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Rashi on II Samuel Chapter 12

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וַיָּבֹא הֵלֶךְ. דִּמָּה אֶת יֵצֶר הָרָע תְּחִלָּה לְהֵלֶךְ, שֶׁעוֹבֵר לְדַרְכּוֹ, וְאַחַר כָּךְ לְאוֹרֵחַ, שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה אַכְסְנַאי, וְאַחַר כָּךְ לְאִישׁ, שֶׁהוּא בַּעַל הַבַּיִת:

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A traveler came. [Noson] compared the evil inclination at first to a sojourner that is [quickly] going on his way. Afterwords he is compared to a guest that has become a resident and afterwords he is compared to a man who is the owner of the house.¹

footnotes: ¹ This verse is Noson’s parable alluding to the evil inclination. The visiton is first referred to as הֵלֶךְ, then אׂרֵחַ and finally as an אִישׁ, representing the evil inclination’s ability to take more and more control over its victim’s life.

כִּי בֶן מָוֶת. הַגּוֹזֵל אֶת הֶעָנִי, כְּאִלּוּ נוֹטֵל אֶת נַפְשׁוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי א:יט): ״אֶת נֶפֶשׁ בְּעָלָיו יִקָּח״:

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Is worthy of death. Someone who steals from a poor person is tantamount to taking his life² as it is said, "He has taken it's owner's life."³

footnotes: ² See Baba Kama 119a. Stealing a pruta from anyone is tantamount to killing him. ³ Mishlei 1:19.

יְשַׁלֵּם אַרְבַּעְתָּיִם. כָּךְ אֵרַע לוֹ, שֶׁלָּקָה בְּאַרְבָּעָה בָּנִים, הַיֶּלֶד וְאַמְנוֹן תָּמָר וְאַבְשָׁלוֹם:

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Pay fourfold. This is what [eventually] happened, he was punished with [problems concerning] four children the child⁴ and Amnon Tomor and Avsholom.⁵

footnotes: ⁴ Related further on in verse 15. ⁵ The events with Amnon, Tomor and Avsholom start in chapter 13.

וְאֶת נְשֵׁי אֲדֹנֶיךָ. מִיכַל בַּת שָׁאוּל:

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Your master's woman. Michal, the daughter of Shaul.

וְאֹסִפָה. וְהָיִיתִי מוֹסִיף לְךָ:

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I will add on. I would add on for you.

כִּי נִאֵץ נִאַצְתָּ אֶת אוֹיְבֵי. כִּנּוּי הוּא זֶה, דֶּרֶךְ כָּבוֹד לְמַעְלָה וְיוֹנָתָן תִּרְגֵּם: ״אֲרֵי מֵיפְתַּח פְּתַחְתָּא פּוּמָא דְּסָנְאֵי עַמָּא דַה׳״:

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Because you have angered the enemies of Adonoy. This is a euphimism a way [to be] respectable to on High.⁶ Yonasan translated, Because you have opened up you have opened the mouth of [those] who hate the people of God.

footnotes: ⁶ Using “enemies of God” to stand in for God in order for the word “angered” not to have to be applied to Him in a direct way.

וַיֵּאָנַשׁ. לְשׁוֹן חֹלִי:

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[He became sick.] [This word] denotes sickness.

וּבָא וְלָן וְשָׁכַב אָרְצָה. וּבָא הַבַּית, וְלָן בַּלַּיְלָה שׁוֹכֵב לָאָרֶץ:

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And came to repose and lied on the ground. And came [back] to the house and reposed at night lying on the ground.

וְלֹא בָרָה. לְשׁוֹן אֲכִילָה, כְּמוֹ (שמואל ב יג:ו): ״וְאֶבְרֶה מִיָּדָהּ״:

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And he did not eat. [A word] denoting eating like [we find], "I will eat from her hand."⁷

footnotes: ⁷ Later, 13:6.

בַּעֲבוּר ה׳. אֲשֶׁר אֲהֵבוֹ:

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Because of God. That loved him [Shlomo].⁸

footnotes: ⁸ יֽדִידְיָה is a concatanation of יֽדִיד, beloved one and יָה, God.

אֶת עִיר הַמְּלוּכָה. שְׁנֵי חִזּוּקֵי חוֹמָה הָיוּ בָּהּ, חִיצוֹנָה וּפְנִימִית, עִיר הַחִיצוֹנָה, עִיר מְלוּכָה, וְהַפְּנִימִית, לְמִבְצָר וּלְחוֹזֶק:

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The royal city. There were two enforced walls [of cities] in it, an outside one and an inside one. The outside city was [called] the royal city, and the inside [city] was a fortress and stronghold.⁹

footnotes: ⁹ Yoav left this one for Dovid to conquer as is stated in verse 29.

אֶת עֲטֶרֶת מַלְכָּם. תּוֹעֲבַת בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן ׳מִלְכֹּם׳ שְׁמוֹ, לְשׁוֹן מֹלֶךְ:

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The crown of Malkom. The abomination [idol] of the people of Ammon's name was Malkom. Denoting [the word] Moleich.¹⁰

footnotes: ¹⁰ מוֹלֶךְ is an idol to whom children were sacrificed.

וַתְּהִי עַל רֹאשׁ דָּוִד. אִתַּי הַגִּתִּי בִּטְּלָהּ (עבודה זרה מד א):

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It was [hung over] Dovid's head. Itai the Gitite annulled it.¹¹

footnotes: ¹¹ This explanation of the verse is stated in Avodah Zoroh 24. It is prohibited for Jews to derive any pleasure from the idols of gentiles. They must be anulled by a gentile, i.e., taken out of the service of idol worship, after which they are permitted to Jews. Itai the Gitite, a gentile, did this to Malkom for Dovid’s sake.

מְגֵרָה וַחֲרִצִים וּמַגְזְרוֹת. כְּמִין פְּצִירָה פִּים שֶׁקּוֹרִין לימ״א, מִינֵי יִסּוּרִים הֵם:

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Saw-like utensils, iron threshing utensils and iron axes. They are types of tortures.

מְגֵרָה. סַכִּין פָּגוּם פְּגִימוֹת הַרְבֵּה תְּכוּפוֹת זוֹ לָזוֹ:

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Saw-like utensils. A knife serrated with many [sharp] edges bent towards each other.

חֲרִצִים. הוּא מוֹרַג חָרוּץ מָלֵא חֲרִיצִים, כְּמִין פְּצִירָה פִּים שֶׁקּוֹרִין לימ״א:

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Threshing utensils. This is a hacked saw full of cuts like "many sharp edges"¹² that is called laime (O.F.).

footnotes: ¹² Shmuel I, 13:21.

בַּמַּלְבֵּן. בְּטִיט חוּצוֹת, וְכֵן תִּרְגֵּם יוֹנָתָן: ״וּגְרַר יָתְהוֹן בְּשׁוּקַיָּא״:

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The streets. In the mud of the streets and so Yonason [also] translated: "He dragged them in the streets."

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