Midrash su I Samuele 26:19

4) "to give to you the land of Canaan, to be a G d to you": From here they stated "If one lives in Eretz Yisrael, he takes upon himself the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven, and if he goes outside of Eretz Yisrael, it is as if he serves idolatry. And David says (I Samuel 26:19) "Accursed are they before the L–rd, for they have driven me out today not to have a share in the L–rd's inheritance, saying, Go and serve other gods." Now would it enter our mind that King David would serve idolatry? But (the meaning is that) he expounded "If one lives in Eretz Yisrael, he takes upon himself the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven, and if he goes outside of Eretz Yisrael, it is as if he serves idolatry.

(Fol. 6'2b) If the Lord hath instigated thee against me (I Sam. 26, 19). R. Elazar said: "Thus spoke the Holy One, praised, be He! unto David, 'Art thou calling me instigator? I will cause thee to stumble even with that which school children know'; for it is written (Ex. 30, 12.) When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel of those who are to he numbered, then shall each man pay a ransom for his soul [which means that Israel should not be counted unless a ransom is given for that act]. Immediately after this it happened (I Chr. 21, 1.) And Satan moved against Israel and enticed David. It is also written (II Sam. 24, 1.) He instigated David against them to say ' Go number Israel and Judah,' and since he counted them without taking a ransom from them, it is written immediately thereafter And the Lord sent a pestilence into Israel from morning even to the time appointed. What is meant by From morning even to the time appointed? Samuel, the senior, and son-in-law of R. Chanina. said in R. Chanina's name: "From the time of the slaughter of the perpetual-daily-morning-offering until the sprinkling of its blood." And R. Jochanan said: "Until noon," And He said to the angel, that destroyed among, the people great (Ib. ib. 16). What is meant by great? R. Elazar said: "Thus said the Holy One, praised be He! 'Take me the greatest of them in whom there is [merit enough] with which to pay their debts (sins). At that moment Abishai b. Zeruyah. who was the equal of the majority of the Sanhedrin, died. But as he was destroying, the Lord looked on and bethought Himself (I Chr. 21, 15). What did He see? Rab said: "He saw our father Jacob," for it is written (Gen. 32, 3.) And when Jacob saw them (Ra'ah) he said, etc. Samuel said: "He saw the ashes of Isaac, for it is said (Ib. 22. 8.) God will show us the lamb for them." R. Isaac Napbcha said: "He saw the atonement money [which was donated for the construction of the Tabernacle], for it is said (Ex. 31, 16.) And thou shall take the atonement money"; and R. Jochanan said: "He saw the Temple, for it is written (Gen. 22, 14.) On the mount of the Lord it shall he seen." Upon the same point R. Jacob b. Ide and R. Samuel b. Nachmeini differ. One said, "He saw the atonement money,"' and the other said "He saw the Temple." The following statements will prove the correctness of the opinion of the one who said that "He saw the Temple"; for it is said (Ib. ib.) As it is said to this very day. On the mount of the Lord it shall he seen.

"Our Rabbis were taught: Always shall a man prefer to live in the land of Israel, even in a town where the majority is nonJews, than outside of the land of Israel, even though its majority consists of Israelites; for whoever lives in the land of Israel is like one who has a God, while one who lives outside of the land of Israel is like one who has no God, as it is said (Lev. 25, 28) To give unto you the land of Cannan to be unto you a God. Is it then really considered that whoever lives outside of the land of Israel has not a God? We must say that this means to tell us that whoever lives outside of the land of Israel is considered as if he would serve idols. We also find it so with David (I Sam. 26, 19) Because they have driven me out this day so that I cannot attach myself on the inheritance of the Lord, saying, 'Go, serve other Gods.' Who is then the man who would say to David: "Go and serve idols." We must therefore say that whoever lives outside of the land of Israel is considered as if he would serve idols.

(Gen. 31:3:) THEN GOD SAID UNTO JACOB…. This text is related (to Ps. 142:6 [5]): I CRIED UNTO YOU, O LORD; I SAID: YOU ARE MY REFUGE, MY PORTION IN THE LAND OF THE LIVING. Who uttered this verse? David uttered it. MY PORTION IN THE LAND OF THE LIVING: He calls the land of Israel THE LAND OF THE LIVING. Why? Resh Laqish said in the name of R. Eleazar haQappar: Because the dead in the land of Israel are the first to come alive in the days of the Messiah. For this reason he calls it THE LAND OF THE LIVING.⁷⁸Below, 12:6; Tanh., Gen. 12:3; yKil. 9:4 (32c); yKet. 12:3 (12:4)(35b); Ket. 111a; Gen. R. 74:1; 96:5 (7); PR 1:4, 6; cf. also Zech. 14:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 20:4-5. David said: I yearn to dwell within it, but Saul does not allow me. Rather (according to I Sam. 26:19): FOR THEY HAVE DRIVEN ME OUT TODAY SO THAT I SHOULD HAVE NO SHARE IN THE LORD'S INHERITANCE. Therefore (in Ps. 142:6 [5]): I CRIED UNTO YOU, O LORD; and, because I did so, I became king over Israel.

Rab Huna said: All Israel who die outside the land (of Israel), their souls are gathered into the land (of Israel), as it is said, "Yet the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living" (1 Sam. 25:29). All the heathens who die in the land of Israel have their souls cast outside the land (of Israel), as it is said, "And the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as from the hollow of a sling" (ibid.), (even) beyond the land (of Israel).

Variantly: (Devarim 11:16) "Take heed unto yourselves lest your hearts be enticed": He said to them: Take care that the evil inclination not lead you astray to separate yourselves from the Torah. For once a man separates himself from the Torah, he cleaves to idolatry, as it is written (Shemoth 32:8) "They have turned aside quickly from the way which I have commanded them; they have made for themselves a golden calf." And it is written (I Samuel 26:19) "If the L-rd has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering. And if the sons of man, let them be cursed before the L-rd. For they have driven me out this day from joining the inheritance of the L-rd, saying 'Go and serve other gods.'" Now would it enter your mind that David, king of Israel, would serve idolatry? (The thought is,) rather, that his ceasing to occupy himself with words of Torah is equivalent to his cleaving to idolatry.

Others say "hasatah" connotes incitement, as in (I Samuel 26:19) "And now, let my lord (Saul) listen to the words of his servant (David). If the L-rd hesitecha you against me, He will be pacified with an offering." "your brother":