Hello Everyone,
In yesterday’s shiur on עין איה we studied Rav Kook’s interpretation of the story of David and M’fiboshet.[1]
Briefly put, דוד המלך sought out a descendant of יהונתן in order to show kindness to his late friend. דוד hears from a servant of Shaul’s family named Tzivah who tells him that יהונתן left a lame son named מפיבשת who lives in a place called לו דבר. David sends for מפיבשת and invites him to live in his home. He also appoints Tzivah to oversee the lands owned by מפיבשת.
Later on David was forced to flee Jerusalem because of the rebellion launched by Avshalom. During his escape from Jerusalem he meets Tzivah who came to greet David. Tzivah brought to David much-needed supplies of food. When David asked Tzivah as to M’fisboshet’s whereabouts Tzivah replied that M’fiboshet remained in Jerusalem planning the return of the kingship to the family of Sha’ul. Upon hearing this David awards all of M’fiboshet’s lands to Tzivah.
David defeated Avshalom and returned to Jerusalem triumphantly. M’fisboshet goes out to greet David, but he did not dress asd if he was going to greet a king. On the contrary he appeared to be in mourning. David asked M’fiboshet why didn’t he join him when he fled Jerusalem. M’fiboshet explained that his servant tricked him and left him alone. Being lame in both legs M’fiboshet could simply ride out to join David on his own. The fact is that my servant slandered me to the king, but you the king, are as wise as angel and will do what is just. David replied that M’fiboshet should say no more; M’fiboshet’s estates will be split between M’fiboshet and Tzivah. M’fiboshet replied that he can take all of the property; I am happy that you have returned safely.
The Gemarah says that Rav and Shmuel debated the propriety of David’s response to M’fisboshet’s behaviour. Rav said that David was guilty of accepting lashon hara from Tzivah. Tzivah had already slandered M’fisboshet once[2], why did David believe him when he said that M’fiboshet was plotting against him?
Shmuel says that David did not accept lashon hara. Rather, when David saw that M’fisboshet appeared like a mourner when he came to greet him this was evidence that Tzivah told the truth. As the Gemarah says, “. דברים הניכרים חזה ביה”
The Gemrah says that David’s ruling that M’fisboshet must split his estate with Tzivah had the most drastic consequences.
תלמוד בבלי מסכת שבת דף נו עמוד ב
אמר רב יהודה אמר רב בשעה שאמר דוד למפיבשת אתה וציבא תחלקו את השדה יצתה בת קול ואמרה לו רחבעם וירבעם יחלקו את המלוכה אמר רב יהודה אמר רב אילמלי לא קיבל דוד לשון הרע לא נחלקה מלכות בית דוד ולא עבדו ישראל עבודה זרה ולא גלינו מארצנו
Why did the ruling against M’fisboshet lead to the split of the kingdom?
Rav Kook explains that by listening to lashon hara a person’s world-view is changed. People who listen to lashon hara become suspicious, they see plots in the most trivial incidents. When a king listens to lashon hara it undermines the justice in his realm. When Tzivah told David that M’fisboshet was living in Lo Davar he was intimating that M’fiboshet was occupied with political intrigues. David was correct to think that Tzivah may be telling the truth; that is why David invited M’fiboshet into his home. David wanted to see M’fiboshet for himself. It turned out that Tzivah lied about M’fisboshet. M’fiboshet had no designs on retaking the throne. Therefore David was wrong to believe Tzivah when he said that M’fiboshet deliberately abandoned David when he stayed in Jeusalem durig the revolt of Avshalom.
Rav Kook goes on to explain that in David’s case the willingness to listen to lashon hara was a necessity. In general, listening to lashon hara leads to a tendency to see the bad in everything. But in the case of David he needed to incorporate into his being every character trait, even the bad ones. He needed to incorporate them and elevate them. He needed to take the jaded perspective of the person who listens to lashon hara and convert it into an outlook on life which sees the good in everything. David may have believed the lashon hara about M’fiboshet but he went on to see the world only with kindness.
Shmuel says that David did not accept lashon hara. Rav Kook says that only people who are insecure, who lack confidence in their self-worth, believe it when told that others speak lashon hara about them. David would not hae believed Tzivah’s tale that M’fiboshet was plotting against him had he not seen M’fiboshet dresses a mourner.
When David saw M’fiboshet he believed that he was indeed plotting against him. The reason for his plotting is that M’fiboshet , like his grandfather Sha’ul , did not accept or understand David’s concept of kingship.
Shmuel says that M’fiboshet was angry with David for not restoring him to all his lands. His anger with David led to anger with Hashem for restoring David to his kingship:
תלמוד בבלי מסכת שבת דף נו עמוד ב
ויאמר לו המלך למה תדבר עוד דבריך אמרתי אתה וציבא תחלקו את השדה ויאמר מפיבשת אל המלך גם את הכל יקח אחרי אשר בא אדני המלך בשלום אל ביתו אמר לו אני אמרתי מתי תבא בשלום ואתה עושה לי כך לא עליך יש לי תרעומות אלא על מי שהביאך בשלום
The Gemarah says that when M’fiboshet said this, a heavenly voice came and condemned him:
תלמוד בבלי מסכת שבת דף נו עמוד ב
היינו דכתיב ובן יהונתן מריב בעל וכי מריב בעל שמו והלא מפיבשת שמו אלא מתוך שעשה מריבה עם בעליו יצתה בת קול ואמרה לו נצא בר נצא נצא הא דאמרן בר נצא דכתיב ויבא שאול עד עיר עמלק וירב בנחל
Sha’ul found fault with Hashem’s command to exterminate the Amalek. He saw it as a command lacking morality. The בת קול said that M’fiboshet is a quarreller descended from a quarreller.
What does this mean? Sha’ul was an unusually moral and righteous person. Rav Kook says that people like this simply cannot see the threat in evil. They themselves are so far removed from evil and they cannot comprehend that allowing evil to exist jeopardizes future generations. Sh’aul therefore could not understand why Hashem commanded that Amalek be destroyed. As Rav Kook expresses it, Sha’ul could not understand that a king needs to take the future into account, even if it is at the expense of the present. Sha’ul made his decision regarding the destruction of Amalek based on considerations of the present and what is moral now:
תלמוד בבלי מסכת יומא דף כב עמוד ב
וירב בנחל אמר רבי מני על עסקי נחל בשעה שאמר לו הקדוש ברוך הוא לשאול לך והכית את עמלק אמר ומה נפש אחת אמרה תורה הבא עגלה ערופה כל הנפשות הללו על אחת כמה וכמה ואם אדם חטא בהמה מה חטאה ואם גדולים חטאו קטנים מה חטאו
Ultimately Sha’ul who questioned Hashem’s morality committed a horrible crime when he ordered the death of כהני נוב. The Gemarah continues and says:
תלמוד בבלי מסכת יומא דף כב עמוד ב
יצאה בת קול ואמרה לו אל תהי צדיק הרבה ובשעה שאמר לו שאול לדואג סב אתה ופגע בכהנים יצאה בת קול ואמרה לו אל תרשע הרבה
David was guided by Hashem’s will. Sometimes Hashem’s decisions are inscrutable, but David accepted that Hashem’s decisions are wise and take the future into account. That is why David’s rule was unjust in M’fisboshet’s eyes and he did harbor an unspoken resentment towards David.
This is a summary of yesterday’s shiur Thanks to everyone who participated.
Stuart Fischman
[1] The story of דוד ומפיבשת is told in שמואל ב, פרקים ט, טז, יט.
[2] The words “lo davar” in Hebrew mean “nothing.” Chazal say that when Tzivah told David that M’fisboshet lives in Lo Davar he was implying that M’fisboshet was lacking any Torah wisdom. This was not true.