## Shabbat Daf 56a

###### Shabbat 56a:1
[Shabbat 56a:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shabbat/r/56a:1)

בְּנֵי שְׁמוּאֵל חָטְאוּ אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא טוֹעֶה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיְהִי (כִּי זָקֵן שְׁמוּאֵל וּבָנָיו לֹא הָלְכוּ) בִּדְרָכָיו״ — בִּדְרָכָיו הוּא דְּלֹא הָלְכוּ, מִיחְטָא נָמֵי לָא חָטְאוּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**that the sons of Samuel sinned is nothing other than mistaken, as it is stated: “And it came to pass, when Samuel was old** that he made his sons judges over Israel…**And his sons walked not in his ways** but sought after unjust gain, and took bribes, and perverted justice” (I Samuel 8:1–3). By inference: **In his ways they did not walk,** however, **they did not sin either.** They were not the equals of their father, but they were not sinners.


###### Shabbat 56a:2
[Shabbat 56a:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shabbat/r/56a:2)

אֶלָּא מָה אֲנִי מְקַיֵּים ״וַיִּטּוּ אַחֲרֵי הַבָּצַע״ — שֶׁלֹּא עָשׂוּ כְּמַעֲשֵׂה אֲבִיהֶם, שֶׁהָיָה שְׁמוּאֵל הַצַּדִּיק מְחַזֵּר בְּכָל מְקוֹמוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְדָן אוֹתָם בְּעָרֵיהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְהָלַךְ מִדֵּי שָׁנָה בְּשָׁנָה וְסָבַב בֵּית אֵל וְהַגִּלְגָּל וְהַמִּצְפָּה וְשָׁפַט אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל״, וְהֵם לֹא עָשׂוּ כֵּן, אֶלָּא יָשְׁבוּ בְּעָרֵיהֶם כְּדֵי לְהַרְבּוֹת שָׂכָר לְחַזָּנֵיהֶן וּלְסוֹפְרֵיהֶן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**However, how** then **do I establish** the meaning of the verse: **“And they sought after unjust gain,”** indicating that they were sinners? It means **that they did not conduct** themselves **in accordance with the actions of their father. As Samuel the righteous would travel to all places** where the people of **Israel** were located **and** sit in **judgment in their towns, as it is stated: “And he went from year to year in circuit from Beth-El, and Gilgal, and Mitzpa, and judged Israel** in all those places” (I Samuel 7:16). **And,** however, **they did not do so** and travel from place to place. **Rather, they sat in their** own **cities in order to enhance the fees** collected **by their attendants and scribes.** Therefore, the verse ascribes to them liability as if they sinned by seeking ill-gotten gains and bribes.


###### Shabbat 56a:3
[Shabbat 56a:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shabbat/r/56a:3)

כְּתַנָּאֵי. ״וַיִּטּוּ אַחֲרֵי הַבָּצַע״, רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר חֶלְקָם שָׁאֲלוּ בְּפִיהֶם. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: מְלַאי הִטִּילוּ עַל בַּעֲלֵי בָתִּים. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר: קוּפָּה יְתֵירָה שֶׁל מַעֲשֵׂר נָטְלוּ בִּזְרוֹעַ. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר: מַתָּנוֹת נָטְלוּ בִּזְרוֹעַ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara notes that this matter is **parallel to** a dispute between ***tanna’im*.** As it was taught in a *baraita* that the verse states: **“And they sought after unjust gain.” Rabbi Meir says:** This means that **they vocally demanded their portions** of the tithe due them as Levites, abusing their position to the detriment of other Levites. **Rabbi Yehuda says: They imposed** upon local **homeowners** to sell their **merchandise** and support them. **Rabbi Akiva says: They took an extra basket of tithes,** beyond that which was their due, **by force. Rabbi Yosei says: They took** only **the gifts** due them; however, they took them **by force.** They acted improperly, as a Levite is required to wait until he is given his gifts and may not take them.


