Tanach
Melachim I 2:1-10 מלכים א ב׳:א׳-י׳
Part of: Chapter 2
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
וַיִּקְרְבוּ יְמֵֽי־דָוִד לָמוּת וַיְצַו אֶת־שְׁלֹמֹה בְנוֹ לֵאמֹֽר׃
And Dovid’s days were nearing the time when he would die, and he commanded his son, Shlomo, saying,
And Dovid’s days were nearing the time when he would die, and he commanded his son, Shlomo, saying,
אָנֹכִי הֹלֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ כׇּל־הָאָרֶץ וְחָזַקְתָּ וְהָיִיתָֽ לְאִֽישׁ׃
“I am going the way of all [the inhabitants of] the earth; be strong and be a man.
“I am going the way of all [the inhabitants of] the earth; be strong and be a man.
וְשָׁמַרְתָּ אֶת־מִשְׁמֶרֶת ׀ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לָלֶכֶת בִּדְרָכָיו לִשְׁמֹר חֻקֹּתָיו מִצְוֺתָיו וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו וְעֵדְוֺתָיו כַּכָּתוּב בְּתוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה לְמַעַן תַּשְׂכִּיל אֵת כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה וְאֵת כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר תִּפְנֶה שָֽׁם׃
Preserve the safeguards of Adonoy, your God, to go in His ways, to preserve His statutes, His commandments, His judgements, and His testimonies, as recorded in the Torah of Moshe, so that you will be successful in everything you do and wherever you turn.
Preserve the safeguards of Adonoy, your God, to go in His ways, to preserve His statutes, His commandments, His judgements, and His testimonies, as recorded in the Torah of Moshe, so that you will be successful in everything you do and wherever you turn.
לְמַעַן יָקִים יְהֹוָה אֶת־דְּבָרוֹ אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר עָלַי לֵאמֹר אִם־יִשְׁמְרוּ בָנֶיךָ אֶת־דַּרְכָּם לָלֶכֶת לְפָנַי בֶּאֱמֶת בְּכׇל־לְבָבָם וּבְכׇל־נַפְשָׁם לֵאמֹר לֹֽא־יִכָּרֵת לְךָ אִישׁ מֵעַל כִּסֵּא יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
So that Adonoy will fulfill His word that He spoke about me, saying, ‘If your children guard their way to walk before me in truth with all their heart and all their soul, saying, no man of yours will be cut off from the throne of Yisroel.
So that Adonoy will fulfill His word that He spoke about me, saying, ‘If your children guard their way to walk before me in truth with all their heart and all their soul, saying, no man of yours will be cut off from the throne of Yisroel.
וְגַם אַתָּה יָדַעְתָּ אֵת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה לִי יוֹאָב בֶּן־צְרוּיָה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לִשְׁנֵֽי־שָׂרֵי צִבְאוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְאַבְנֵר בֶּן־נֵר וְלַעֲמָשָׂא בֶן־יֶתֶר וַיַּהַרְגֵם וַיָּשֶׂם דְּמֵֽי־מִלְחָמָה בְּשָׁלֹם וַיִּתֵּן דְּמֵי מִלְחָמָה בַּחֲגֹֽרָתוֹ אֲשֶׁר בְּמׇתְנָיו וּֽבְנַעֲלוֹ אֲשֶׁר בְּרַגְלָֽיו׃
And you also know what was done to me by Yoav ben Tsruyoh—what he did to two generals of the army of Yisroel—to Avner ben Ner and to Amasa ben Yeser. He killed them and shed the blood of war at a time of peace. He put the blood of war on his belt which was on his loins, and in his shoe that was on his feet.
And you also know what was done to me by Yoav ben Tsruyoh—what he did to two generals of the army of Yisroel—to Avner ben Ner and to Amasa ben Yeser. He killed them and shed the blood of war at a time of peace. He put the blood of war on his belt which was on his loins, and in his shoe that was on his feet.
Rashi
דמי מלחמה בשלום. שהיה להם שלום עמו, ולא היו נשמרים ממנו:
[And shed] the blood of war at a time of peace. Since they were at peace with him, they were not on guard against him.
בחגורתו אשר במתניו. שחגר חרבו מצומדת על מתניו, שלא כדרך החוגרים, בצאתו לקראת עמשא, ופיה למטה כדי שתפול, כמה שנאמר (שמואל ב כ ח): והוא יצא ותפול, וכשנפלה ונטלה, כסבור עמשא שלא נטלה אלא להגביהה מן הארץ, ולא נשמר מהחרב אשר ביד יואב:
On his belt which was on his loins. He had girded his sword, attached to his loins, not in the customary manner of those girding swords, when he went out to meet Amasa. [He placed the sword’s] opening downward so that it would fall out, as it is stated, “and he went out and it fell out.”2II Shmuel 20:8. Once it fell, he [Yo’av] retrieved it. Amasa presumed that he retrieved it only to pick it up from the ground, and he did not guard himself from the sword which was in Yo’av’s hand.
ובנעלו אשר ברגליו. את אבנר הרג בערמה, ששאלו גידמת היאך חולצת, כמה שנאמר (שם ג כז): ויטהו יואב אל תוך השער לדבר אתו 'בשלי', לשון 'של' נעלך:
And in his shoe that was on his feet. He killed Avner cunningly by asking him, “How does a woman who has no hands remove the shoes?”3During חליצה, the widow must remove the shoe of her deceased husband’s brother who does not want to marry her. as it is stated, “And Yo’av caused him to turn aside at the gate to speak with him בשלי.”4II Shmuel 3:27. [בשלי is] an expression of “remove [של] your shoes.”5Shemos 3:5.
