Melachim I 1 מלכים א א׳

ולא יחם לו. אמרו רבותינו (ברכות סב ב): "כל המבזה בגדים, אינו נהנה מהם לסוף", לפי שקרע את כנף המעיל לשאול. ומדרש אגדה: אמר רב שמואל בר נחמני: כשראה דוד את המלאך עומד בירושלים וחרבו בידו, נצטנן דמו מיראתו (ראה פרקי דרבי אליעזר פרק מג):

But he was not warmed. Our Rabbis said, “He who disgraces clothing will ultimately be deprived of their pleasures.”¹Maseches Berachos 62b. [Dovid’s clothing did not warm him] because he tore off the corner of Shaul’s robe.²See I Shmuel 24:5. The Midrash [Aggadah states], Rabbi Shmuel son of Nachmeni said, that as Dovid saw the angel standing in Yerusholayim with his sword drawn in his hand, his blood became cold from fear.³That terror of that experience remained with Dovid, and from then on he could never again find warmth.

בתולה. בתוליה מחממין את בשרה:

Virgin girl. Her virginity warms her flesh.

סוכנת. מחממת, וכן (קהלת י ט): ובוקע עצים יסכן בם:

A warmer. “A warmer,”⁴Koheles 10:9. and similarly, “and he who chops wood will be warmed [יסכן] by them.”⁵Alternatively, סכנת means that she should be “near” to him.—Targum

לא ידעה. שהבתולה יפה לחמם מן הבעולה ורבותינו אמרו (סנהדרין כב א) משום לא ירבה לו נשים (דברים יז יז), וכבר היו לו שמונה עשר (רש"י שם):

Was not intimate with her. Because a virgin is more suitable for [the purpose] of warming than a non-virgin.⁶He therefore preferred that she remain a virgin. But our Rabbis said [he was not intimate with her] because “He shall not have too many wives,”⁷Devarim 17:17. See Rashi there. and he already had eighteen.⁸I.e., because Dovid already had eighteen wives, the maximum permitted for a king, he therefore did not marry her. See Maseches Sanhedrin 22a and Rashi there.

מתנשא. מתפאר:

Exalted himself. He elevated himself.⁹The literal meaning is, “lifted himself.”

וחמשים איש. נטולי טחול וחקוקי כפות רגלים (שם כא ב):

And fifty men. Whose spleens had been removed, and whose soles of their feet had been carved.¹⁰See Maseches Sanhedrin 21b and Rashi there.

ולא עצבו. לא הכעיסו, למדך שהמונע תוכחה מבנו, מביאו לידי מיתה:

Had never angered him. He did not anger him.¹¹Throughout his life, Dovid had never gotten angry at Adoniyahu or punished him when he did something bad. Adoniyahu therefore incorrectly assumed that his father would not reprimand him for proclaiming himself king. This [episode] teaches you that he who refrains from rebuking his child causes his death.¹²See Mishlei 13:24.

וגם הוא טוב תואר. כאבשלום, שנאמר (שמואל ב יד כה): וכאבשלום לא היה איש יפה, היא גרמה להם שנתגאו:

And he was also very handsome. [He was as handsome] as Avsholom,¹³“He too,” infers that there was another individual who was also very handsome. about whom it is written, “And as Avsholom there was no one as handsome.”¹⁴II Shmuel 14:25. This caused them to be proud.

ואותו ילדה. אמו:

She gave birth to him. [“She” refers to] his mother.

אחרי אבשלום. כלומר גדלתו אחר תרבות שגדלה אמו של אבשלום:

After Avsholom. I.e., his mother reared him in the same spoiled manner that Avsholom’s mother reared him.¹⁵Rashi does not translate “after Avsholom” because it implies that she bore both Adoniyahu and Avsholom, which is not true, for Avsholom’s mother was Ma’acha, and Adoniyahu’s mother was Chagis.

עם יואב בן צרויה. לפי שהיה יודע שבלבו של דוד עליו, על שהרג את אבנר ועמשא ואבשלום, וסופו שיצוה את בנו המולך תחתיו עליו, לפיכך היה רוצה שימלוך זה על ידו, ויאהבנו:

With Yoav ben Tseruyah. Because he knew that Dovid bore a grudge against him for having killed Avner, Amasa, and Avsholom; and that he would eventually charge his son, who would reign in his place, to deal with him. He [Yoav] therefore wanted that this one [Adoniyahu] should reign through his assistance so that he would favor him.

ועם אביתר הכהן. שנסתלק מן הכהונה משברח דוד מירושלים מפני אבשלום, ששאל באורים ותומים ולא עלתה לו, שנאמר (שמואל ב טו כד): ויעל אביתר, והיה מבני בניו של עלי, וידע שלא ישמש בימי שלמה, שהרי נאמר לעלי (שמואל א ב לה): והקימותי לי כהן נאמן והתהלך לפני משיחי, והיה חפץ שיעמוד זה על ידו:

And with Evyosor the kohein. He was dismissed from the priesthood at the time when Dovid escaped from Yerusholayim on account of Avsholom, when he [Evyosor] consulted the Urim and Tumim and was unsuccessful as it is stated, “And Evyosor went up.”¹⁶II Shmuel 15:24. He [Evyosor] was a descendant of Eili. And he knew that he would not serve in the days of Shlomo, for it was stated to Eili, “And I will appoint for Myself a faithful kohein... and he will serve before My anointed one...”¹⁷I Shmuel 2:35. He [Evyosor] wanted that this one [Adoniyah become king] through his assistance.¹⁸So that Adoniyahu would listen to him when he became king and would restore him to his previous position of Kohein Gadol.

ונתן הנביא. שנבא לדוד ששלמה ימלוך ; כמו שנאמר בדברי הימים (א כב ט): ושלמה יהיה שמו:

And Noson the prophet. Who prophesied to Dovid that Shlomo would reign, as it is stated in Divrei Hayomim, “ his name will be Shlomo.”¹⁹I Divrei Hayomim 22:9. The verse reads, “Behold a son will be born to you, he will be a man of rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies around, his name will be Shlomo.”

ומריא. שור של פטם:

And fattened [oxen]. Oxen which are [fattened by being] fed forcefully.

אבן הזוחלת. אבן גדולה, שהיו הבחורים מנסין בה את כחם להזיזה ולגררה, לשון מים זוחלין, (דברים לב כד): זוחלי עפר. ויונתן תרגם: אבן סכותא, שעומדין עליה וצופין למרחוק:

The stone of Zocheles. A huge stone used by the young men to test their strength by moving or dragging it. An expression similar to “moving [זוחלין]”²⁰See Misnayoy Mikvaos 5:4,5. water, or, “those that creep [זוחלי] on the earth.”²¹Devarim 32:24. [Targum] Yonoson rendered [אבן זוחלת as] אבן סכותא [=a lookout stone], upon which people stand and look far into the distance.

עין רוגל. תירגם יונתן: עין קצרא, הוא כובס, שמתקן בגדי צמר ברגליו, על ידי בעיטה:

Ein-Rogel. [Targum] Yonoson rendered [עין רוגל as] עין קצרא, which is [a well]²²It was customary to anoint kings near a well or another source of running water to symbolize continuity and prolonged rule. See Rashi 1:33 below. used by a clothes washer who would press the woolen clothes with his feet [=רגליו], by trampling [on them].

ואת שלמה אחיו לא קרא. שיודע היה, שהתנבא עליו הנביא למלוך:

And his brother Shlomo, he did not invite. For he knew that the prophet had prophesied about him that he would reign.

ומלטי את נפשך. מן המחלוקת לאחר מות המלך, שירצה בנך למלוך, כמה שהבטיחו הקדוש ברוך הוא:

And you will save your life. From the rivalry which will follow the death of the king, for your son will wish to reign, as the Holy One Blessed Is He, had promised him.

חטאים. חסרים ומנועין מן הגדולה כמו (שופטים כ טז) אל השערה ולא יחטיא:

Sinners. [They will be] lacking²³Literally, חטאים means “offenders.” and restrained from any greatness,²⁴Alternatively, חטאים means “banished.”—Targum, or will be treated as sinners. as in, “[Sling a stone] at a hair, and not miss [יחטיא].”²⁵Shoftim 20:16.