###### Shabbat 56a:4
[Shabbat 56a:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shabbat/r/56a:4)

אָמַר רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָנִי אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹנָתָן: כׇּל הָאוֹמֵר דָּוִד חָטָא אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא טוֹעֶה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיְהִי דָּוִד לְכׇל דְּרָכָיו מַשְׂכִּיל וַה׳ עִמּוֹ וְגוֹ׳״. אֶפְשָׁר חֵטְא בָּא לְיָדוֹ וּשְׁכִינָה עִמּוֹ?!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said** that **Rabbi Yonatan said: Anyone who says that David sinned** with Bathsheba **is nothing other than mistaken, as it is stated: “And David succeeded in all his ways; and the Lord was with him”** (I Samuel 18:14). **Is it possible that sin came to his hand and** nevertheless **the Divine Presence was with him?**


###### Shabbat 56a:5
[Shabbat 56a:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shabbat/r/56a:5)

אֶלָּא מָה אֲנִי מְקַיֵּים ״מַדּוּעַ בָּזִיתָ אֶת דְּבַר ה׳ לַעֲשׂוֹת הָרַע״ — שֶׁבִּיקֵּשׁ לַעֲשׂוֹת וְלֹא עָשָׂה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**However, how** then **do I establish** the meaning of the rebuke of the prophet Nathan: **“Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do that which is evil** in My sight? Uriah the Hittite you have smitten with the sword, and his wife you have taken to be your wife, and him you have slain with the sword of the children of Ammon” (II Samuel 12:9), indicating that David sinned? The Gemara answers: David **sought to do** evil and have relations with Bathsheba while she was still married to Uriah **but did not do** so.


###### Shabbat 56a:6
[Shabbat 56a:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shabbat/r/56a:6)

אָמַר רַב: רַבִּי דְּאָתֵי מִדָּוִד מְהַפֵּךְ וְדָרֵישׁ בִּזְכוּתֵיהּ דְּדָוִד. ״מַדּוּעַ בָּזִיתָ אֶת דְּבַר ה׳ לַעֲשׂוֹת הָרַע״ — רַבִּי אוֹמֵר: מְשׁוּנָּה רָעָה זוֹ מִכׇּל רָעוֹת שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה, שֶׁכָּל רָעוֹת שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה כְּתִיב בְּהוּ ״וַיַּעַשׂ״, וְכָאן כְּתִיב ״לַעֲשׂוֹת״ — שֶׁבִּיקֵּשׁ לַעֲשׂוֹת וְלֹא עָשָׂה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav said: Rabbi** Yehuda HaNasi, **who descends from** the house of **David, seeks to teach** the verse **in favor of David.** With regard to that which is written: **“Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil,” Rabbi** Yehuda HaNasi **said: This evil** mentioned with regard to David **is different from all** other **evils in the Torah; as with regard to all** other **evils in the Torah, it is written: And he did** evil, **and here it is written: To do evil.** This unique phrase indicates that David **sought to do** evil **but did not** actually **do** so. His intentions were improper; however, his actions were proper.


###### Shabbat 56a:7
[Shabbat 56a:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shabbat/r/56a:7)

״אֵת אוּרִיָּה הַחִתִּי הִכִּיתָ בַחֶרֶב״ — שֶׁהָיָה לְךָ לְדוּנוֹ בְּסַנְהֶדְרִין וְלֹא דַּנְתָּ. ״וְאֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ לָקַחְתָּ לְּךָ לְאִשָּׁה״ — לִיקּוּחִין יֵשׁ לְךָ בָּהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
That which is written: **“Uriah the Hittite you have smitten with the sword,”** means **that you could have judged him before the Sanhedrin** as one guilty of treason against the throne, **and you did not judge** him in that manner. Instead, you had him executed in a manner that deviated from the generally accepted principles of judgment. With regard to that which is written: **“And his wife you have taken to be your wife”;** it means that **you have** rights of **marriage with her,** as by law Bathsheba was already divorced from Uriah.


###### Shabbat 56a:8
[Shabbat 56a:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shabbat/r/56a:8)

דְּאָמַר רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָנִי אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹנָתָן: כׇּל הַיּוֹצֵא לְמִלְחֶמֶת בֵּית דָּוִד, כּוֹתֵב גֵּט כְּרִיתוּת לְאִשְׁתּוֹ. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְאֵת עֲשֶׂרֶת חֲרִיצֵי הֶחָלָב הָאֵלֶּה תָּבִיא לְשַׂר הָאָלֶף וְאֶת אַחֶיךָ תִּפְקֹד לְשָׁלוֹם וְאֶת עֲרֻבָּתָם תִּקָּח״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**As Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said** that **Rabbi Yonatan said: Anyone who goes to a war** waged by the royal **house of David writes a** conditional **bill of divorce to his wife.** That was done to prevent a situation in which the soldier’s wife would be unable to remarry because the soldier did not return from battle and there were no witnesses to his fate. The conditional bill of divorce accorded her the status of a divorcee and freed her to remarry. **As it is stated: “And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and to your brothers bring greetings and take their pledge [*arubatam*]**” (I Samuel 17:18).


