시편 17:2 미드라쉬: Devarim Rabbah, Aggadat Bereshit & Midrash Tehillim

“When you will come to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall take possession of it, and you shall live in it, and you will say: I will install a king over me, like all the nations that are around me” (Deuteronomy 17:14).
“When you will come to the land…” – halakha: A king of Israel who had a legal issue, what is the ruling? Is it permitted for him to go for a trial before the court? This is what the Sages taught: A king cannot act as judge and others cannot judge him; he cannot testify and others cannot testify concerning him. Our Rabbis taught us: Why is it that others may not judge him? Rabbi Yirmeya said: As it is written regarding King David: “Let my judgment emerge from before You” (Psalms 17:2). That is, no person may judge the king except for the Holy One blessed be He.
The Rabbis said: The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘My children, I had thought that you would be free from the rule of kings.’ From where is this derived? It is as it is stated: “A wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness” (Jeremiah 2:24). Just as the wild donkey grows up in the wilderness and has no fear of man, so I thought that you would have no fear of kings. But that is not what you sought. Instead, “at its soul's desire it inhales wind” (Jeremiah 2:24). “Wind” [here] refers to nothing other than kingdoms. From where is this derived? It is as it is stated: “And behold, the four winds of the heavens bursting forth to the great sea”¹⁵The text there goes on to say that the four winds represent four kingdoms: Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. (Daniel 7:2). The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘And if you should say that I do not know that you will ultimately forsake Me [by appointing a king], I already cautioned you through Moses. I said to him: Since, ultimately, they will request a flesh and blood king, from their midst they should crown a king over themselves, not a foreign king.’ From where is this derived? It is from what we read regarding the matter: “And you will say: I will install a king over me.”¹⁶In the following verse it says: “From among your brethren you shall install a king over you; you may not install over you a foreign man” (Deuteronomy 17:15).

Chapter 6, Writings. [1] A prayer of David: Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea (Psalms 17:1). In the scriptures it is said: "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight" (Proverbs 15:8) refers to Moses, David, and the Messiah. Regarding Moses, it is written, "A prayer of Moses, the man of God" (Psalms 90:1). Regarding David, it is written, "A prayer of David" (Psalms 17:1). Concerning the Messiah, it is written, "A prayer of the poor man, when he is faint" (Psalms 102:1). "And the prayer of the upright is His delight" (Prov. 15:8), although all three pray, David prays with artistry. How can one say, "Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea"? The Holy One, blessed be He, said, "Until when will you pray? Say what you need, for you said, 'my righteous plea.' I swear by your life that for the sake of one of the things that I have mentioned before you, My vindication will come from You; (Psalms 17:2). Why did you say, 'If the leader sins' (Leviticus 4:22)? "A leader over whom there is no ruler except for God, since over a ruler there is no judge except for You, my judgment comes before You. David was a great artist, when he asked something from the Holy One, blessed be He, he played music to Him, as if to say, he delved his thoughts like those skilled in the wisdom of the microcosm (Baba Kamma 103b, Baba Batra 61a*). Deep wells of understanding." He asked first about the easy things, and only afterwards about the difficult things. Why was David similar to a person who asked to borrow a wheat barrel from the lender, and the lender said to him, "Please lend me a carob barrel because I am in a difficult situation"? David replied, "Come and take, we will take (the barrels) together." The lender then asked David to lend him a barley barrel and leave a carob barrel instead. David replied, "Come and take, we will take (the barrels) together." The lender then asked David to make him a wheat barrel and lend him carob and barley under it. David replied, "Take it, but who caused him to first ask about the easy things and only then about the difficult things?" The answer is from the verse "Judgment fell for David, 'The Lord has heard my righteousness.'" (Psalms 7:9) That is, first the easy things, and then the difficult things came before him in a straight path, as it is written "Your eyes will see what is straight before you." (Isaiah 30:21) God replied to him, "And I will act, for it is written, 'Behold, I will plead your cause and take vengeance for you' (Jeremiah 51:36), and 'I will contend with him that contends with you' (Isaiah 49:25)." End of story. [*comment: This statement is found in the Talmud Bavli tractate Bava Batra 93b, and it discusses the power of a Jewish leader or "nasi" who has no earthly ruler above him, only God. The passage states that since there is no one to judge or govern the Nasi except for God, then his judgment must be considered just and valid. It then goes on to praise King David as a great artist, as he would deepen his thoughts and connect with God when playing music. The phrase "והואיל שאין על גבי מושל אלא ה'" can be translated as "since there is no ruler above him except for God," emphasizing the unique position of a Nasi who is accountable only to God. The phrase "מלפניך משפטי יצא" means "my judgment comes from You," implying that since God is the only authority over the nasi, his decisions are divinely inspired. The passage then shifts to discussing King David and his artistic talents. The phrase "אומן גדול הי' דוד" means "David was a great artist," and the following phrase "כשהי' מבקש דבר מן הב"ה מנגנו" means "when he would seek something from God, he would play music." The term "אינגיניו בלע"ז" refers to David's musical instruments, and the phrase "כמו הנהו נגאני דארעא מיקרו" means "he would play so deeply that the ground would shake." This passage highlights David's unique talents and spiritual connection with God.]

