28
votes
Accepted
How can it be that David hamelech died on shavuos and Shabbos
That David died on both Shavuos and Shabbos is not necessarily true. The source that David died on Shavuos can be found in Yerushalmi in Beitzah 11a (2:4) and Chagigah 12a (2:3), but in neither place ...
- 34.1k
26
votes
Did King David's parents abandon him? (Psalm 27)
I Samuel 16:11 and Psalms 118:22 imply that David was a rejected child in his family.
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵ֣ל אֶל־יִשַׁי֮ הֲתַ֣מּוּ הַנְּעָרִים֒ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר ע֚וֹד שָׁאַ֣ר הַקָּטָ֔ן וְהִנֵּ֥ה רֹעֶ֖ה ...
- 19.6k
14
votes
Did King David's parents abandon him? (Psalm 27)
The Ibn Ezra says that the author is referring to the fact that his parents abandon him in their death,
עזבוני במותם, ואתה אספתני תמיד
Whereas the Malbim says that it has to do with David's ...
- 37.8k
14
votes
Accepted
Is King Saul positively regarded in Judaism?
There are not very many references to Saul in the liturgy. Here is one that portrays him somewhat negatively, in the context of his failure to destroy Amalek (from Yotser for Zachor):
זָכוֹר נָגִיד ...
- 24k
13
votes
Why did Goliat fall on his face?
Purely from a physics perspective, the mass of the stone, even when moving at speed, is not significant enough to reverse Goliath's forward momentum.
There are many movies where people are shown to ...
12
votes
Accepted
Psalm 41:10 Who is King David's friend who lifted his heel against him?
2 Samuel 15:12 "And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counsellor, from his city, from Giloh, as he offered the sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong, and the people with ...
- 10.7k
11
votes
Why didn't Shaul know who David was when David fought Goliath?
This is a question asked by many commentators, so your wife is in good company :)
I'll bring four of the above-mentioned commentators here:
Rashi (Samuel 1, 17, 55) (partial)
וכי לא היה מכירו ...
- 3,835
11
votes
David & Yonatan and homosexuality
Chas vishalom. In fact their love is given in the Mishna as an example of a love that was not dependant on anything. In complete contradistinction to the sexual desire of Amnon for Tamar.
כָּל ...
- 33.4k
11
votes
For those who hold that David sinned, how was he allowed to ever marry Bat Sheba?
The Gemara in Kesubos 9a asks that question and gives two answers 1) The woman only becomes forbidden (to her husband, and as a consequence also to the adulterer) if she willingly commits adultery. ...
- 8,045
11
votes
Why did Goliat fall on his face?
Rashi addresses this. From Sefaria:
And he fell face downward. He should have fallen backwards since he had been struck on his forehead. But, in order that Dovid should not be troubled to walk [the ...
- 33.4k
10
votes
Why did David choose to lay with a married woman when it seems so out of his character?
The Talmud (Avoda Zara 4b-5a) indeed acknowledges that the sin did not match his character and he was ensnared as a way to teach future generations a lesson about the power of repentance. (Similarly, ...
- 17.7k
10
votes
Accepted
From where does Rabbi Nachman know that King David's Lyre possessed 5 strings?
This comes from Tikunei Zohar Tikuna Asira'ah (here page 25b), in discussing numerical connections between the 5 knots on tzitzis and the 5 first words of Shema and the 5 strings on King David's lyre:
...
- 20.9k
10
votes
Is King Saul positively regarded in Judaism?
Shaul was great beyond the imagination of the people in his Generation (and how much more so ourselves) and cannot be Judged. Yalkut Shimoni Shmuel II 157:
שגיון לדוד אשר שר לה' על דברי כוש בן ...
- 11.4k
10
votes
What is the source that says David wrote Psalms / Tehillim while hiding from Saul
Tehillim 54
לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ בִּנְגִינֹ֗ת מַשְׂכִּ֥יל לְדָוִֽד׃
For the leader; with instrumental music. A maskil of David,
בְּב֣וֹא הַ֭זִּיפִים וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ לְשָׁא֑וּל הֲלֹ֥א דָ֝וִ֗ד מִסְתַּתֵּ֥ר ...
