Rashi on II Samuel Chapter 7
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וַה׳ הֵנִיחַ לוֹ. אָמַר, הֲרֵי נִתְקַיֵּם (דברים יב:י): ״וְהֵנִיחַ לָכֶם מִכָּל אֹיְבֵיכֶם וְגוֹ׳״, מַה כְּתִיב אַחֲרָיו, ״וְהָיָה הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר וְגוֹ׳״, מֵעַתָּה עָלֵינוּ לִבְנוֹת בֵּית הַבְּחִירָה:
And Hashem granted him rest. [Dovid] said [The condition] has been fulfilled, "And He has granted you peace from all your enemies etc." (Devarim 12:10). What is written after [that verse]? "Let it be that the place that [Hashem, your Elokim] chooses etc." It is now [incumbent] upon us to build the Chosen House.
וַיְהִי בַּלַּיְלָה הַהוּא. אָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בַּר פָּפָּא: אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְנָתָן, הָאָדָם הַזֶּה שֶׁאֲנִי מְשַׁלֶּחֲךָ אֶצְלוֹ, מָהִיר הוּא, שֶׁמָּא יִשְׂכּוֹר פּוֹעֲלִים וְנִמְצֵאתִי מַפְסִידוֹ, מַהֵר וֶאֱמוֹר לוֹ, לֹא אַתָּה תִבְנֶה הַבַּיִת. רַבִּי סִימוֹן אוֹמֵר: הָאָדָם הַזֶּה שֶׁאֲנִי מְשַׁלֶּחֲךָ אֶצְלוֹ, נַדְרָן הוּא, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קלב:ב-ג): ״אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַה׳ נָדַר לַאֲבִיר יַעֲקֹב אִם אָבֹא בְּאֹהֶל בֵּיתִי״, שֶׁמָּא יֹאמַר אֵינִי אוֹכֵל וְאֵינִי שׁוֹתֶה עַד שֶׁאֶעֱשֶׂה כָּךְ, וְנִמְצֵאתִי מַפְסִידוֹ (ילקוט שמעוני רמז קמג):
And it was on that night. Rebbe Chanina, the son of Popoh said the Holy One blessed be He said to Nosson, "The man I am sending you to is a quick one, he may hire workers and it will turn out that I [cause] him loss.¹ Hurry and tell him, 'It is not you who will build the Temple'." Rebbe Simon says² "The man I am sending you to is a vow maker" as it is said,³ "Who has sworn to Adonoy, vowed to the Mighty One of Yakov Surely I will not enter the shelter of my house"⁴ (Tehilim 132 2–3) "he may say, 'I will not eat, I will not drink until I do this'⁵ and it will turn out that I [cause] him loss.⁶
footnotes: ¹ Because it is premature to build the Bein Hamikdash at this time. ² That Hashem said to Noson. ³ Dovid about himself. ⁴ Rashi explains in Tehilim, verse 5 that Dovid meant he will not go into his house until he finds out in which location the Beis Hamikdosh is slated to be built. ⁵ i.e. build the Beis Hamikdash. ⁶ Slightly different versions of the opinions of Rebbe Chanina and Rebbe Simon can be found in Yalkut Shimoni, Shmuel II, 143.
בְּאֹהֶל וּבְמִשְׁכָּן. מִשְׁכַּן שִׁילֹה לֹא הָיְתָה בּוֹ תִּקְרָה, אֶלָּא בַּיִת שֶׁל אֲבָנִים מִלְּמַטָּן, וִירִיעוֹת מִלְמַעְלָן:
Within a tent and the Mishkan. The Mishkan of Shiloh had no roof, it had walls made of stone underneath and curtains on top [as its covering].
הֲדָבָר דִּבַּרְתִּי. לְשׁוֹן תְּמִיהָ הוּא, לְכָךְ הוּא נָקוּד ה״א חֲטַף פַּתַּ״ח, וְהַדָּלֶ״ת רָפֵי:
Have I said a word. This language [conveys] astonishment, that's why its punctuation has the Hei with a Kometz, and the Daled is soft [with a Dogesh].
מִן הַנָּוֶה. דִּיר הָרוֹעִים, כְּמוֹ (צפניה ב:ו): ״נְוֹת כְּרוֹת רוֹעִים״:
From the corral. The corral [used by] sheperds as [can be found], "the dugout dwelling of sheperds." (Zfsaphania, 2:6).
כְּשֵׁם הַגְּדוֹלִים. זֶהוּ שֶׁאוֹמְרִים מָגֵן דָּוִד:
Like the name of great people. That is what is said [about Dovid] the shield of Dovid.⁷
footnotes: ⁷ Pesachim 117b. The “great people” referred to here are Avrohom, Yitzhok and Yakov. Just as they are mentioned in the first blessing of the Amidah, so too Dovid’s name is used in the ending of one of the Haftorah’s concluding blessings. (Rashi, ibid).
