Schemuel I 17:34 Midrasch: Midrash Tanchuma, Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Midrash Tehillim & Vayikra Rabbah

What is written after this passage (in Lev. 21:10)? “And the priest that is highest among his brothers”²²Lev. R. 26:9. Why is he called by the name, “high priest?”²³THE PRIEST THAT IS HIGHEST, without the addition, AMONG HIS BROTHERS, would normally be translated, HIGH PRIEST. Because he was highest (literally: greatest) in five things: in beauty, in strength, in wealth, in wisdom, and in age.²⁴TYoma 1:6; Yoma 18a; see yYoma 1:3 (39a); cf. ‘Eduy. 2:9; Avot. 6:8. In regard to beauty, because he was more handsome than his brothers. In regard to strength, because he was powerful in strength. Come and consider Aaron. When he waved the Levites (as in a wave offering), he waved twenty-two thousand in one day. How did he wave them? Back and forth, up and down. Ergo, he was highest in strength. With regard to wealth, where would it come from? If he was not wealthy, his brother high priests would magnify (rt.: gdl) him. There is a story about Phineas the Stonecutter. When they appointed him high priest, his brother priests went out and saw him cutting stone. So they filled the quarry before him with gold dinars.²⁵Lat.: denarii. And where is it shown that if he had nothing, his brother high priests would magnify (rt.: gdl) him? Where it is stated (in an alternate translation of Lev. 21:10), “And the priest that is highest (rt.: gdl) because of his brothers.” And [this rule applies] not to the high priest alone, but to the king as well. And so you find in the case of David, when he went to fight with Goliath the Philistine, Saul said to him (in I Sam. 17:33), “You cannot go unto this Philistine […].” David said to him (in vs. 34-36), “Your servant tended his father's sheep; and when a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock, I would go out after it, smite it, and deliver it out of its mouth…. Your servant smote both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them.” Saul said to him, “And who told you that you could slay him?” Immediately David replied, (vs. 37), “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” Immediately (we read in vs. 38), “Saul clothed David with his military garments.” Now it is written (in I Sam. 9:2), “he was a head taller²⁶More literally: TALLER FROM HIS SHOULDERS ON UP. than any of the people.” When he had clothed him in his garments and seen that they were fit for him, he immediately cast a jaundiced eye at him. When David saw that he had offended Saul, he said to him (in I Sam. 17:39), “I cannot go in these, for I am not used to them.” Here you learn that even though a person may be short, when he is appointed king, he becomes tall. Why? Because as soon as he is anointed with the anointing oil, he becomes superior to his brothers. David said, “I rejoiced over the anointing oil with which I was anointed.” It is so stated (in Ps. 16:9), “So my heart rejoices, and my glory exalts; my flesh also dwells in safety.”

