Musar for I Samuel 18:17
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר שָׁא֜וּל אֶל־דָּוִ֗ד הִנֵּה֩ בִתִּ֨י הַגְּדוֹלָ֤ה מֵרַב֙ אֹתָהּ֙ אֶתֶּן־לְךָ֣ לְאִשָּׁ֔ה אַ֚ךְ הֱיֵה־לִּ֣י לְבֶן־חַ֔יִל וְהִלָּחֵ֖ם מִלְחֲמ֣וֹת יְהוָ֑ה וְשָׁא֣וּל אָמַ֗ר אַל־תְּהִ֤י יָדִי֙ בּ֔וֹ וּתְהִי־ב֖וֹ יַד־פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים׃ (ס)
And Saul said to David: ‘Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife; only be thou valiant for me, and fight the LORD’S battles.’ For Saul said: ‘Let not my hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.’
Shenei Luchot HaBerit
The four requirements listed by Yitro in that verse, apply to the other four qualifications judges must possess. The term אנשי חיל, is meant in the sense that we find in Samuel I 18,17 when Saul told David to be brave, courageous. A different order of these four qualities. The words אשר תשים לפניהם at the beginning of our Parshah, are meant to tell the judges that it is not sufficient to hand down a verdict, but one must first explain the reason for such a verdict.
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