###### Shabbat 56a:9
[Shabbat 56a:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shabbat/r/56a:9)

מַאי ״עֲרֻבָּתָם״? — תָּנֵי רַב יוֹסֵף: דְּבָרִים הַמְעוֹרָבִים בֵּינוֹ לְבֵינָהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**What is** the meaning of ***arubatam*? Rav Yosef taught:** It refers to **matters that are shared [*hame’oravim*] between him,** the husband, **and her,** the wife, i.e., marriage. The verse should be read: Take the bill of divorce that determines the status of the relationship between husband and wife. As, apparently, it was customary for men at war to send their wives a conditional divorce, since Uriah later died, Bathsheba retroactively assumed divorced status from the time that he set out to war. She was not forbidden to David.


###### Shabbat 56a:10
[Shabbat 56a:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shabbat/r/56a:10)

״וְאֹתוֹ הָרַגְתָּ בְּחֶרֶב בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן״ — מַה חֶרֶב בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן אִי אַתָּה נֶעֱנָשׁ עָלָיו, אַף אוּרִיָּה הַחִתִּי אִי אַתָּה נֶעֱנָשׁ עָלָיו.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
With regard to that which is written: **“And him you have slain with the sword of the children of Ammon,”** it means: **Just as you are not punished for** soldiers killed by **the sword of the children of Ammon** in the course of the war, **so too you are not punished for** the death of **Uriah the Hittite.**


###### Shabbat 56a:11
[Shabbat 56a:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shabbat/r/56a:11)

מַאי טַעְמָא — מוֹרֵד בַּמַּלְכוּת הֲוָה. דַּאֲמַר לֵיהּ: ״וַאדֹנִי יוֹאָב וְעַבְדֵי אֲדֹנִי עַל פְּנֵי הַשָּׂדֶה חֹנִים״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**What is the reason** that David was not liable for the death of Uriah? Because Uriah **was a traitor against the throne. As he said to** David: **“And my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open fields”** (II Samuel 11:11). In the presence of the king, one may not refer to another as his lord. Doing so is treason.


###### Shabbat 56a:12
[Shabbat 56a:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shabbat/r/56a:12)

אָמַר רַב: כִּי מְעַיְּינַתְּ בֵּיהּ בְּדָוִד לָא מַשְׁכַּחַתְּ בֵּיהּ בַּר מִדְּאוּרִיָּה, דִּכְתִיב: ״רַק בִּדְבַר אוּרִיָּה הַחִתִּי״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav said: When you analyze** the matter of **David, no** sin that he committed **is found in his** lifetime, **except for that** involving **Uriah. As it is written**: “Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, and turned not aside from any thing that He commanded him all the days of his life, **save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite”** (I Kings 15:5).


###### Shabbat 56a:13
[Shabbat 56a:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shabbat/r/56a:13)

אַבָּיֵי קַשִּׁישָׁא רָמֵי דְּרַב אַדְּרַב: מִי אָמַר רַב הָכִי? וְהָאָמַר רַב: קִיבֵּל דָּוִד לָשׁוֹן הָרָע. קַשְׁיָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Abaye the Elder raised a contradiction between** one statement **of Rav and** another statement **of Rav: Did Rav** actually **say this? Didn’t Rav say: David accepted a** slanderous **report?** Just as it is prohibited to relate a slanderous report, it is similarly prohibited to accept it. This contradiction remains unresolved, and it is **difficult.**