[(Lev. 21:1:) THEN THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES: SAY UNTO THE PRIESTS.] What is written after this passage (in vs. 10)? AND THE PRIEST THAT IS HIGHEST AMONG HIS BROTHERS.²⁸Tanh., Lev. 8:4; Lev. R. 26:9. Why is he called by the name HIGH?²⁹THE PRIEST THAT IS HIGHEST, without the addition, AMONG HIS BROTHERS, would normally be translated, HIGH PRIEST. Because he was highest (literally: greatest) in five areas: In beauty, in strength, in wealth, in wisdom, and in age.³⁰TYoma 1:6; Yoma 18a; see yYoma 1:3 (39a); cf. ‘Eduy. 2:9; Avot. 6:8. In regard to beauty, because he was more handsome than his brothers. In regard to strength, because he was heroic in strength. Come and consider Aaron. When he waved the Levites (as in a wave offering), he waved twenty-two thousand in one day. How did he wave them? Back and forth, up and down. Ergo: He was highest in strength. Also in regard to wealth, because if he had not been wealthy, his brother priests would have made him wealthy. There is a story about Pinhas the Stone Cutter. When they appointed him high priest, his brother priests went out and saw him cutting stone. So they would not permit him to continue, but filled the quarry before him with gold dinars.³¹Lat.: denarii. [And where is it shown] that, if he had nothing, his brother high priests would magnify (rt.: GDL) him? Where it is stated (in an alternate translation of Lev. 21:10): AND THE PRIEST THAT IS HIGHEST (rt.: GDL) BECAUSE OF HIS BROTHERS. And < this rule applies > not to the high priest alone, but to the king as well. And so you find in the case of David, when he went to fight with Goliath the Philistine, Saul said to him (in I Sam. 17:33): YOU CANNOT GO UNTO < THIS > PHILISTINE … David said to him (in vs. 34–36): YOUR SERVANT TENDED HIS [FATHER'S] SHEEP; < AND WHEN A LION OR A BEAR CAME AND CARRIED OFF A LAMB FROM THE FLOCK, > I WOULD GO OUT AFTER IT, SMITE IT, < AND DELIVER IT OUT OF ITS MOUTH >…. < YOUR SERVANT > SMOTE BOTH THE LION AND THE BEAR, < AND THIS UNCIRCUMCISED PHILISTINE SHALL BE AS ONE OF THEM >…. Saul said to him: And who told you that you could slay him? David replied: Hunting³²Gk.: kynegia. has trained me, Papa. (Vs. 37:) THE LORD WHO DELIVERED FROM THE PAW OF THE LION… < WILL DELIVER ME FROM THE HAND OF THIS PHILISTINE >. Immediately (we read in vs. 38): SAUL CLOTHED DAVID WITH HIS MILITARY GARMENTS…. Now it is written (in I Sam. 9:2): HE WAS A HEAD TALLER³³More literally: TALLER FROM HIS SHOULDERS ON UP. THAN ANY OF THE PEOPLE. When he had clothed him in his garments and seen that they were made for him, he immediately cast a jaundiced eye at him. When David saw that he had offended Saul, he said to him (in I Sam. 17:39): I CANNOT {GO FORTH} [GO] IN THESE, FOR I AM NOT USED TO THEM. Here you learn that even though a person may be short, when he is appointed king, he becomes tall. Why? Because as soon as he is anointed with the anointing oil, he becomes superior to his brothers. David said: I rejoiced over the anointing oil with which I was anointed, in that I shall never move away from my glory. It is so stated (in Ps. 16:9): SO MY HEART REJOICES, AND MY GLORY EXALTS; MY FLESH ALSO DWELLS IN SAFETY.

"O Lord my God, if I have done this, if there is guilt on my hands, if I have repaid my ally with evil or without cause have robbed my foe, then let my enemy pursue and overtake me; let him trample my life to the ground and make me sleep in the dust. (Psalm 7:3-5) And he cut off a corner of Saul's robe. What is written (1 Samuel 24:6)? "And David's heart smote him." Rabbi Judah says, David said, "What is the difference between the cutting off of the corner of a garment and the cutting off of the top of it?" Rabbi Nehemiah says, they annulled the commandment of fringes for one hour. When the fringes were cut off, he did not know what to do, and he sought them but did not find them. He said to Abner, "Where is the corner of my robe?" He replied, "In your ships you passed over and they were cut off." When David heard this, he said to him (1 Samuel 24:11), "My father, see." From this we learn that a man must show the same respect to his father-in-law as he does to his own father. Rabbi Judah said, David's father told Saul, "He has also seen." He said to Abner, "Did a lion come across the way? Did a bear meet you?" (1 Samuel 17:34). The Rabbis say, he said both to Abner, "My father, see.", for Abner was a lion in learning. When he came to the circle, he said to him (2 Samuel 2:14), "Will you not answer, Abner?" He said, "Who are you who calls to the king?" He replied, "You are a man, are you not? And Israel has chosen you to be their prince." And he said, "I am listening." Then David said to him, "I am innocent of wrongdoing; and as for you, you have hunted me down today. May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you." (1 Samuel 24:12-13) And he said, "The Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lord's anointed." (1 Samuel 24:10) And I will save the empty-handed who has been snatched from the hand of the oppressor. (Job 29:12) And he measured out two lengths of cord to put to death. Rabbi Joshua ben Levi says, because he killed his father and mother (and his eyesight was dim). Rabbi Judah says, he killed his father, mother, and brother (and made himself blind). "My honor lies in the dust; my body will dwell in safety." (Psalm 7:6) This refers to God's kingdom.