וְעָשִׂיתָ כְּחׇכְמָתֶךָ וְלֹֽא־תוֹרֵד שֵׂיבָתוֹ בְּשָׁלֹם שְׁאֹֽל׃
You shall do according to your wisdom, and do not let his graying head go down to the grave in peace.
You shall do according to your wisdom, and do not let his graying head go down to the grave in peace.
Rashi
ולא תורד שיבתו בשלום שאול. אל תניחהו למות מיתת עצמו וליפול בגיהנם:
And do not let his greying head go down to the grave in peace. Do not let him die a natural death [causing him] to fall into Gehinnom.6Dovid had Yoav’s ultimate welfare in mind.
וְלִבְנֵי בַרְזִלַּי הַגִּלְעָדִי תַּֽעֲשֶׂה־חֶסֶד וְהָיוּ בְּאֹכְלֵי שֻׁלְחָנֶךָ כִּי־כֵן קָרְבוּ אֵלַי בְּבׇרְחִי מִפְּנֵי אַבְשָׁלוֹם אָחִֽיךָ׃
But to the children of Barzilai of Gilod, you should show kindness, and let them be among those who eat at your table; for they were close to me when I fled from Avsholom, your brother.
But to the children of Barzilai of Gilod, you should show kindness, and let them be among those who eat at your table; for they were close to me when I fled from Avsholom, your brother.
וְהִנֵּה עִמְּךָ שִֽׁמְעִי בֶן־גֵּרָא בֶֽן־הַיְמִינִי מִבַּחֻרִים וְהוּא קִֽלְלַנִי קְלָלָה נִמְרֶצֶת בְּיוֹם לֶכְתִּי מַחֲנָיִם וְהֽוּא־יָרַד לִקְרָאתִי הַיַּרְדֵּן וָאֶשָּׁבַֽע לוֹ בַֽיהֹוָה לֵאמֹר אִם־אֲמִֽיתְךָ בֶּחָֽרֶב׃
And behold, there is in your company Shimi ben Geira, of the tribe of Binyomin, among the young men. He cursed me with an explicit curse on the day I went to Machanayim, and he came down to greet me at the Jordan, so I swore to him by Adonoy, saying, ‘I will not execute you by the sword.’
And behold, there is in your company Shimi ben Geira, of the tribe of Binyomin, among the young men. He cursed me with an explicit curse on the day I went to Machanayim, and he came down to greet me at the Jordan, so I swore to him by Adonoy, saying, ‘I will not execute you by the sword.’
Rashi
קללה נמרצת. מפורשת, כמו (איוב טז ג): מה ימריצך, (שם ו כה): ומה נמרצו כמו מה נמלצו:
An explicit curse. [נמרצת7נמרצת is an acronym for the five ways that Shim’i cursed Dovid. He called Dovid an adulterer [=נואף], a Moavi [=מואבי], murderer [=רוצח], oppressor [=צורר], and an abomination [=תועבה]. See Maseches Shabbos105a. means] concise, as in, “what will bring clarity [ימריצך] to you,”8Iyov 16:3. [and as in,] “and how clear [נמרצו are right words],”9Ibid. 6:25. the same as an interpretation [נמלצו]10נמלצו is the equivalent of נמרצו because the ‘ר’ and the ‘ל’ are interchangeable..
וְעַתָּה אַל־תְּנַקֵּהוּ כִּי אִישׁ חָכָם אָתָּה וְיָֽדַעְתָּ אֵת אֲשֶׁר תַּֽעֲשֶׂה־לּוֹ וְהוֹרַדְתָּ אֶת־שֵׂיבָתוֹ בְּדָם שְׁאֽוֹל׃
And now, do not consider him innocent, for you are a wise man, and you will know how to deal with him, and you bring down his gray head to the grave in blood.”
And now, do not consider him innocent, for you are a wise man, and you will know how to deal with him, and you bring down his gray head to the grave in blood.”
Rashi
כי איש חכם אתה. תן לבך למצוא לו עון מות בשביל דבר אחר, וזהו וידעת את אשר תעשה לו:
For you are a wise man. Turn your attention to find for him a capital iniquity on account of another matter. This is [what it means by], “You will know how to deal with him.”
וַיִּשְׁכַּב דָּוִד עִם־אֲבֹתָיו וַיִּקָּבֵר בְּעִיר דָּוִֽד׃ {פ}
And then Dovid slept with his fathers, and was buried in the City of Dovid.
And then Dovid slept with his fathers, and was buried in the City of Dovid.
את אשר עשה לי. שהראה הספר ששלח דוד ביד אוריה, (במדרש רבי תנחומא שם):
[What] was done to me. By showing them the letter which Dovid had sent through Uryah,1Uryah was one of Dovid’s generals. Dovid wanted Uryah killed so that he could marry Bas Sheva, Uryah’s wife. With Yoav’s assistance, he arranged to have Uryah placed in the front lines of the battle. When Uryah was killed, everyone blamed Yoav. Instead of protecting Dovid, Yoav betrayed him by disclosing that it was Dovid’s plan to place Uryah in the thick of the battle in order that he be killed. [according to] the Midrash Rabbi Tanchuma.