Commentary for II Samuel 12:4
וַיָּ֣בֹא הֵלֶךְ֮ לְאִ֣ישׁ הֶֽעָשִׁיר֒ וַיַּחְמֹ֗ל לָקַ֤חַת מִצֹּאנוֹ֙ וּמִבְּקָר֔וֹ לַעֲשׂ֕וֹת לָאֹרֵ֖חַ הַבָּא־ל֑וֹ וַיִּקַּ֗ח אֶת־כִּבְשַׂת֙ הָאִ֣ישׁ הָרָ֔אשׁ וַֽיַּעֲשֶׂ֔הָ לָאִ֖ישׁ הַבָּ֥א אֵלָֽיו׃
And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him, but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.’
Rashi on II Samuel
A traveler came. [Noson] compared the evil inclination at first to a sojourner that is [quickly] going on his way. Afterwords he is compared to a guest that has become a resident and afterwords he is compared to a man who is the owner of the house.1This verse is Noson’s parable alluding to the evil inclination. The visiton is first referred to as הֵלֶךְ, then אׂרֵחַ and finally as an אִישׁ, representing the evil inclination’s ability to take more and more control over its victim’s life.
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