וָאַכְרִיתָה אֶת כָּל אֹיְבֶיךָ. וּלְכָךְ עָלָה עַל לִבְּךָ לִבְנוֹת הַבַּיִת, כְּמָה שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה:
I will destroy all your enemies. And that is why [the thought] came to your heart to build the House as it is written in the Torah.⁸
footnotes: ⁸ Devarim 12:10. See Rashi on verse 1.
וְשַׂמְתִּי מָקוֹם. עוֹד אֲנִי חָפֵץ לְהַשְׁקִיט, שֶׁיְּהֵא שָׁקֵט וְשָׁלֵו אֶת עַמִּי בִּימֵי בְּנֶךָ:
I will make a place. I still want to quiet [things] that my people [should have] quiet and tranquility during the days of your son['s reign].
וּלְמִן הַיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִי. מְחֻבָּר עַל הָעֶלְיוֹן, וְלֹא יוֹסִיפוּ לְעַנּוֹתוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה קֹדֶם הַשּׁוֹפְטִים, וְכַאֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ מִימֵי הַשּׁוֹפְטִים עַד כָּאן:
And from that day that I commanded. It is connected to what preceded it, they will no longer afflict [the people] as before, i.e., before the [days of the] Judges. And as they [also] did from the days of the Judges until now.
וַהֲנִיחֹתִי לְךָ. יוֹתֵר וְיוֹתֵר, עַד שֶׁתָּנוּחַ מִכָּל אוֹיְבֶיךָ:
I will give you respite. More and more until you have respite from all your enemies.
וְהִגִּיד לְךָ ה׳. הַיּוֹם עַל יָדִי, כִּי בַיִת יַעֲשֶׂה לְּךָ לְהוֹשִׁיב בִּנְךָ עַל כִּסְאֲךָ, וְיִתְקַיֵּם לְךָ בֵּית הַמַּלְכוּת, וְהוּא יִבְנֶה הַבַּיִת:
Adonoy is telling you. Today, through me [Noson], that He will establish a monarchy for you to have your son [Shlomo] sit on your throne and he will secure the monarchy for you. And it is he [Shlomo] that will build the House
בְּשֵׁבֶט אֲנָשִׁים. זֶה הֲדַד וְרָזוֹן בֶּן אֶלְיָדָע:
With the rod of men. This refers to Haddad and Rozon, the son of Elyodoh.⁹
footnotes: ⁹ Both were enemies of Shlomo, they are mentioned in Kings I, 11:14 and 23 respectively.
וּבְנִגְעֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם. זֶה אַשְׁמְדַאי, שֶׁדָּחָהוּ מִמַּלְכוּתוֹ, וְהַשֵּׁדִים בְּנֵי אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן הֵם, שֶׁכָּל מֵאָה וּשְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה שֶׁפֵּרַשׁ אָדָם מֵאִשְׁתּוֹ בְּמוֹת הֶבֶל, הָיוּ הָרוּחוֹת מִתְיַחֲמוֹת וְיוֹלְדוֹת הֵימֶנּוּ (ילקוט שמעוני רמז קמו):
And with the afflictions of people. This refers to Ashmedoy who dethroned him.¹⁰ The demons are the children of Odom Horishon¹¹ because the entire one hundred and thirty years that Odom [stayed] separated from his wife after Hevel's death,¹² the spirits would become heated [pregnant] and give birth from him.
footnotes: ¹⁰ Gittin 68b. ¹¹ See Yalkut Shimoni 146. The word אָדָם in the verse is taken as a reference to Odom Horishon. ¹² Rashi in Bereishis 4:25 says that the Odom’s separation was due to the fact that he had brought death, to the world. The Yalkut Shimoni does not mention why the separation occurred. In addition the Yalkut Shimoni tells as that it was Chava who separated herself from Odom.
וַיֵּשֶׁב לִפְנֵי ה׳. לִפְנֵי הָאָרוֹן:
And sat before the Ark of Adonoy. Before the Ark.
עַד הֲלֹם. שֶׁהִמְלַכְתַּנִי:
Until this point. That You have made me king.
גַּם אֶל בֵּית עַבְדְּךָ. לְהַמְלִיךְ אֶת בְּנִי אַחֲרַי:
Also, about the house of your servant. To have my son reign after me.
וְזֹאת תּוֹרַת הָאָדָם. בִּתְמִיהָ, רָאוּי לְהִתְבַּשֵּׂר כֵּן לְבָשָׂר וָדָם. דָּבָר אַחֵר: עָשִׂיתָ לִי כְּמוֹ שֶׁעָשִׂיתָ לְאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, שֶׁהֶרְאֵיתָ לוֹ דּוֹרוֹת הָעֲתִידִים לָצֵאת מִמֶּנּוּ:
Is this anouncent [fitting] for [mere] man? A wonderment. Is it fitting to announce such to [mere] flesh and blood¹³ Another explanation: You have done for me as you did for Odom Horishon¹⁴ that you had shown him the future generations that were to come from him.
footnotes: ¹³ To be informed of the future. ¹⁴ According to this interpretation, the word אָדָם in the verse is a reference to אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן.
