Midrasch zu Schemuel II 21:1

“There was a famine in the land.” Ten famines came to the world. One during the days of Adam; one during the days of Lemekh; one during the days of Abraham; one during the days of Isaac; one during the days of Jacob; one during the days of Elijah; one during the days of Elisha; one during the days of David; one during the days when the judges judged; and one that is yet progressing and coming to the world.
One during the days of Adam, as it is stated: “Accursed is the ground because of you” (Genesis 3:17); one during the days of Lemekh, as it is stated: “From the ground that the Lord had cursed” (Genesis 5:29); one during the days of Abraham, as it is stated: “There was famine in the land and Abram descended to Egypt” (Genesis 12:10); one during the days of Isaac: “There was a famine in the land, beside the first famine” (Genesis 26:1); one during the days of Jacob, as it is stated: “For these two years there has been famine in the land” (Genesis 45:6); one during the days of Elijah, as it is stated: “There will not be dew or rain these years, except by my word” (I Kings 17:1); one during the days of Elisha, as it is stated: “There was a great famine in Samaria” (II Kings 6:25); one during the days of David, as it is stated: “There was a famine during the days of David, three years” (II Samuel 21:1); one during the days when the judges judged, as it is stated: “There was a famine in the land” (Ruth 1:1); and one that is advancing upon the world, as it is written: “I will send famine in the land, not famine for bread, not thirst for water” (Amos 8:11).
Rabbi Huna in the name of Rabbi Shmuel: It would have been appropriate for the main manifestation of them³⁹The years of famine during the days of David. to have been during the days of Saul, and it was not appropriate for them to have been during the days of David. [But] because Saul was an offshoot of a sycamore tree,⁴⁰The sycamore tree is frail. and would have been unable to withstand it, the Holy One blessed be He transferred it and brought it to David, who is the offshoot of an olive tree⁴¹The olive tree is sturdy. and [he] was able to withstand it. A parable says: Shila sinned and Yoḥana⁴²Generic names of that period. pays for it? So, all of them did not come upon lowly people, but rather upon mighty people who could withstand them. Rabbi Ḥiyya in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar: [It is analogous] to a glazier who had a basket filled with cups of cut glass. When he sought to hang his basket, he would bring a peg, hammer it [into the wall,] and then hang his basket. So, all of them did not come upon lowly people, but rather to mighty people. Rabbi Berekhya would read in reference to them:⁴³David’s generation. “He gives strength to the weary” (Isaiah 40:29).
Rabbi Berekhya in the name of Rabbi Ḥelbo: Two [famines]⁴⁴That of Lemekh occurred while Adam was still alive. came during the days of Adam.⁴⁵In the parallel text of this midrash found in Bereishit Rabba 25:3 it says ‘Abraham’ instead of ‘Adam.’ Rav Huna in the name of Rav Aḥa: One was during the days of Abraham, and one was during the days of Lemekh. The famine that was during the days of Elijah was due to a drought. One year it produced [a harvest] and the other year it did not produce. But the famine during the days of Elisha was due to [economic] panic, as it is stated: “Until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty of silver” (II Kings 6:25). [Regarding] the famine that came during the days that the judges judged, Rabbi Huna in the name of Rabbi Dosa: They were forty-two se’a⁴⁶A measure of dry volume roughly equivalent to 8 liters. and they became forty-one se’a.⁴⁷The reference is to the amount of produce that could be purchased for one sela. Some commentators suggest that the text should be read: they were [sold] at a rate of two se’a [per sela] and became one se’a [per sela]. See Etz Yosef. But is it not taught: A person may not depart to outside the Land of Israel until two se’a⁴⁸Of wheat. are bought for a shekel?⁴⁹The reference is to the biblical shekel, which is the equivalent of the rabbinic sela. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said: When is that so? It is when one cannot find anything [else] to buy. But if he can find [other food] to buy, even [at] one se’a for a shekel, a Jew may not leave the Land of Israel.⁵⁰Elimelekh was punished because his decision to leave the Land of Israel was not justified. But is it not taught: During a time of pestilence, a time of war, gather everyone inside, but during a time of famine, scatter? Why was Elimelekh punished? It is because he sank the hearts of Israel.
[It is analogous] to a prominent person who lived in a province, and the residents of the province would depend upon him, and would say that if drought years would come, he could provide food for the province for ten years. When a drought year came, his maidservant went out, and went into the market with her basket in her hand. The residents of the province said: This is the one who we relied upon, that if there would be a drought he could support us for ten years? His maidservant is standing in the market with her basket in her hand! So, Elimelekh was one of the prominent residents of the province, and one of the leaders of the generation. When the years of famine arrived, he said: ‘Now, all Israel will come around to my door, this one with his basket and that one with his basket.’ He arose and fled from them; that is what is written: “A man of Bethlehem of Judah went.”

