תלמוד על שמואל ב 6:23

It is written: “The King said, I shall give⁷³Here ends the Genizah fragment..” “The King took the two sons of Riṣpah bat Ayah whom she had born to Saul, Admoni and Mephiboshet⁷⁴2S. 20:8. In the MT ארמני, not אדמוני. The verse ends: “And the five sons of Mikhal, Saul’s daughter, which she had borne to Adriel ben Barzilai from Meḥolah.” Adriel’s wife was Merab, Saul’s elder daughter (1S. 18:19).,” etc. “Michal, Saul’s daughter, did not have a child until the day of her death,⁷⁵2S. 6:23. In the opinion of the Yerushalmi (Sukkah 5:4, 55c 1. 22; Sanhedrin 2:4, 20b 1. 57) she died in childbirth. In the opinion of the Babli (Sanhedrin 21a) she earlier had a child in Hebron.” and you say so? Say now that they were sons of Merab but Michal raised them, so they were named after her. “He gave them into the hand of the Gibeonites who hanged them on the mountain before the Eternal; all seven fell together.⁷⁶2S. 20:9.” Defective without י⁷⁷In the MT, the word is written with an extra י, שבעתים,correctly spelled in G and ן. The correct text seems to that of G and ן: “One is missing”, referring to Mephiboshet ben Jonathan.. That refers to Mephiboshet ben Jonathan ben Saul, who was great in the Torah and David intended to save him from their hand. David said, I let them pass by the altar and anyone received by the altar will be mine. He let each pass by the altar, prayed for him, and the altar moved and received him. This is what is written: “I shall call to the Most High God, to the Power Who has the ultimate decision about me⁷⁸Ps. 57:3.!” For the Holy One, praise to Him, agreed with David. “⁷⁶2S. 20:9. They were killed on the first days of harvest;” it is written “the barley harvest.” “Riṣpah bat Ayah took a sack and laid it out on the rock.⁷⁹2S. 20:10.” What means: “On the rock”? Rebbi Hoshaia said, she was reciting: “The rock, perfect is His action⁸⁰Deut. 32:4, the verse which opens the traditional burial service called צִדּוּק הַדִּין “justification of the (Divine) judgment.” This is alluded to not only here (and in the sources mentioned in Note 48) but also in the Babli, ‘Avodah zarah 18a..” Rebbi Abba bar Zamina in the name of Rebbi Hoshaia: Sanctification of the Name is greater than desecration of the Name. Referring to desecration of the Name it is written: “Do not leave his corpse on the gallows overnight.⁸¹Deut. 21:23.” But referring to sanctification of the Name it is written: “From the start of harvest until water was poured on them.⁷⁹2S. 20:10.” This teaches that they were hanging from the sixteenth of Nisan⁸²The first day of the barley harvest, Lev. 23:14. to the seventeenth of Marḥeshwan⁸³The year is declared one of draught if the rains did not start by the 17th of Marḥeshwan (Mishnah Ta‘anit1:4).. The passers-by were saying: How did these people sin that the rules of justice were changed for them? They were answered: Because these had attacked attached⁸⁴The word was changed by the corrector. Probably one should read with אֲרוּרים ן “cursed”, Jos. 9:33. proselytes. They would say that even for those who did not convert for the sake of Heaven, the Eternal avenged their blood; if one would convert for the sake of Heaven not so much more? There is no Power like your God and no people like your people. Many converts were converted at that time; that is what is written⁸⁵2Chr. 2:16–17.: “Solomon counted all proselytes and appointed from them 70’000 carriers and 80’000 hewers of stone in the mountains.”

¹²⁹A somewhat more explicit version of this is in Sukkah 5:4 (55c l. 7); a different version of this and the following paragraphs is found in the last part of Num. rabba 4. It is written: David turned¹³⁰1Chr. 16:43. Probably what was intended was 2S. 6:20 (correctly quoted in Sukkah), the end of the story of the transfer of the Ark to the City of David.. Who are the “empty ones”¹³¹2S. 6:20, where Michal criticizes David for dancing in the street.? Rebbi Abba bar Cahana said, the most empty one, that is the dancer¹³²Greek ὀρχηστής, οῦ, ὁ.. She told him, today the honor of my father’s house became obvious. One said about the family of Saul that one never saw a heel or a thumb of them. That is what is written: He came to the sheep fences¹³³1S. 24:3.. Rebbi Abun ben Rebbi Eleazar: That was a fence inside a fence¹³⁴This explains the plural used in the verse and shows that Saul went to relieve himself in the cave guarded from the outside by a double fence. In the Babli, Berakhot62b, this is quoted as tannaitic text.. Saul came to spread his feet¹³³1S. 24:3.. He saw him how he lifted a little and covered a little. He said, one who would touch such modesty would be cursed. That is what he told him, behold, what your eyes saw today¹³⁵1S. 24:10., etc. Is it not written “I had mercy on you” but it had mercy on you¹³⁵1S. 24:10., your modesty had mercy on you. David told Michal¹³⁶2S. 6:21., etc. With the servant girls you mentioned, with them I shall be honored¹³⁷2S. 6:22., for they are not servant girls but mothers. How was she punished? Michal, Saul’s daughter, had no child¹³⁸2S. 6:23. The verse ends: up to the day of her death, implying that she died in childbirth., But is it not written: The sixth Yitreˋam, of his wife Calf¹³⁹2S. 3:5. Only Michal is called “David’s wife” (1S. 25:44). The problem that Yitreˋam was born in Hebron is not addressed; it is discussed in the Babli, 21a.. She mood like a calf and died.