וּמַה יּוֹסִיף דָּוִד עוֹד לְדַבֵּר אֵלֶיךָ. מַה אֶשְׁאַל עוֹד:
What more can Dovid say to You. What more can I ask for?
אַתָּה יָדַעְתָּ אֶת עַבְדְּךָ. נָתַתָּ לִי כָּל צְרָכַי, כְּמוֹ (משלי יב:י): ״יוֹדֵעַ צַדִּיק נֶפֶשׁ בְּהֶמְתּוֹ״:
You know Your servant. You have supplied me with all my needs as [it says] (Mishlei 12:10) "A righteous man knows his animal's being.¹⁵"
footnotes: ¹⁵ The verse refers to a righteous person but Rashi is drawing an analogy to Hashem’s knowing the needs of his servants.
בַּעֲבוּר דְּבָרְךָ. לְהָקִים מַה שֶּׁאָמַרְתָּ לִשְׁמוּאֵל, לְהַמְלִיכֵנִי:
Because of Your word. To fulfill that which You told Shmuel to make me king.
וּכְלִבְּךָ. רְצוֹנְךָ הוּא, וְלֹא שֶׁאֲנִי כְּדַאי:
And due to [the will of] Your Heart. It is Your will [that I become king] and not because I am worthy.
לְהוֹדִיעַ אֶת עַבְדְּךָ. הַבְּשׂוֹרָה שֶׁבִּשַּׂרְתַּנִי:
Of which You have informed Your servant. The announcement of which You have informed me.¹⁶
footnotes: ¹⁶ That my kingdom will be everlasting.
אֲשֶׁר הָלְכוּ אֱלֹהִים. מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות ז:א): ״נְתַתִּיךָ אֱלֹהִים לְפַרְעֹה״, וְכֵן תִּרְגֵּם יוֹנָתָן: ״דְּאָזְלוּ שְׁלוּחִין מִן קֳדָם ה׳״:
For whom leaders went. Moshe and Aharon as it is said, (Shemos 7:1). "I have made you a judge over Pharaoh" and so too did Yonasan translate, "messengers went from before Hashem."
לִפְדּוֹת לוֹ לְעָם. כָּךְ אָמְרוּ הַשְּׁלוּחִים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל: הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שְׁלָחָנוּ לִפְדּוֹת לוֹ לְעָם, וְלָשׂוּם לוֹ שֵׁם, וְלַעֲשׂוֹת לָכֶם הַגְּדֻלָּה:
To redeem for Him a people. This is what the messengers said to Yisroel, The Holy One, blessed is he sent us to redeem for Him a people, to put forth His Name and to make great [things happen] for you.
וְנוֹרָאוֹת. עָשִׂיתָ לְאַרְצְךָ לְאַחַר שֶׁיָּצְאוּ מִשָּׁם, וּמָה הֵם הַנּוֹרָאוֹת, מִפְּנֵי עַמְּךָ, לְגָרֵשׁ עַמִּים וֵאלֹהֵיהֶם, וּמִקְרָא זֶה חָסֵר ׳לְגָרֵשׁ׳, וּבְדִבְרֵי הַיָּמִים (דברי הימים א יז:כא) פֵּרְשׁוֹ: ״לְגָרֵשׁ מִפְּנֵי עַמְּךָ אֲשֶׁר פָּדִיתָ מִמִּצְרַיִם גּוֹיִם וֵאלֹהָיו״, וְאֵינוֹ חִסָּרוֹן, כִּי מִמַּשְׁמָע שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר מִפְּנֵי עַמְּךָ גּוֹיִם, אָנוּ שׁוֹמְעִין לְשׁוֹן טְרוּדִין וְגֵרוּשִׁין:
Awesome things You have done for your land after [Bnei Yisroel] left there [i.e., Egypt]. And what are the awesome things? From before Your people You expelled nations and their gods. This verse is missing [the word] "לגרש", [however] in Divrei Hayomim (I 17:21) it explains, "To expel from before Your people that You redeemed from Egypt, nations and their gods." [Our verse] isn't [really] missing [this word] because from the sense conveyed as it is said, "From before Your people, nations" we understand that it means pushed and driven out.
אַתָּה הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים. שַׁלִּיט, וְיֵשׁ בְּיָדְךָ יְכֹלֶת לְקַיֵּם:
You are the Elokim. The ruler. The ability to fulfill [this promise] is in Your Hand.
הוֹאֵל. רְצֵה:
Desire. Desire.