(Fol. 63a) Rabina, while sitting before R. Ashi observed a man tying an ass to a tree on the Sabbath. Rabina admonished the man but the latter paid no attention to him, whereupon Rabina said: "Thou art under ban for this." Rabina then said to R. Ashi: "Can this action of mine be regarded as disgraceful?" [Because I have done it in the presence of you, my teacher.] R. Ashi answered: "There us no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord (Pr. 21, 30), i.e., whenever the desecration of the name of the Lord is threatened, no regard must be paid to a teacher." Raba said: "In the presence of his teacher, it is prohibited [for a disciple to decide a legal question] and it involves capital punishment; but in the absence of his teacher [if a disciple does so] it is, of course, prohibited but no capital punishment is involved." And in the absence of his teacher, you say, it does not involve capital punishment. Behold! It is taught that R. Elazar says: "The sons of Aaron did not die for any other sin than that they decided questions of law in the presence of their teacher, Moses. What verse did they interpret? [without asking Moses their teacher:] And the sons of Aaron the priest, shall put fire upon the latter (Lev. 1, 7). Thus they said to themselves: 'Although fire is to descend from heaven [upon the altar], it is nevertheless, a virtuous act to bring common fire.'" There was a disciple of R. Elazar. who decided legal questions in the presence of the latter. Whereupon R. Elazar said unto Ema Salmon, his wife: "I wonder if this disciple will live through this year." And the disciple died within that year. So his wife said to R. Elazar: "Art thou a prophet?" "Neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet," was his answer, "but I have a tradition that whoever decides a legal question in the presence of his teacher is guilty of capital punishment." And Rabba b. Chana said that this disciple was Juda b. Guriah and he was three miles away from his teacher, R. Elazar. [Hence it shows that even in the absence of his teacher, deciding legal questions involves capital punishment.'] It was in his teacher's presence. But R. Jachanan said he was three miles away from his teacher! And according to your own opinion [is there not an objection to be raised]? Wherefore was it necessary to state the disciple's name and his father's name? We must say (that these names are given) that we should not construe the above story as a mere parable. [Therefore it stated all the facts and it was indeed decided in the presence of R. Elazar.] R. Chiya b. Abba, in the name of R. Jochanan, said: "Whoever decides a legal question in the presence of his teacher, deserves to be bitten by a serpent, for it is said (Job 32, 6.) And Elihu, the son of Barachel, the Buzite, commenced, and said: 'Young am I in days, and ye are very old; therefore I hesitated and feared to show you what I Icnoiv.' It is written here vachalei (I feared). and it is written there (Deu. 32. 24.) With the power of serpents (Zochalei) that crawl in the dust." R. Zera said in the name of R. Chanina: "He is to be called sinner, as it is said (Ps. 119, 11.) In my heart have I treasured up thy saying, in order that I may not sin against thee." R. Humnuna raised the following contradictory point: "It is written (Ib.) In my heart, have I treasured up thy saying, and it is written (Ib. 40, 10.) I announce Thy righteousness in the great assembly"; and he himself explained it: "The former was said when Ira, the Yairite [his teacher], was living, [therefore David did not teach others]; and the latter refers to the time when Ira, the Yairite, was dead." R. Abba b. Zabda said: "He who sends his [priestly] gifts unto one priest will bring a famine into the world, for it is said (II Sam. 20, 26.) and Ira, the Yairite, was a priest unto David, etc. Was he a priest unto David only? Behold he was a priest unto all Israel also! We must therefore say that it means 'All the priestly gifts were given unto him by David, and immediately following this it is written (Ib. 21, 1.) And there was a famine for three years in the days of David." R. Elazar said: "He [who decides a legal question in the presence of his teacher] will be deposed from his honorable position, as it is said (Num. 31, 21.) And Elazar, the priest, said unto the men of the army," etc. And although he said that the law was taught to his uncle and not to him, still he was deposed from his honorable position, as it is written (Ib. 27, 28.) And before Elazar, the priest, shall he (Joshua) stand and he shall ask of him after the Judgment of the Urim before the Lord, etc. We, however, do not find an instance where Joshua ever availed himself of Elazar's help."

... “And David went and he took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh- gilead… And he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son…” (Shmuel II 21:12-13) What did David do? He went and gathered all the elders and great ones of Israel, crossed the Jordan River, and came to Yavesh-gilead. He found the bones of Shaul and his son Yonatan, placed them in a casket and crossed back over the Jordan, as it says “And they buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father and they did all that the king commanded…” (Shmuel II 21:14) What does ‘in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father’ mean? It comes to teach us that they brought them to the border of Jerusalem and buried them there. Zela is next to Jerusalem, as it says “And Zelah, Eleph, and the Jebusite, which is Jerusalem…” (Yehoshua 18:28) ‘and they did all that the king commanded’ And what did the king command? He commanded that they carry Shaul’s casket from tribe to tribe. As Shaul’s casket entered each tribe’s territory all the men, women and children came out in order to perform an act of loving kindness to Shaul and his sons and thereby all of Israel would fulfill its obligation to loving kindness. This went on until they reached the land of his portion on the border of Jerusalem. Since the Holy One saw that they did loving kindness to Shaul and fulfilled the judgement of the Givonites He was immediately filled with mercy and sent rain upon the land, as it says “And God was entreated for the land after that.” (Shmuel II 21:14) From this we learn how close the Holy One brings those that are far away, even though they converted not for the sake of heaven. There is no need to even mention how he draws near righteous converts, “O Lord, all the kings of the earth will acknowledge You…” (Tehillim 138:4)