אתה אמרת. בתמיה:

Did you say. In the interrogative.²⁶I.e., “Did you say that Adoniyahu will reign after me?” Literally, “אמרת” means, “you said” [in the affirmative.]

כי ירד היום. שהעיר היתה גבוהה, ואבן הזוחלת למטה בגיא:

For he has gone down this very day. The city was situated on higher ground and the אבן הזוחלת was below in a valley.

על הפרדה אשר לי. הוא סימן לו שימלוך, ותחלת הגדולה, שאין הדיוט רוכב על סוסו של מלך:

On my personal mule. This will be a sign that he will reign and the beginning of [his] greatness, because a commoner is forbidden to ride on the king’s horse.

אל גיחון. הוא מעיין השילוח, מכאן שאין מושחין את המלכים אלא על המעיין, סימן שתמשך מלכותו:

To Gichon. [Gichon] is the well of Shilo’ach. From this [episode is derived the custom] not to anoint the kings except at the well, to symbolize thereby that his kingship shall continue on and on.²⁷As the waters of a well do.

ומשח אותו. נותן לו שמן בין ריסי עיניו, כמין נזר כזה:

And he shall be anointed. He places the oil between his eyelids in the form of a crown.²⁸See Maseches Horiyos 12a.

אמן. שיחיה שלמה:

Amein. [Long] live Shlomo.²⁹“Amein” serves as an affirmation to this proclamation.

מכסא אדוני המלך. מכאן שאין אדם מתקנא בבנו:

Than the throne of my lord Dovid Hamelech. From this [we derive] that a father is not envious of his son.³⁰See Maseches Sanhedrin 105b.

והכרתי והפלתי. תרגם יונתן: וקשתיא וקלעיא. ורבותינו אמרו (ברכות ד א): אורים ותומים:

And the archers and the sling shooters. [Targum] Yonoson rendered, “the archers and the sling shooters.”³¹Alternatively, כרתי ופלתי refers to the Sanhedrin.—Ralbag But our Rabbis maintained [that it refers to] the Urim and Tumim.³²The Urim and Tumim are called “כרתי ופלתי”; כרתי because their words are “cut” [כרת], i.e., they render irrevocable decisions and פלתי because they are “wondrous” [פלא] in revealing the future. See Maseches Berachos 4a.

את קרן השמן. משמן המשחה שעשה משה:

The horn of oil. [Tzadok took] of the anointment oil compounded by Moshe.³³See Shemos 30, 31.

מן האהל. שהארון נתון בעיר דוד, וצלוחית של שמן המשחה לפני הארון, (כמו שאנו שונין בסדר יומא נב ב):

From the Tent. Since the Holy Ark was in the City of Dovid [Yerusholayim], and the jug of oil of anointment was before the Ark. as we have learned in [Maseches] Yoma.³⁴ 52b.

בחלילים. פלאוט"י בלע"ז:

The flutes. Flute in O.F.

ותבקע הארץ. דברו הנביאים בלשון הבאי, כלשון בני אדם:

And the earth [seemed to] split. Prophets spoke in terms of exaggeration as [is common] among people.³⁵see Maseches Chulin 90b.

אבל אדונינו. כלומר, עכשיו אין בשורתי טובה לך:

But our lord. I.e., “Now, my report is not of good [tidings] for you.”

בקרנות המזבח. שהיה בגבעון, אמר: הרוגי בית דין נקברין בקברי בית דין, אמות כאן, ואקבר בקברי אבותי, (כך דרש רבי תנחומא מסעי יב):

Of the horns [of the corners] of the Altar. Which was in Givon.³⁶Alternatively, he grabbed on to the corners of the altar that was in Yerushalayim.—Radak. In those days it was permissible to build an altar and bring certain sacrifices outside of the Mishkan. He said, “Those who are executed by Beis Din are buried in the graves of Beis Din. I will die here, and be buried in the graves of my forefathers.” Thus did Rabbi Tanchuma expound.