Another interpretation is prayer. What did David see to say five things in this verse and then "My judgment will come before you"? But David said, "If you bring my judgment on Yom Kippur in the morning, I will not be able to stand." But since I recite Shema and pray four prayers afterwards, my judgment will come before you. Our rabbis changed it and said, "The king neither judges nor is judged." Rabbi Yochanan said, "David said before God, 'I am a king and you are a king, it is fitting for a king to judge a king.' This is what is written, 'My judgment will come before you.'" Another interpretation: When God sent an angel before Israel, what is written there? "Behold, I am sending an angel before you." What is written after that? "Beware of him." Why is the name of God engraved on the hearts of angels like an Istiritigos? This is what is written, "The chariots of God are myriads upon myriads; the Lord is among them." The name of God is common among them, such as Michael and Gabriel. And why did He tell them to beware of him? God said to them, "As in the custom of the world, the king does everything that is requested of him, if a prosecutor is given in the country and the people of the country come and ask him, maybe they can at least plead." And he answered them that if he sends them Prostokosrin to the country and they are charged a hundred liters of gold, and the people of the country ask them for at least what the king commanded, he cannot exempt them because he is a messenger. Thus said David our Master, there is no one else but you who can exempt, but from you judgments come forth. Rabbi Yehuda said, "What is 'from you judgments come forth?'" Rabbi Yehuda said, "When David counted Israel, he was angry with the Holy One, blessed be He, and said, 'I did not say that they should not be counted or numbered, and You are casting them away.' And Gad the prophet was sent to him, and said to him (2 Samuel 24:12), 'Three things I offer you.' Just as your master, Saul, was decreed with three things, so I decree upon you three things: (Isaiah 27:8), 'In measure, when you send them away, you will contend with them; He has expelled them with His fierce breath in the day of the east wind.' And what are the three things? Either the Lord will smite him, or he will die naturally, or he will fall in battle and perish. When he said to him (2 Samuel 24:13), 'What shall I do? Which shall I choose?' David was standing and raging, and did not know what to answer him. David said, 'If I say famine, immediately all of Israel will say that David was rich and his treasures were full, so what does he care? And if I say war, immediately they will say that David was a hero and his men were heroes, so what does he care? Rather, I choose something that is equal for the poor and the rich, for the small and the great.'" And Gad the prophet also hinted to him that he should clarify the matter, as it is written in Samuel: "Now therefore, consider and see what answer I shall return to Him who sent me." He said to him, "Say to Him, 'Thus says David: "I am in great distress. Let me fall now into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man."'" This is similar to a man who fell down. They asked him where he wanted to be buried, with his father or his mother. He said, "Woe to the ears that hear such things!" Nevertheless, he said, "With my father is good for me." So David said, "Woe to them that hear such things!" But he said, "Let me fall now into the hand of the Lord." Come and see the mercy of the Holy One, blessed be He, even though He chose three days which are equivalent to thirty-six hours. As it is written, "And the Lord sent a plague upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed." Rabbi Hiyya taught that it was from the time of the slaughtering of the daily offering until the sprinkling of its blood. But the Rabbis say from the rising of the sun until its setting. Rabbi Tanchuma said at that hour the Ten Commandments, the two Tablets, the three Patriarchs, the five books of the Torah, the seven days of the week, and the eight days of circumcision all pleaded before the Holy One, blessed be He, to waive one hour for each of them. For if the Israelites should cease to exist, there would be no one to watch over them, and they would be nullified from the world. The Holy One, blessed be He, waived thirty-six hours for them. And the hour that was left caused the death of seventy thousand. The Rabbis say that Abishai ben Zeruiah fell, who was equal in weight to seventy thousand of Israel. This is what is written: "And he said to the destroying angel, 'It is enough. Now stay your hand.' And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite." Great is your dwelling place, O Lord. Immediately (2 Samuel 24:18), Gad came to David and said to him, "Go up and build an altar to the Lord." [A parable may be drawn from this.] It is similar to a father who was striking his son, but the son did not know why he was being struck. After he struck him, the father told him to do a certain thing that he had commanded him to do several days ago, but the son had neglected it. Similarly, all those thousands who fell in the days of David fell only because they did not desire the building of the Temple. And are these matters not all the more severe? If those who did not have the Temple built in their days and it was not destroyed in their days will be punished, how much more so will be done to us who have seen its destruction in our days and do not mourn and do not seek mercy for it? Therefore, the early pious ones established that Israel should pray three times a day, saying, "Please, God, bring back Your Presence to Zion and establish the order of worship in Jerusalem." And they instituted the blessing, "Who builds Jerusalem," separately in the prayers and in the grace after meals, by the order of Moses our teacher. When David saw this, he said, "I have fallen into the hands of my enemies, who are striking me." But the Lord's mercies are many, therefore it is said, "Before You, my judgments are revealed."