Midrash su II Samuele 20:16

Another interpretation (of Gen. 18:25): FAR BE IT FROM YOU! Abraham said: Sovereign of the World, I see through the Holy Spirit that a certain woman is going to deliver an entire town.⁴⁶See Gen. R. 94:9; Eccl.. R. 9:18:2; M. Sam. 32. So am I not worthy to deliver these five cities? Which woman was that? That was Serah bat Asher, in the time that Sheba ben Bichri rebelled against David and came to Abel, as stated (in II Sam. 20:15): [THEN THEY CAME AND BESIEGED HIM IN ABEL] … AND ALL THE PEOPLE WHO WERE WITH JOAB WERE DESTROYING THE WALL TO THROW IT DOWN. When Serah perceived the situation, she began to cry out < for Joab >. They called Joab to her. When Joab came, she said (in vs. 17): ARE YOU JOAB? AND HE SAID: YES. You are a sage, since the Scripture praises you (in II Sam. 23:8) as ONE WHO SITS IN THE SEAT OF WISDOM (i.e., in the academy)…. ⁴⁷These words are commonly understood as the proper name, JOSHEB-BASSHEBETH, A TAHCHEMONITE; but this midrash, along with Numb. R. 23:13 and PR 11:3, understands the passage as translated here. The attribution of the verse to Joab, the head of David’s army, is assumed because the person depicted here comes first in a listing of David’s mighty men and is identified as the chief of David’s captains. Moreover, although the listing contains no specific mention of Joab, it does contain the names of Joab’s brothers (in vss. 18 & 24) and even his armor bearer (in vs. 37). Have you not read in the Torah (in Deut. 20:10): WHEN YOU DRAW NEAR UNTO A CITY < TO FIGHT AGAINST IT, YOU SHALL OFFER TERMS OF PEACE UNTO IT > ? Thus, was it not up to you to do so? (II Sam. 20:18:) {YOU} [THEY] USED TO SPEAK IN EARLY TIMES, SAYING: LET THEM SURELY ASK IN ABEL. (Deut. 20:10f.:) YOU SHALL OFFER TERMS OF PEACE UNTO IT (a hostile city). < THEN IT SHALL BE, IF IT MAKES YOU AN ANSWER OF PEACE >…. (II Sam. 20:18f.:) < LET THEM SURELY ASK > IN ABEL; AND THAT WAS THE END OF THE MATTER…. SO WHY WOULD YOU DEVOUR THE LORD'S HERITAGE? When he heard that, Joab became afraid and said: There is a requirement here, as stated (in vs. 20): {THEN JOAB SAID:} [THEN JOAB ANSWERED AND SAID: FAR BE IT], FAR BE IT⁴⁸Note that these words return the argument to Gen. 18:25, in which the same expression also occurs. FROM ME < THAT I SHOULD DEVOUR >…. But you, since you are a merciful < God >, is it pleasing for you to destroy these? (Gen. 18:25:) FAR BE IT FROM YOU TO DO SUCH A THING, < TO PUT TO DEATH A RIGHTEOUS PERSON ALONG WITH A WICKED ONE, SO THAT THE RIGHTEOUS ONE FARES LIKE THE WICKED! FAR BE IT FROM YOU > ! Now what did Joab say to her? (II Sam. 20:21:) THE SITUATION IS NOT THE SAME, FOR A MAN FROM THE HILLS OF EPHRAIM NAMED SHEBA BEN BICHRI < HAS RAISED HIS HAND AGAINST KING DAVID >…. Sheba is a man with a blemish, one who serves idols. (II Sam. 20:1:) NOW THERE HAPPENED TO BE THERE A MAN OF BELIAL WHOSE NAME IS SHEBA BEN BICHRI. She said to him (in vs. 19): I AM THE SHELUME (rt.: ShLM) OF THE FAITHFUL IN ISRAEL.⁴⁹Cf. the new JPSA translation here: I AM ONE OF THOSE WHO SEEK THE WELFARE OF THE FAITHFUL IN ISRAEL. I am the one who completed (rt.: ShLM) the number of Israel, as stated (in Numb. 26:46): AND THE NAME OF ASHER'S DAUGHTER WAS SERAH.⁵⁰According to Gen. 46:27, THE TOTAL OF JACOB’S HOUSE WHO CAME INTO EGYPT WAS SEVENTY PERSONS, but those named number only sixty-nine including Joseph, his two sons, and Serah. The extra person comes from counting Serah twice because of her long life. Numb. 26:46 shows that she was still alive at the time of the Exodus. Moreover, it was not too difficult to imagine that so old a woman had lived even longer into the reign of David and identify her with the wise woman of II Sam. 20:16. See the version of this tradition in PRK 11:13. Just stay in your place, and I will make peace (rt.: ShLM). Thus it is stated (in II Sam. 20:21): BEHOLD, HIS HEAD WILL BE THROWN TO YOU OVER THE WALL. And so she had confidence in herself that she would deliver his head to Joab. But see what she did (according to vs. 22)! THEN THE WOMAN CAME UNTO [ALL] THE PEOPLE IN HER WISDOM. What is the meaning of IN HER WISDOM? Simply that she said to them: Understand that Joab and all Israel are standing outside to kill us, our sons, and our daughters. They said to her: Why? She said to them: He would take a hundred people and go. They said to her: Let him take two hundred. She said to them: He only wants fifty people. They said to her: Let him take a hundred. She said to them: He only wants five: They said to her: Let him take ten. She said to them: He only wants one whose name is Sheba ben Bichri. When they heard that, they immediately went and cut off his head. Thus it is stated (in II Sam. 20:22, cont.): SO THEY CUT OFF THE HEAD OF SHEBA BEN BICHRI. Look at the wisdom of this woman! In the same way Abraham came in wisdom before the Holy One. He came < down > from fifty to forty, from forty to thirty, from thirty to twenty, and from twenty to ten. So also with this woman (according to II Sam. 20:22): THEN THE WOMAN CAME UNTO [ALL] THE PEOPLE IN HER WISDOM. Regarding her Solomon gave praise⁵¹Gk.: kalos. (in Eccl. 9:18): WISDOM IS BETTER THAN INSTRUMENTS OF WAR. The wisdom of Serah was better than the instruments of war that were in the hands of Joab. When Joab received the head of Sheba ben Bichri, he immediately went back without touching the city. Abraham said to the Holy One: Sovereign of the World, now if Joab, when he took the head of one person who was guilty, left the city alone, would you, who are merciful, destroy everyone? (Gen. 18:25:) FAR BE IT FROM YOU!

Another matter, “wisdom is better” – this is the wisdom of Seraḥ bat Asher, “than instruments of battle” – than the instruments of battle of Yoav, as it is stated: “A wise woman called from the city…[say to Yoav: Come close to here]” (II Samuel 20:16) – from here [it is derived] that he was far away. “He approached her, and she said to him” (II Samuel 20:17): You are not Yoav,¹¹⁵Yoav has the connotation of father [av]. you shorten,¹¹⁶You shorten the lives of the people. you do not correspond to your name. You are not a Torah personality and David is not a Torah personality. Is it not written in the Torah: “When you approach a city to wage war against it, you shall call to it for peace” (Deuteronomy 20:10)? Perhaps for war?¹¹⁷Perhaps one might think that the army initiates battle immediately; the aforementioned verse therefore teaches otherwise. [This is] as is written: “She spoke, saying: They should have spoken initially…and the matter would have ended [hetamu]” (II Samuel 20:18). She said to him: ‘Is that all, have the words of the Torah ended [tamu], not to be fulfilled?’ He said to her: ‘Who are you?’ She said to him: ‘Who am I? “I am the loyal [shelumei] faithful of Israel” (II Samuel 20:19), it is I who completed [hishlamti] the tally of Israel in Egypt;¹¹⁸The Torah lists sixty-nine descendants of Jacob who descended to Egypt, and then states that the total number of his descendants who went to Egypt was seventy (see Genesis 46:8–27) The midrash (Bereshit Rabba 94:9) asserts that the seventieth individual was Seraḥ bat Asher. it is I who completed loyalty to Joseph and loyalty to Moses.¹¹⁹She revealed to Moses where Joseph was buried so he could take his bones and bury them in the Land of Israel. “And you are seeking to destroy a metropolitan city [ir ve’em] in Israel” (II Samuel 20:19); ir, this is Avel Beit Maakha,¹²⁰This was the name of the city that Yoav had besieged (see II Samuel 20:15). and me, who is a mother [em] in Israel.’
Immediately, “Yoav answered and said: Far be it from me…” (II Samuel 20:20) – far be it from Yoav, far be it from David, far be it from his kingdom. “The matter is not so. Rather a man from Mount Ephraim, his name is Sheva ben Bikhri, has raised his hand against the king, against David” (II Samuel 20:21). If [he already said] “against the king,” why [did he also say] “against David”; if “against David,” why “against the king”? Rabbi Azarya and Rabbi Yonatan ben Rabbi Ḥagai said in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak bar Maryon: This is to teach you that anyone who is impudent toward Torah scholars and a spiritual leader of the generation, it is as though he is impudent toward a king; all the more so, David, who was a king, a scholar, and a spiritual leader of the generation. Rabbi Yudan said: Anyone who is impudent toward the king it is as though he is impudent toward the Divine Presence, as it is written: “He raised his hand against the king, against David.” “Against the king” – that is the King of kings, the Holy One blessed be He, and then “against David” – this is David king of Israel.
[Yoav continued] “Turn him, alone, over, and I will go…[the woman said to Yoav: Behold, his head will be thrown to you over the wall]” (II Samuel 20:21). He said to her: ‘How do you know?’ She said to him: ‘Anyone who is impudent to the kingdom of the house of David incurs liability from above.’ Immediately, “the woman came to the people in her wisdom” (II Samuel 20:22). She said to them: ‘Will you not obey Yoav, will you not obey David? What nation has stood against them? What kingdom has stood against them?’ They said to her: ‘What does he demand?’ She said to them: ‘One thousand men.’ They said to her: ‘Each and every person will give in accordance with what he has.’¹²¹Each household will turn over a proportion of its members. She said to them: ‘I will go and appease him, perhaps he will [accept] fewer.’ She feigned going and returning. She said to them: ‘He demands five hundred men.’ They said to her: ‘Each and every person will give in accordance with what he has.’ She said to them: ‘I will go and appeal to him, perhaps he will [accept] fewer.’ She pretended as though she were going and returning. She said to them: ‘He demands one man, and he is a non-resident [of our city].’ They said to her: ‘If he was the best man in the city we would submit him to [Yoav].’ She said to them: ‘His name is Sheva ben Bikhri.’ Immediately, they took the head of Sheva ben Bikhri and cast it over the wall. “And one sinner destroys much good” – this is Sheva ben Bikhri.

Many women have done well (Proverbs 31:29): Adam, the first man, was commanded about six commandments. Noach [was additionally commanded] about [not eating] a limb from a live animal. Avraham about circumcision. Yitschak was educated with [these] eight [commandments]. Yaakov [was additionally commanded] about [not eating] the sciatic nerve. Yehudah about levirate marriage. [The people of] Israel about two hundred and forty-eight positive commandments corresponding to the two hundred and forty-eight limbs in a man - each and every limb says to man, "I plead of you to do this commandment with me" - and three hundred and sixty-five negative commandments corresponding to the three hundred and sixty-five days of the solar [year] - and each and every day says to man, "I plead of you not to do this sin on me." "Grace is false, beauty is illusory" (Proverbs 31:30) - the grace of Noach was false, as it states (Genesis 6:8), "But Noach found grace in the eyes of the Lord." Rabbi Levi said, "Only in his generation [did he find grace]." "Beauty is illusory" - illusory was the beauty of Adam, the first man. Rabbi Shimon ben Manassia said, "The ball of Adam, the first man's heel would dim the sun. And do not wonder - it is customary in the world that when a man makes two salver vessels, one for himself and one for his household, which does he make [nicer], is it not his? So [too], Adam, the first man, was created to serve in front of the Holy One, blessed be He; and the sun was created to make light for the creatures. And if the ball of his heel was such, the contour of his face, all the more so." "A woman that has fear of the Lord, she is to be praised" - this is Moshe. "Give of the fruit of her hand" (Proverbs 31:30) - Rabbi Yose bar Yirmiyah said, "Why did he compare the prophets to women? Rather, just like [a] woman is not embarrassed to claim the needs of the home from her husband, so [too] were the prophets not embarrassed to claim the needs of Israel from in front of the Holy One, blessed be He." The Holy One blessed be He said, "My sons, be involved in Torah [study] day and night, and I will count it for you as if you hold up the heavens and the earth," as it states (Joshua 1:8), "Let not this book of the Torah cease from your mouth, but meditate upon it day and night"; and it states (Joshua 1:9), “Did I not command you, 'Be strong and resolute; do not be terrified or dismayed'"; and it states (Ezra 3:11), "with praise and thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His kindness upon Israel is forever, and the people raised a great shout with praise to the Lord, for the foundation of the House of the Lord had been laid"; (Proverbs 23:23) "Acquire truth"; (Proverbs 5:17) "They will be yours alone"; (Proverbs 9:9) "Give to a wise man, and he will grow wiser"; (Proverbs 9:11) "For through me your days will increase, and years of life be added." Another interpretation: "A woman of valor who can find?" - this is [the meaning] of what the verse states (Psalms 92:15), "In old age they still produce fruit, etc." - corresponding to Avraham and Sarah who were of the same measure concerning charity and acts of kindness; they were a good sign for the world. In this way, He does not prevent proper women from the righteous ones, [but] matches them. As so [too] do we find with the wife of Noach that her actions and his actions were of the same measure - that is why she merited with him and was rescued from the waters of the flood. "Her husband puts his confidence in her" - this is Sarah, our mother, as Avaraham grew rich on her account, as it states (Genesis 12:16), "And he benefited Avraham for her sake." "She bestows good to him, and not bad" - this is Rivkah, our mother, who bestowed [good] to Yitzchak at the time that Sarah, his mother died. "She seeks wool and flax" - this is Leah, our mother, who received Yaakov with a pleasant countenance, as it is written (Genesis 30:16), "And Yaakov came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him and said, 'You are to sleep with me, for I have hired you, etc.'" Therefore she merited and kings and prophets came from her. "She is like a merchant fleet" - this is Rachel, our mother, who was embarrassed about [her lack of] children every day. Therefore she merited and a son came from her who was similar to a ship that is filled will all the good [found] in the world - so [was it with] Yosef, that the whole world survived from his merit and he supported the world in the years of famine. "She rises while it is still night" - this is Batya, the daughter of Pharaoh. She was a gentile and became a Jewess and they mentioned her name among the proper [women], since she took care of Moshe. Therefore she merited and entered the Garden of Eden in her lifetime. "She sets her mind on a field and acquires it; [she plants a vineyard from the produce of her hand]" - this is Yocheved, that from her came Moshe who is equivalent to all of Israel, which is called a vineyard, as it states (Isaiah 5:7), "For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the House of Israel." "She girds her loins with strength" - this is Miriam, as before Moshe was born, she said, "In the future, my mother will give birth to the savior of Israel." Once he was born and the yoke upon them became heavier, her father got up and bopped her on the head. He said to her, "Where is your prophecy?" And he got up and spit in front of her face. And nonetheless, she exerted herself about her prophecy, as it is written (Exodus 2:4), "And his sister stood from a distance." "She advises (taamah) that her merchandise is good; [her lamp never goes out at night]" - this is Channah who tasted (taamah) the taste of prayer, as it states (I Samuel 2:1), "And Hannah prayed, 'My heart exults in the Lord, etc.'" Therefore she merited and a son came from her that was the match of Moshe and Aharon, which would bring light to Israel like lamps, as it is written (Psalms 99:6), "Moshe and Aharon among his priests, and Shmuel among the ones that call His name." And it is written about Shmuel (I Samuel 3:3), "The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Shmuel was sleeping in the temple of the Lord." "She sets her hand to the distaff" - this is Yael, who did not kill Sisera with a weapon, but rather with a peg through the force of her hands. And because of what did she not kill him with a weapon? In order to fulfill that which it states (Deuteronomy 22:5), "There shall not be the vessel of a man on a woman." "Her palm she spreads out to the poor" - this is the widowed woman of Tsarfat, who supported Eliyahu with bread and water. "She is not worried for her home because of snow, for her whole home is dressed in crimson" - this is Rachav the prostitute. When Israel came to destroy Yericho, she did not fear from them, because they give her a sign - (Joshua 2:18) "this line of scarlet string." "She makes covers for herself; [her clothing is linen and purple]" - this is Batsheva, that from her came Shlomo, who was adorned with linen and purple and ruled from [one] end of the world to the [other] end. "Her husband is known in the gates," - this is Michal, who saved David from death. "She makes cloth and sells it" - this is the mother of Shimshon, that through him Israel was saved. "Strength and splendor are her clothing; [and she laughs to the last day]" - this is Elisheva, the daughter of Aminadav, who saw four joyful events in one day: her brother [became] a prince; her husband, high priest; the brother of her husband, king; and her two children, young priests. "She opens her mouth with wisdom" - this is the wise woman who said (II Samuel 20:16), “Listen, listen! Please tell Yoav, 'Come over here and I will speak to you,'” who saved the city with her wisdom; and this was Sarach the daughter of Asher. "She oversees the activities of her household" - this is the wife of Ovadiah, who rescued her sons and they did not worship idolatry with Achav. "Her children rise and declare her happy" - this is the Shunamite, who is called a great woman (II Kings 4:8). And because of what? Because she pressed upon Elisha to eat. “Many women have done well, but you surpass them all” - this is Ruth the Moabitess, who came under the wings of the Divine presence. "Grace is false, beauty is illusory" - as she left her mother and her forefathers and her wealth, and came with her mother-in-law and accepted all of the commandments: the domain of Shabbat - "to where you will walk, I will walk" (Ruth 1:16); the prohibition of isolation with a man - "and in that which you will lay, I will lay"; the six hundred and thirteen commandments - "your people is my people"; idolatry - "your God is my God"; the four death penalties of the court - "and in that which you will die, I will die"; "and there will I be buried" - these are the two graveyards arranged for the court, one for the stoned and the burned, and one for the killed and the strangled. Therefore, she merited and David came from her, who gave pleasure with songs and praises to the Holy One, blessed be He. Therefore it is stated, "Give of the fruit of her hand and let her works praise her in the gates." Be strong in ethical behavior, keep the Torah, and be rescued from the evil inclination.