Comentários de Citação sobre II Samuel 23:3

TO MAKE KNOWN HOW MUCH PATIENCE ETC. This tells us of even greater patience than the first set of ten, for in this case G-d was patient and did not even collect what was owed Him through complete destruction as He did in the generation of the flood. This might be why the mishna uses the Hebrew phrase erech apaim, lit. “length of noses”, instead of erech af, “length of nose”. For there are two types of wrath: 0ne is actualized and destroys everything, while the other is never actualized through a flood of utter destruction, for “the righteous man rules through his fear of G-d.”¹⁹⁶The verse in 2 Samuel 23:3 reads: “...a righteous ruler over men, one who rules with fear of G-d”. The Talmud in Moed Kattan 16b midrashically reads this verse as saying that even when G-d decrees something, the righteous person can overturn the decree.

And I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Here, three ascending levels are mentioned. First, He said, And I carried you on eagles’ wings, which is like a caretaker carrying an infant. At this stage, the Holy One, Blessed be He, is at the level of a father, and Israel at the level of a son. Afterward, He said, And I brought you to Myself, implying that you would be equal to Me, like two brothers of equal standing. Then He said, And you shall be to Me a kingdom, meaning, as it were, kings to Me, as it is written, The righteous ruler in the fear of God (2 Samuel 23:3). This is explained according to the Midrash Chazit, which Ramban cites in Parashat Chayei Sarah (24:1), which states: Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai asked Rabbi Elazar bar Yossi, “Is it possible that you heard from your father the meaning of with the crown with which his mother crowned him” (Song of Songs 3:11)? He replied, “This is comparable to a king who had an only daughter whom he cherished greatly. At first, he called her ‘my daughter.’ His love for her grew until he called her ‘my sister.’ His love continued to grow until he called her ‘my mother.’ Similarly, the Holy One, Blessed be He, cherishes Israel and called them ‘my daughter,’ as it is said, Listen, daughter, and see (Psalms 45:11). His love for them grew until He called them ‘my sister,’ as it is said, Open for me, my sister, my beloved (Song of Songs 5:2). His love for them continued to grow until He called them ‘my mother,’ as it is said, Listen to Me, My people, and My nation [le’umi] (Isaiah 51:4), which is written as ‘le’imi’ [to my mother].”

ויהי מתיו מספר, "even though he may be few in numbers." Moses prayed that the surviving members of the tribe be righteous seeing that their holy roots had been undermined due to their leaders having been guilty of taking part in Korach's uprising. The prayer concerning their numbers may be understood in accordance with Sanhedrin 26 where the Talmud discusses the prayer of King Chiskiyah that G'd should not be influenced by the attitude of Shevna his heretic scribe who commanded the support of the majority amongst the people of beleaguered Jerusalem at the time. At that time G'd replied to Chiskiyah not to worry because numbers are not relevant when He deals with the wicked. Similarly, Moses mentioned that though there may have been a substantial number of the tribe of Reuven who were not righteous, G'd should not judge the tribe by this numerically significant segment. This may be the meaning of Samuel II 23,3 that צדיק מושל יראת אלוקים, "a righteous person" (even when in the minority) rules' G'd.