Schemuel I 17:38 Midrasch: Midrash Tanchuma, Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition) & 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.

GEMARA: Whence do we learn that (that females are permitted)? R. Jochanan said: From the following passage (I Sam. 17, 55) And when Saul saw David going forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the army; 'Abner, whose son is this lad?' And Abner said: 'As thy soul liveth, O king, I know it not.' Was it then the fact that he (Saul) did not know him? Behold it is written (Ib. 16, 21) And he (Saul) loved him greatly, and he became his armour-bearer. Shall we assume that his question was regarding David's father? Then our question is: Was he then not known to Saul? Behold it is written (Ib. 17, 12) And the man was old in the days of Saul, belonging to the persons [of high esteem,] whereupon Rab, and according to others R. Abba said: This refers to Jesse, David's father, who came in with the army and went out with the army." [Hence Jesse was well known to Saul.] We must therefore say that Saul thus said unto Abner: "Go and ask whether David is the descendant of Perez or of Zerach. If he is the offspring of Perez, then he is destined to royalty, and a king may break through fences [to cut a way through for his army,] against which no one has the right to protest; but if he is of the progeny of Zerach, then he will merely rise to eminence." But what caused Saul bid Abner to ask of David's origin? Because of his garments, concerning which it is written (Ib., ib., 38) And Saul clothed David with his garments (madav). Why is madav used here? This means that his (Saul's) garments were such as fitted David's stature, although it is written (Ib. 10, 23) And he (Saul) was higher than any of the people from his shoulder and upward. [Saul then said to himself:] "What does this fact that my garments fit him signify? Surely he is destined to become the king." To which Doeg the Adamian remarked: "Before you begin an inquiry as to his fitness to the royalty or not, inquire rather whether he is fit to enter the congregation (to inter-marry with Israelites), because he is of the seed of Ruth the Moabite." Thereupon Abner said to him: "We are taught in a Mishnah: A converted male-Ammouite [is excluded from intermarrying] with Judaeans, but not a female; a converted male-Mo'abite, but not a female." According to your interpretation," remarked Saul, "then in the case of a Mamzer also say that a male is prohibited from entering the congregation but not a female?" "The passage says Mamzer, [which means] anything repulsive, including both sexes." Concerning the Egyptians, let us say also that only male Egyptians are mentioned but not females!" "Here [concerning the Ammonites and Mo'abites] it is different, because the reason [of the restriction] is given in the Torah (Deut. 23, 5) For the reason, that they met you not with bread and with water. The custom is for men to meet with bread and wine, but not for women to meet." Nevertheless the men should have met the Israelites and the women the Israelitish woman [hence the reason is for both]. Thereupon Abner remained silent [and was not able to answer this refutation.] Soon after this (I Sam. 17, 56) And the king said: Ask thou whose son this youth is. Why in the first place call David Na'ar (lad), and then call him elem (youth)? Thus did Saul say to Abner: "This law is concealed from thee, go therefore and inquire in the academy." He finally made inquiry, and they told him: "An Ammonite but not an Ammonitish woman, a Moabite, but not a Moamitish woman." (Fol. 77) Doeg raised all the above objections, which silenced them, [causing them to reverse their decisions,] and they were about to announce that he (David) was not fit to be in the congregation of Israel. Immediately after this [the passage says] (II Sam. 17, 25) And Amassa was the son of a man, whose name was Yithra the Israelite, who had gone into Abigail the daughter of Nachash, etc. And it is written (I Chr. 2, 17) And the father of Amassa was Jether the Ishmaelite, whereupon Raba said: Infer from this that Jether tied a sword around him like an Ishmaelite and said: 'Whoever will not obey this decision shall be stabbed with a sword, for thus have I a tradition from the court of Samuel of Ramathaim: An Ammonite, but not an Ammonitish woman; a Moabite, but not a Moabitish woman.' " But how can such evidence be relied upon? Has not R. Abba said in the name of Rab: "A scholar that renders a decision [concerning a disputed question,] if he rendered the decision prior to the incident he is to be heeded, but not otherwise." Here it is different, because Samuel [the prophet] and his court were then still in existence [and could thus be easily verified.] However, what about the above objection? Here (in Babylon) it was explained because (Ps. 45, 14) All gloriously attired awaited the king's daughter in the inner chamber, [hence the women are exempt from outside duty.] In the Land of Israel, it was inferred, and according to some, R. Isaac said: From the following passage (Gen. 18, 9) And they said unto him where is Sarah thy wife? etc. [Hence the women were exempt from the duty of meeting Israel.]