- 1,827
9
votes
Accepted
Why does David refuse to kill Shimi b. Gera, but then later tell Shlomo to kill him?
Both Targums on Esther 2:5 identify The Shimei in Mordecai's lineage with Shimei Ben Gera. They state that David saw through a prophetic experience that Mordecai (and Esther according to the first ...
- 8,210
9
votes
Dovid got lifespan from Adam and/or the Avos
Yes at first glance they are in conflict. Sefer Yosef Tehilos 42:9 (Chida) reconciles this with the explanation that David did not sleep and this the nights counted towards the 140 years.
יומם יצוה ה׳...
- 139k
9
votes
Was it David's custom to go into battle without an armour?
I wrote an essay a couple of years ago that dealt, in part, with these questions.
The answer to your first question is: Yes and no. David's military uniform depended on which weapon he was using in ...
- 24.9k
8
votes
Did King David's parents abandon him? (Psalm 27)
While the sources cited by rosends refer to an "abandonment" which might occur at some point during a persons life, but which could possibly be avoided in particular circumstances, Rashi suggests that ...
- 81
8
votes
Who can become king of the Jews?
See Rambam Hilchot Melachim Chapter 1.
Any Jew can be appointed king as long as he is not a convert nor descended exclusively from converts (Law 4), a woman (Law 5) nor currently or previously ...
- 41.8k
7
votes
Accepted
Was Yoav considered a murderer regarding Uriah the Hittite?
Kiddushin 43a:
האומר לשלוחו צא הרוג את הנפש הוא חייב ושולחיו פטור שמאי הזקן אומר משום חגי הנביא שולחיו חייב שנא' (שמואל ב יב, ט) אותו הרגת בחרב בני עמון
One who says to his agent: "Go and ...
- 34.1k
7
votes
Why did Goliat fall on his face?
The Midrash in Vayikra Rabbah 10:7 brings four reasons:
שֶׁלֹּא יִצְטָעֵר אוֹתוֹ צַדִּיק שֵׁשׁ אַמּוֹת וָזָרֶת - (As has already been mentioned), so that the tzaddik Dovid would not have to bother ...
- 30.3k
6
votes
Accepted
Were Kohanim forbidden from serving in King David's army?
This is the subject of an old debate when it comes to kohanim giving conditional divorces. R. Mordechai Ben Hillel wrote that one cannot bring a proof from the fact that kohanim at war gave such ...
- 49.1k
6
votes
Is there a rabinical ruling where coins that circulate decides who the legitimate king is?
To back up a few steps, per the comment's request.
Governments have the right to tax. Check out I Samuel 8:11--17, and backing up to Deuteronomy, it says the king can't amass "too much gold and ...
- 131k
6
votes
For those who claim that David didn't sin, why didn't he marry Bat Sheva right away?
Rabbeinu Tam seems to be the one who holds that a full, non-conditional, divorce was given before going out to war. Tosfos in Kesubos 9B explains that even so it was done in secret so that people ...
- 10.6k
5
votes
Accepted
David, war and Building the Temple
King David was not forbidden to build the temple because he was wrong to fight the wars. Even though he was right to fight and shed the blood, it was like building the altar with iron tools. It is ...
- 42.9k
5
votes
Which Abigail is this?
Yes. David also had a sister named Abigail/Avigayil (I Chronicles 2:15). That Abigail was Amasa's mother, making Amasa David's nephew.
- 97.4k
5
votes
Why honor someone who teaches one thing? Say dayo lihyos k'Achisofel!
The Midrash Shmuel in his commentary there raises the possibility (but acknowledges that it is forced) that this Beraisa follows the opinion of R. Tarfon who allows a kal vachomer even when it is &...
- 49.1k
5
votes
When did David Hamelech write Tehillim?
David HaMelech wasn't the sole author of psalms — the earliest mention of someone reciting psalms is found in bava batra 14b (on the bottom); which says that king David compiled psalms from a number ...
- 1,155
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible