Schemuel II 24:15 Midrasch: Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition), Devarim Rabbah & Aggadat Bereshit

R. Huna said: "How little does he whom the Lord supports, need to grieve or trouble himself. Saul committed only one sin and was discharged from royalty. David committed two sins, and yet retained it." "Saul committed only one sin." What was it? That of Agag. But did he not commit another sin when he massacred the priests of Nob? Nevertheless only at the incident of Agag it is written (I Sam. 15, 11) I regret that I have set tip Saul as a king. "David committed two sins." What are they? That of Uriah and his numbering of Israel. But there is a third one? That of Bath Sheba? For Bath Sheba he was punished, as it is written (II Sam. 12, 6) For the ewe he shall pay fourfold. What were the four punishments? The death of Bath-Sheba's first child, the death of Amnon, the misfortune of Tamar, and of Absalom. If so, then, was he punished also for numbering Israel? As it is written (II Sam. 24, 15) And the Lord sent a pestilence in Israel from the morning even to the time appointed. In that case he himself was not punished, but in the instances we mentioned, he was personally punished, as R. Juda said in the name of Rab: "For six months David became leprous, and the Sanhedrin separated themselves from him, and the Shechina departed from him, as it is said (Ts. 119, 79) Let those that fear Thee return unto me, and those that knew Thy testimonies, and it is written again (Ib. 51, 14) Restore unto me the gladness of Thy salvation." But has not Rab said that David listened to slander? [Hence he committed more sins?] The former statement is in accordance with the opinion of Samuel who holds that David did not listen to slander. And Rab who holds that David did listen, explains that David had also been punished for it; for R. Juda said in the name of Rab: "At the time when David said unto Mephibosheth (II Sam. 19, 30), Thou and Ziba shall divide the field, a Bath-Kol went forth and said, 'Rechabam and Jeroboam will divide thy Kingdom.' "

Another interpretation, “I will install a king over me” – the Holy One blessed be He said: ‘In this world, you requested kings, and the kings of Israel arose and caused you to be felled by the sword.’ Saul caused them to be felled on Mount Gilboa. From where is this learned? “Israel has fled before the Philistines…” (I Samuel 4:17). David brought about a plague, as it is stated: “The Lord sent pestilence in Israel” (II Samuel 24:15). Ahab caused the rain to stop falling for them, as it is stated: “There will not be dew or rain during these years…” (I Kings 17:1). Zedekiah caused the Temple to be destroyed. When Israel saw what befell them under the rule of their kings, they all began crying out: ‘We do not want a king of Israel, we want our original King: “For the Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Lawgiver, the Lord is our King; He will save us”’ (Isaiah 33:22). The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘By your lives, I will do so.’ From where is this derived? “The Lord will be King over the entire earth…” (Zechariah 14:9).

[3] Another explanation: "And King David was old, advanced in years, and they covered him with clothes, but he could not get warm" (1 Kings 1:1). Regarding him, Solomon said, "I have seen under the sun that time and chance happen to them all" (Ecclesiastes 9:11) yesterday. And David hurried and ran to the battle, etc. (1 Samuel 17:48). And now he descends and is weary, as it says, "And David was faint" (2 Samuel 21:15). Yesterday they dressed him, and he said, "I cannot walk in these, for I have not tested them" (1 Samuel 17:39), because his body was shivering from the fear of the angel who deceived him, the Angel of Satan. And God counted it as a sin against Israel at that time, and sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it, and when he destroyed it, God saw it and had compassion on the calamity (2 Samuel 24:15). What did the angel do? He said, "I know that the Holy One, blessed be He, is filled with wrath against them. If I go and kill them, He will support me. But now I will blemish them with my own hand, so that He will see and have mercy on them." And when he went and killed seventy thousand men from them, God saw it and had compassion on the calamity, etc. These are the words of Rabbi Judah, and Rabbi Nehemiah says, "What did He see? And God had compassion on the calamity." Rather, the angel went and sat on Mount Moriah and said before Him, "Master of the Universe, You made a covenant with their father Abraham, that You would conquer Your mercies to do Your will in this world. But did You not say before him, "So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. Adonai-yireh, (Genesis 22:14) And to this day it is said, 'On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.' Just as I had the opportunity to answer you and say, 'Yesterday you told me that through Isaac your offspring would be reckoned.' (Genesis 21:12) And now you say, 'Take your son.' (Genesis 22:2) I had the privilege to answer you and yet I said nothing. I made myself like a mute and did your will. So too, whenever sinners come before you and you have the right to punish them, may you suppress your anger and not punish them, but remember the binding of Isaac and have mercy on them." The angel said to God, "That was not the agreement that you had made with Abraham, and now you are killing them?" As it says, "Then the Lord saw it and was grieved by the evil." (1 Chronicles 21:15) What did God see? He saw the binding of Isaac and had mercy on them. Therefore, Solomon said, "A king's wrath is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass." (Proverbs 19:12)