###### Shabbat 56a:14
[Shabbat 56a:14](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shabbat/r/56a:14)

גּוּפָא. רַב אָמַר: קִיבֵּל דָּוִד לָשׁוֹן הָרָע, דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵיפוֹא הוּא וַיֹּאמֶר צִיבָא אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ הִנֵּה הוּא בֵּית מָכִיר בֶּן עַמִּיאֵל בְּלֹא דְבָר״. וּכְתִיב: ״וַיִּשְׁלַח הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיִּקָּחֵהוּ מִבֵּית מָכִיר בֶּן עַמִּיאֵל מִלֹּא דְבָר״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara now examines **the matter itself** with regard to Rav’s statement cited in the course of the previous discussion. **Rav said: David accepted a slanderous report, as it is written** with regard to David’s search for a surviving son of Jonathan: **“And the king said to him,** to Ziba, Saul’s slave: **Where is he? And Ziba said to the king: Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lo-Devar [*belo devar*]”** (II Samuel 9:4). Ziba indicated to David that Jonathan’s son was inconsequential, lacking any matter [*lo devar*] of Torah. **And it is written: “Then King** David **sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lo-Devar [*milo devar*]”** (II Samuel 9:5). That verse can be read that after sending for him, David found him filled with matters [*melo devar*] of Torah.


###### Shabbat 56a:15
[Shabbat 56a:15](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shabbat/r/56a:15)

מִכְּדִי חַזְיֵיהּ דְּשַׁקָּרָא הוּא, כִּי הֲדַר אַלְשֵׁין עִילָּוֵיהּ מַאי טַעְמָא קַבֵּיל מִינֵּיהּ? דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל צִיבָא אַיֵּה בֶּן אֲדוֹנֶיךָ וַיֹּאמֶר צִיבָא אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ הִנֵּה הוּא יוֹשֵׁב בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם וְגוֹ׳״. וּמְנָא לַן דְּקַבֵּיל מִינֵּיהּ, דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ הִנֵּה לְךָ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר לִמְפִיבוֹשֶׁת וַיֹּאמֶר צִיבָא הִשְׁתַּחֲוֵיתִי אֶמְצָא חֵן בְּעֵינֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Now, after** David **saw that** Ziba **was a liar, when** Ziba **once again slandered** Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth, **why did David accept** his report? **As it is written** that when David fled from Absalom, he met Ziba: **“And the king said: And where is your master’s son? And Ziba said to the king: Behold, he is staying in Jerusalem,** as he said: Today shall the house of Israel restore to me the kingdom of my father” (II Samuel 16:3). **And from where do we** derive **that David accepted** Ziba’s slanderous report? **As it is written: “Then said the king** to Ziba: **Behold, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours. And Ziba said: I humbly beseech you that I may find favor in your sight,** my lord, **O king**” (II Samuel 16:4).


###### Shabbat 56a:16
[Shabbat 56a:16](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Shabbat/r/56a:16)

וּשְׁמוּאֵל אָמַר: לֹא קִיבֵּל דָּוִד לָשׁוֹן הָרָע, דְּבָרִים הַנִּיכָּרִים חֲזָא בֵּיהּ. דִּכְתִיב: ״וּמְפִיבוֹשֶׁת בֶּן שָׁאוּל יָרַד לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וְלֹא עָשָׂה רַגְלָיו וְלֹא עָשָׂה שְׂפָמוֹ וְאֶת בְּגָדָיו לֹא כִבֵּס וְגוֹ׳״. וּכְתִיב: ״וַיְהִי כִּי בָא יְרוּשָׁלִַים לִקְרַאת הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ לָמָּה לֹא הָלַכְתָּ עִמִּי מְפִיבוֹשֶׁת. וַיֹּאמַר אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ עַבְדִּי רִמָּנִי כִּי אָמַר עַבְדְּךָ אֶחְבְּשָׁה לִּי הַחֲמוֹר וְאֶרְכַּב עָלֶיהָ וְאֵלֵךְ אֶת הַמֶּלֶךְ כִּי פִסֵּחַ

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And Shmuel said: David did not accept** Ziba’s **slanderous report** without substantiation. Rather, **he** himself **saw conspicuous matters in** Mephibosheth that indicated that Ziba was right. **As it is written: “And Mephibosheth, the son of Saul, came down to meet the king, and he had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes** from the day the king departed until the day he came back in peace” (II Samuel 19:25). David thought that he was mourning the fact that he had returned in peace. **And it is written: “And it came to pass, when he came to Jerusalem to meet the king, and the king said to him: Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth? And he answered: My lord, O king, my servant deceived me; for your servant said: I will saddle me a donkey, and I will ride on it, and go to the king; because lame is**