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Rashi on I Samuel Chapter 24

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צוּרֵי הַיְעֵלִים. סַלְעֵי הַיְּעֵלִים:

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The rocky land of the wild goats. The rocks of the wild goats.

לְהָסֵךְ אֶת רַגְלָיו. לְהִפָּנוֹת לִנְקָבִים גְּדוֹלִים:

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To relieve himself. To defecate.¹

footnotes: ¹ Maseches Yevamos 103a states that the term ‘לְהָסֵךְ אֶת דַגְלָיו’ is a euphamistic expression. Because of his extreme modesty, Shaul covered himself like a succah [Maseches Berachos 62b], with his clothing. The word לְהָסֵךְ originates from סִכוּדְ, which means covered.—Radak.

וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי כֵן וְגוֹ׳.

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Afterwards … etc.

וַיֹּאמֶר לַאֲנָשָׁיו חָלִילָה. ״שְׁנֵי מִקְרָאוֹת הַלָּלוּ כְּתוּבִין שֶׁלֹּא כְּסִדְרָן, אֶלָּא כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִתְחִיל לְדַבֵּר בִּכְרִיתַת הַמְּעִיל, כִּלָּה כָּל דְּבָרָיו, וְאָמַר שֶׁאַף בִּכְרִיתַת הַמְּעִיל נִתְחָרֵט, וְאַחַר כָּךְ חוֹזֵר לְדִבְּרוֹ הָרִאשׁוֹן, וְאוֹמֵר; עַל שֶׁאָמְרוּ לוֹ אֲנָשָׁיו ״הִנֵּה הַיּוֹם וְגוֹ׳״, הֵשִׁיב לָהֶם, ״חָלִילָה לִי וְגוֹ׳:

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He said to his men, "[Adonoy] forbid." These two verses are not written in sequence;² but since he began to speak regarding the cutting of the robe, he finished everything concerning it, and he said that he even regretted cutting the robe. Afterwards, he returns to the first subject, and says that regarding his men's comments, "Behold, concerning this day, etc." He replied to them, 'May Adonoy forbid that, etc.'

footnotes: ² According to Radak, these verses are written in chronological sequence, and this conversation took place after Dovid returned to his men with the cut piece of Shaul’s robe.

וַיְשַׁסַּע. הִבְדִּיל וְדָחָה אוֹתָם בִּדְבָרִים:

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Dovid pacified. He separated and held them off with these words.³

footnotes: ³ The literal meaning of וַיְשַׁסַּע is ‘he divided or split’ as in Shoftim 14:6. By being tactful in speaking to his men, Dovid divided their unanimous opinion of wanting to attack Shaul.—Metzudos

לָמָּה תִשְׁמַע. לָמָּה תְּקַבֵּל עָלַי לְשׁוֹן הָרַע שֶׁל דּוֹאֵג:

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Why do you listen. Why do you accept Do'eg's slander concerning me?⁴

footnotes: ⁴ Rashi states that Dovid was alluding to Do’eg because Dovid said ‘why do you listen to the man [אָדָם]’, in the singular, referring to one individual person.

וְאָמַר לַהָרְגָךְ וַתָּחָס עָלֶיךָ. הֲרֵי כָּאן חֲסֵרִים שְׁתֵּי תֵבוֹת, וְאָמַר הָאוֹמֵר שֶׁאֶהֶרְגָךְ, וַתָּחָס נַפְשִׁי עָלֶיךָ, כְּמוֹ (שמואל ב יג:לט): ״וַתְּכַל דָּוִד לָצֵאת אֶל אַבְשָׁלוֹם״, וַתְּכַל נֶפֶשׁ דָּוִד:

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Someone said to kill you, but I had mercy on you. There are two words missing here, "and one who spoke [הָאוֹמֵר] said that I should kill you, but my soul [נַפְשִׁי] had pity on you, similar to "and King Dovid longed to go forth to Avshalom,"⁵ [meaning,] and Dovid's soul [נֶפֶשׁ] longed.

footnotes: ⁵ II Shmuel 13:39.

וְאָבִי רְאֵה. כְּלוֹמַר תֵּן לִבְּךָ עַל הַדָּבָר, וְגַם רְאֵה הָעֵדוּת, אֲשֶׁר כְּנַף מְעִילְךָ בְּיָדִי, וְהָיִיתִי יָכוֹל לְהָרְגָךְ:

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My father, indeed see. Meaning, pay attention to the matter, and also see the evidence, for the corner of your robe is in my hand, and I could have killed you.⁶

footnotes: ⁶ As easily as having cut off the corner of your robe.

כַּאֲשֶׁר יֹאמַר מְשַׁל הַקַּדְמֹנִי. מְשַׁל קַדְמוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, הַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁהִיא מְשָׁלוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא:

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As the ancient proverb says. The proverb of the Ancient One of the world⁷ [referring to] the Torah, which is the proverb of the Holy One, Blessed is He.⁸

footnotes: ⁷ It may also mean ‘old proverb’ or it may refer to a ‘Kadmonite proverb,’ a nation mentioned in Bereishis 15:19. ⁸ And accordingly הַקַּדְמֹנִי means ‘The Ancient One’ referring to ה׳ Himself.

מֵרְשָׁעִים יֵצֵא רֶשַׁע. הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְזַמֵּן לָרָשָׁע, שֶׁנּוֹפֵל בְּיַד רָשָׁע כְּיוֹצֵא בּוֹ, וְהֵיכָן אָמְרָה תוֹרָה (שמות כא:יג): ״וְהָאֱלֹהִים אִנָּה לְיָדוֹ״ כִּדְאִיתָא בְּמַסֶּכֶת מַכּוֹת:

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From the wicked comes wickedness.⁹ The Holy One, Blessed is He, destines the wicked to fall into the hand of the wicked like himself. And where did the Torah say this, "And God destined it into his hand,"¹⁰ as it is stated in Maseches Makos.¹¹

footnotes: ⁹ So let it not come from me even if you deserve it.—Radak. ¹⁰ Shemos 21:13.

יָדַעְתִּי כִּי מָלֹךְ תִּמְלֹךְ. שֶׁרוֹאֶה אֲנִי שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַצִּילְךָ מִיָּדִי. וּמִדְרַשׁ אַגָּדָה(ילקוט שמעוני רמז קלד): סִימָן זֶה מָסַר לוֹ שְׁמוּאֵל, שֶׁהַקּוֹרֵעַ מְעִילוֹ, יִמְלֹךְ תַּחְתָּיו:

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I know that you will surely reign. For I see that the Holy One, Blessed is He, saves you from my hand. The Midrash Aggadah states, that Shmuel gave him this sign, that the one who tears his robe will reign after him.¹²

footnotes: ¹² See above 15:27–28.

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