Talmud sur Samuel 2 8:19

HALAKHAH: “The king does not judge, nor may one judge him;” etc. But is it not written⁷²2S. 8:15.: David administered justice and charity for his entire people, and you say so? One has to say that he judged by the law, cleared the innocent and condemned the guilty. ⁷³Babli 6b, the statements to the end of the paragraph. Deut. rabba 5(3). If a poor person was found liable, he paid from his own money; in that he was administering justice for one party and charity for the other. Rebbi said, if somebody judged, cleared the innocent and condemned the guilty, the Omnipresent will credit him with acting charitably with the guilty by taking the ill-gotten goods out of his hand⁷⁴Rebbi (in Deut. rabba Rav Nahman) objects to the first explanation since essentially it is a dishonest way of solving disputes. He declares correct judgment in money matters to be an exercise in charity. Cf. Chapter 1, Note 82..

“He shall not add horses over and above what he needs for his chariots.” As in David destroyed all the chariots,¹⁸⁰2S. 8:4. As usual, the argument is about the part of the verse which is not quoted: but he reserved from them 100 chariots. This shows that chariots and horses needed for the army are permitted. etc. “And silver and gold he shall not add excessively over and above what he needs for his payroll.” Rebbi Joshua ben Levi said, but only for this year’s payroll.

The following words are to be read but are not written [in the text]: the children of;⁵²In Judg. 20, 13. Euphrates;⁵³In 2 Sam. 8, 3. man;⁵⁴In 2 Sam. 16, 23. as;⁵⁵ibid. XVIII, 20. V incorrectly בן for כן. his sons;⁵⁶2 Kings 19, 37. of hosts;⁵⁷ibid. 31. come;⁵⁸In Jer. 31, 38 (some edd. 37). thereof;⁵⁹In Jer. 50, 29. V incorrectly lo’ for lah. unto me;⁶⁰In Ruth 3, 5. to me.⁶¹ibid. 17.

There were ten generations from Noah to Avraham. And why was it necessary to bring all those people into the world? But this is to teach us that all those generations continued to anger God, and there was not one among them who walked in the ways of the Holy Blessed One until Abraham our forefather came along, and he walked in the ways of the Holy Blessed One, as it says (Genesis 26:5), “Because Abraham heeded My call [and kept My charge, My commandments, My rules, and My Torahs.]” (But there is only one Torah! How could he have kept Torahs, plural?) This teaches that the Holy Blessed One planted two inner voices in Abraham, like two wise men, who helped him understand, advised him, and taught him wisdom all night long, as it says (Psalms 16:7), “I will bless the Eternal who has advised me. Even at night, the voices inside of me [lit., my kidneys] have admonished me.” Moreover, Abraham our forefather would always give charity first, and only after would he execute justice, as it says (Genesis 18:19), “For I have singled him out, in order that he command [his children and his household after him, and they will keep the way of the Eternal, doing charity (lit., righteousness), and justice].” Whenever two parties to a conflict would come before Abraham our forefather seeking justice, and one would say about the other: He owes me money, Abraham our forefather would take his own money and give it to the claimant. Then he would say to them: Make your cases before me. So they would argue their cases. When he found that it was actually the first one who owed the money, he would say: Take the money in your hand, and give it to your fellow. And if no one owed money, he would say: Split (what you have), and go in peace. But King David did not do it like this. Rather, he executed justice first, and only afterward gave charity, as its says (II Samuel 8:15), “And David would execute justice and charity [lit., righteousness] for all of his people.” Whenever two parties to a dispute came before King David, and one would say: This one owes me money, he would say to them: Make your cases. So they would argue their cases. Then, when one was found to be liable to the other, [David] would take out his own money and give it to him. If no one owed money, he would say to them: (Split what you have and) go in peace.