is better for me to be delivered over to the enemy than that my descendants should be destroyed." Thereafter it happened one day that David went to a village and the Satan appeared to him in the form of a deer. He shot an arrow at it, which did not reach it. So he chased after it till he passed the border of the Philistines. And when Yishbi of Nob saw him, he said: "This is he who killed my brother Goliath." Whereupon the former seized and tied him and put him under the block of an olive press. However, a miracle occurred in that the earth under him became soft, and he was not killed. Concerning this it is written (Ps. 18, 37) Thou enlargest my steps under me, so that my joints do not slip. That day was the eve of Sabbath. And Abishai b. Zeruyah used to wash his head with four pitchers of water, when he noticed in it what appeared spots of blood; according to others, a dove came down and rolled before him in spasms. He said the assembly of Israel is likened unto a dove, as it is said (Ps. 68, 14) The wings of the dove covered with silver. Hence it must be that David the King of Israel was in trouble. He went to David's house but did not find him there. He sent to the house of study and he was not found there also. He then said: "We are taught: One must not ride on a king's horse, must not sit on his chair, etc. But how is it at the time of danger?" He went to the college and questioned concerning it. In answer he was told that at the time of danger it is permissible. Then he rode upon the king's mule and miraculously the earth (the road) was lessened (he was suddenly transferred to a distant place). And while riding he saw Arpa, Yishbi's mother, who sat and spun. As soon as she saw him she broke the thread [of her spindle] and threw it at him [with the intention of killing him]. Missing him, she said: "Young man, hand me my spindle." He took the spindle, threw it at her head, and killed her. When Yishbi of Nob saw Abishai, he said: "Now there are two, and they will be able to kill me." He seized David and tossed him up high, placing the point of his spear so that David should fall upon it, and be killed. But Abishai uttered the Tetragrammaton, causing David to remain suspending between the sky and the earth. (But why didn't David himself utter it? Because a prisoner cannot liberate himself from prison without help.) Abishai then questioned David as to what he was doing there. And he explained to him what the Omnipotent had told him and what his answer to it was. Abishai said to him: "Change thy prayer. Let thy grandson sell wax (be poor) so that thou be spared suffering (i.e., do not sacrifice the present for the sake of the future)." "If it must be so," said David, "then pray with me." This is meant by the passage (Sam. 30, 17) But Abishai the son of Zeruyah succored him. Upon which R. Juda, in the name of Rab, said that he prayed with him. Again Abishai uttered the Tetragrammaton and caused him to come down. Yishbi [seeing both fleeing] ran after them. When they reached the village of Kubi [situated] on the boundary of Palestine] they said to each other: "Let us stop here and fight him." [Nevertheless they went] as far as the village of Betrei and then they said: "Between [us] two cubs — can we kill the lion?" When the fight began they said to him: "Go back, and you will see that your mother is dead." As soon as they mentioned the name of his mother, his strength began to fail, whereupon they killed him. And this is meant by the passage (Ib. 17) Then swore the men of David unto him, saying: Thou shalt go out no more with us to battle, that thou mayest not quench the lamp of Israel.