⁸⁰A slightly shortened version is in Sanhedrin2:4, Notes 129–139. A different version is found in the last part of Num. rabba4. It is written: David returned to bless his house when Mikhal, Saul’s daughter, came towards him⁸¹2S. 6:20, where Michal criticizes David for dancing in the street.., etc. Who is one of the empty ones? Abba bar Cahana said, the most empty one, that is the dancer⁸²Greek ʼορχηστής, ου̅, ‘ο.. She told him, today the honor of my father’s house became obvious. One said about the family of Saul that one never saw a heel or a thumb of them. That is what is written: He came to the sheep fences along the road and there was a cave⁸³1S.24:3.. Rebbi Abun in the name of Rebbi Eleazar: That was a fence inside a fence⁸⁴This explains the plural used in the verse and shows that Saul went to relieve himself in the cave guarded from the outside by a double fence. In the Babli, Berakhot 62b, this is quoted as tannaitic text.. Saul came to spread his feet⁸³1S.24:3.. He saw him how he lifted a little and covered a little. [David] said, how could one touch such a righteous body. That is what he told him, behold, what your eyes saw today which today gave me in your hand in the cave and I could have killed you⁸⁵1S. 24:10., etc. Is it not written “I had mercy on you” but it had mercy on you⁸⁵1S. 24:10., your modesty had mercy on you. David told Michal, before the Eternal Who chose me over your father⁸⁶2S. 6:21., etc. And I was still humbler than this and I was lowly in my eyes, and with the servant girls you mentioned, with them I shall be honored⁸⁷2S. 6:22., for they are not servant girls but mothers. How was she punished? Michal, Saul’s daughter, had no child until the day of her death⁸⁸2S. 6:23, implying that she died in childbirth.. But is it not written: The sixth Yitre`am, of his wife Calf<sup>89</sup>2S. 3:5. Only Michal is called “David’s wife” (1S. 25:44). The problem that Yitre`am was born in Hebron is not addressed; it is discussed in the Babli, 21a.. She mooed like a calf and died.

¹¹⁷Several passages in this paragraph are truncated; refer to the Qiddušin text.The king said, I shall give¹¹⁰2S. 21:6.. The king took the two sons of Riṣpah bat Ayah¹¹⁸2S. 21:8.. Michal, Saul’s daughter, did not have a child¹¹⁹2S. 6:23., and you say so? Say now that they were sons of Merab but Michal raised them, so they were named after her. The king gave them into the hand of the Gibeonites who hanged them on the mountain before the Eternal¹²⁰2S. 21:9.. All seven is written defective of one letter. That refers to Mephiboshet, for whom David prayed and whom the altar received. He told them, I let them pass by the altar and anyone whom the altar receives will be his, because of Mephiboshet who was great in Torah. He let him pass by the altar, which received him. Rebbi Avin said, I shall call to the Most High God, to the Power Who has the ultimate decision over me¹²¹Ps. 57:3.. For the Holy One, praise to Him, agreed with David. They were killed on the day of harvest …at the start of the barley harvest¹²⁰2S. 21:9.. Riṣpah bat Ayah took a garment and laid it out on the rock¹²²2S. 21:10.. What means on the rock? Rebbi Hoshaia said, she was reciting: The rock, perfect is His action¹²³Deut. 32:4.. Rebbi Abba bar Zamina in the name of Rebbi Hoshaia: Sanctification of the Name is greater than desecration of the Name. Referring to sanctification of the Name it is written: Do not leave his corpse overnight⁶⁷Deut. 21:23.. But referring to desecration of the Name it is written that they were left hanging until water was poured on them¹²⁰2S. 21:9.. This teaches that they were hanging from the sixteenth of Nisan to the seventeenth of Marḥeshwan. The passers-by were saying: How did these people sin that the rules of justice were changed for them? They were answered: Because these had attacked cursed proselytes. Is that not an argument de minore ad majus? Since even for those who did not convert for the sake of Heaven, the Eternal avenged their blood; if one would convert for the sake of Heaven not so much more? Many converts were converted at that time; that is what is written¹²⁴2Chr. 2:16–17.: Solomon counted all proselytes … and appointed from them 70’000 carriers, etc.