Шмуэль Б 3:27 Мидраш: Midrash Tanchuma & Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition)

Another interpretation [of] "I pleaded with the Lord" (Deuteronomy 3:23): This is [the meaning of] that which was stated by the verse (Ecclesiastes 9:11), "The race is not won by the swift, [nor the battle by the valiant; nor is bread won by the wise, nor wealth by the intelligent, nor favor by the learned; for the time of mischance comes to all]." "The race is not won by the swift," that is Asahel, as stated (II Samuel 2:18), "Asahel was swift of foot, like a gazelle in the open field." He was running after Avner, [and] Avner said to him (II Samuel 2:22), "Turn yourself away from behind me," but he was confident that he [could] flee (if necessary), as he was swift of foot. What is written? "And he refused to turn away, so Avner struck him in the belly with a backward thrust of his spear." "Nor the battle by the valiant," that is Avner. What is written when he went to David? "Yoav took him aside within the gate to talk to him privately; there he struck him in the belly" (II Samuel 3:27). Thus, "nor the battle by the valiant." "Nor is bread won by the wise," that is Shlomo, as it is stated (I Kings 5:11), "And he was wiser than all men." Yet the Holy One, blessed be He, brought him down from his thrown, and had an angel designated to bring him a loaf of bread and a plate of barley every day. Thus, "nor is bread won by the wise. "Nor wealth by the intelligent," that is Iyov; as it is stated (Job 19:21), " Pity me, pity me, you are my friends; for the hand of God has struck me." "Nor favor by the learned," that is Yehoshua. He said two things in front of his master (Moshe) and these were them: "And Yehoshua son of Nun, Moshe's attendant [from his youth, spoke up and said, 'My lord Moshe, restrain them']" (Numbers 11:28). [To this] Moshe said to him (Numbers 11:29), "Would that all the nation of the Lord be prophets!" And the [other time] was with the story of the [golden] calf, as it is stated (Exodus 32:17), "When Yehoshua heard the sound of the people in its boisterousness, he said to Moshe, 'There is a sound of war in the camp.'" [And to this] Moshe said to him, "Yehoshua, they are depending on you and trusting you to acquire the land and [yet] you do not know how to distinguish between one sound and another; 'It is not the sound of the tune of triumph...' (Exodus 32:18)." Thus, "nor favor by the learned." Another interpretation: "The race is not won by the swift," that is Moshe, as he leaped like a lion at the giving of the Torah. What is written over there? "And Moshe went up to God" (Exodus 19:3). [But then it is written (Exodus 19:25), "And Moshe went down to the people." "Nor the battle by the valiant," that is [also] Moshe. As he gored angels above, but when he saw Og, the king of Bashan, he was frightened. "Nor is bread won by the wise," that is [also] Moshe. As it is stated (Proverbs 21:22), "One wise man prevailed over a city of warriors." [Yet] it states (Exodus 34:28), "he did not eat bread." "Nor wealth by the intelligent," that is [also] Moshe, as it is stated about him (Exodus 34:9), "If I have found favor in Your eyes, may the Lord go among us." Rav Huna asked Shemuel, "What is [the meaning of] 'for the time of mischance (fega, which is a word also used for a prayer encounter) comes to all?'" He said to him, "It is in the future that a person will pray and be answered." He said, "Moshe seized prayer [but was not answered], as stated, 'I pleaded with the Lord....'"

All the Amoraim mentioned above differ with R. Abba b. Cahana who said: "If not for Joab, David would not have been able to occupy himself with the Law; and if not for David, Joab would not have been able to wage the war, as it is written (II. Sam. 8, 16) And David did what is just and right unto all his people. And Joab the son of Zeruyah was over the army; i.e., why was David able to do what is just and right? Because Joab was commander of the army. And why was Joab successful with the army? Because David did what is just and right." (Ib. 3, 26) And Joab went out from David and he sent messengers after Abner who brought him back from the well of Sirah. What does well of Sirah mean? R. Abba b. Cahana said: "The well refers to the pitcher of water which David took from under the head of saul (I Sam 26, 12); and Sirah (thorn), refers to the piece of cloth which David cut off from the garment of Saul (Ib. 24, 27), which were good reasons for Abner to reconcile Saul with David, if he should have cared. (Ib., ib. 27) Joab took him aside in the gate, to speak with him in private. R. Jochanan said: "He was convicted after a real trial as if before the Sanhedrin. Abner was asked: "Why have you killed Asahel?" "Because he was a Rodeph." "But you could have saved yourself by having struck him merely in one of his limbs [warded him off you]?" Joab asked Abner. Whereupon he answered: "I could not have done so." "But if you were able to determine to strike him exactly in the fifth rib how could you not have done so to any other member?" "To speak with him privately." R. Juda said in the name of Rab that he spake with him concerning the shoe [of a Yebama]. And he smote him in the fifth rib. R. Jochanan said: "In the fifth rib where the bile and the liver are attached." (I Kings 2, 32) And may the Lord bring back his blood guiltiness upon his own head, because he fell upon two men more righteous and better than he. More righteous? Because they were commanded verbally [to kill the priests of Nob] and did not listen, and Joab was commanded in a letted to kill Uriah, and he listened. (Ib., ib. 34) And he was buried in his own house in the wilderness. Was then his house in the wilderness? R. Juda said in the name of Rab: "Like a wilderness it was ownerless, and everyone who wishes can derive a benefit from it, so was the house of Joab." According to others: As a desert is free of robbery and adultery, so was the house of Joab. (I Chr. 11, 8) And Joab repaired the rest of the city. Said R. Juda in the name of Rab: "Even brine and hashed fish he used to taste and give it to the poor."