ื‘ืกืดื“

Kavanot: I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing

Thoughts on Tanach and the Davening

ื• ื•ื™ื”ื™ ื‘ื‘ื•ืื ื‘ืฉื•ื‘ ื“ื•ื“ ืžื”ื›ื•ืช ืืช ื”ืคืœืฉืชื™ ื•ืชืฆืื ื” ื”ื ืฉื™ื ืžื›ืœ ืขืจื™ ื™ืฉืจืืœ ืœืฉื™ืจ ื•ื”ืžื—ืœื•ืช ืœืงืจืืช ืฉืื•ืœ ื”ืžืœืš ื‘ืชืคื™ื ื‘ืฉืžื—ื” ื•ื‘ืฉืœืฉื™ืืƒ ื– ื•ืชืขื ื™ื ื” ื”ื ืฉื™ื ื”ืžืฉื—ืงื•ืช ื•ืชืืžืจืŸ: ื”ื›ื” ืฉืื•ืœ ื‘ืืœืคื• ื•ื“ื•ื“ ื‘ืจื‘ื‘ืชื™ื•ืƒ ื— ื•ื™ื—ืจ ืœืฉืื•ืœ ืžืื“ ื•ื™ืจืข ื‘ืขื™ื ื™ื• ื”ื“ื‘ืจ ื”ื–ื” ื•ื™ืืžืจ ื ืชื ื• ืœื“ื•ื“ ืจื‘ื‘ื•ืช ื•ืœื™ ื ืชื ื• ื”ืืœืคื™ื; ื•ืขื•ื“ ืœื• ืืš ื”ืžืœื•ื›ื”ืƒ ื˜ ื•ื™ื”ื™ ืฉืื•ืœ ืขื•ื™ืŸ ืืช ื“ื•ื“ ืžื”ื™ื•ื ื”ื”ื•ื ื•ื”ืœืื”ืƒ

ืฉืžื•ืืœ ื ืคืจืง ื™ื—

See Rabbi Shulmanโ€™s shiur on Good Songs & Bad Songs.

Before we look at why this made Saul so jealous, thereโ€™s something fundamentally wrong with the womenโ€™s song. Thereโ€™s something missing, something that needs to part of every ืฉื™ืจื”. The wording ื•ืชืฆืื ื” ื”ื ืฉื™ืโ€ฆื•ื”ืžื—ืœื•ืชโ€ฆื‘ืชืคื™ื brings to mind an earlier ืฉื™ืจื”:

ื› ื•ืชืงื— ืžืจื™ื ื”ื ื‘ื™ืื” ืื—ื•ืช ืื”ืจืŸ ืืช ื”ืชืฃ ื‘ื™ื“ื”; ื•ืชืฆืืŸ ื›ืœ ื”ื ืฉื™ื ืื—ืจื™ื” ื‘ืชืคื™ื ื•ื‘ืžื—ืœืชืƒ ื›ื ื•ืชืขืŸ ืœื”ื ืžืจื™ื: ืฉื™ืจื• ืœื”ืณ ื›ื™ ื’ืื” ื’ืื” ืกื•ืก ื•ืจื›ื‘ื• ืจืžื” ื‘ื™ืืƒ

ืฉืžื•ืช ืคืจืง ื˜ื•

ืฉื™ืจื” that is not a celebration of ื”ืณ's glory is ื™ื”ื•ืจื, boasting. As the gemara says:

ืืžืจ ืจื‘ ื™ื”ื•ื“ื” ืืžืจ ืจื‘: ื›ืœ ื”ืžืชื™ื”ืจ, ืื ื—ื›ื ื”ื•ื - ื—ื›ืžืชื• ืžืกืชืœืงืช ืžืžื ื•, ืื ื ื‘ื™ื ื”ื•ื - ื ื‘ื•ืืชื• ืžืกืชืœืงืช ืžืžื ื•โ€ฆ. ืžื“ื‘ื•ืจื”, ื“ื›ืชื™ื‘ (ืฉื•ืคื˜ื™ื ื”:ื–) ื—ึธื“ึฐึผืœื• ืคึฐึผืจึธื–ึนื•ืŸ ื‘ึฐึผื™ึดืฉึฐึผืจึธืึตืœ ื—ึธื“ึตืœื• ืขึทื“ ืฉึทืงึทืžึฐึผืชึดื™ ื“ึฐึผื‘ึนื•ืจึธื” ืฉึทืงึทืžึฐึผืชึดื™ ืึตื ื‘ึฐึผื™ึดืฉึฐึผืจึธืึตืœ ื•ื’ื•ืณ ื•ื›ืชื™ื‘ (ืฉื•ืคื˜ื™ื ื”:ื™ื‘) ืขื•ืจึดื™ ืขื•ืจึดื™ ื“ึฐึผื‘ึนื•ืจึธื” ืขื•ืจึดื™ ืขื•ืจึดื™ ื“ึทื‘ึฐึผืจึดื™ ืฉึดื™ืจ ื•ื’ื•ืณ.

ืคืกื—ื™ื ืกื•, ื‘

And actions have consequences: in Devoraโ€™s case, the loss of her ื ื‘ื•ืื”; for ืฉืžืฉื•ืŸ, near death by thirst:

ื˜ื– ื•ื™ืืžืจ ืฉืžืฉื•ืŸ ื‘ืœื—ื™ ื”ื—ืžื•ืจ ื—ืžื•ืจ ื—ืžืจืชื™ื; ื‘ืœื—ื™ ื”ื—ืžื•ืจ ื”ื›ื™ืชื™ ืืœืฃ ืื™ืฉืƒ ื™ื– ื•ื™ื”ื™ ื›ื›ืœืชื• ืœื“ื‘ืจ ื•ื™ืฉืœืš ื”ืœื—ื™ ืžื™ื“ื•; ื•ื™ืงืจื ืœืžืงื•ื ื”ื”ื•ื ืจืžืช ืœื—ื™ืƒ ื™ื— ื•ื™ืฆืžื ืžืื“ ื•ื™ืงืจื ืืœ ื”ืณ ื•ื™ืืžืจ ืืชื” ื ืชืช ื‘ื™ื“ ืขื‘ื“ืš ืืช ื”ืชืฉื•ืขื” ื”ื’ื“ืœื” ื”ื–ืืช; ื•ืขืชื” ืืžื•ืช ื‘ืฆืžื ื•ื ืคืœืชื™ ื‘ื™ื“ ื”ืขืจืœื™ืืƒ ื™ื˜ ื•ื™ื‘ืงืข ืืœื”ื™ื ืืช ื”ืžื›ืชืฉ ืืฉืจ ื‘ืœื—ื™ ื•ื™ืฆืื• ืžืžื ื• ืžื™ื ื•ื™ืฉืช ื•ืชืฉื‘ ืจื•ื—ื• ื•ื™ื—ื™; ืขืœ ื›ืŸ ืงืจื ืฉืžื” ืขื™ืŸ ื”ืงื•ืจื ืืฉืจ ื‘ืœื—ื™ ืขื“ ื”ื™ื•ื ื”ื–ื”ืƒ

ืฉื•ืคื˜ื™ื ืคืจืง ื˜ื•

And here, ื•ืชืฆืœื— ืจื•ื— ืืœืงื™ื ืจืขื” ืืœ ืฉืื•ืœ. The women did not mean to insult Saul; when David came on his victory parade, they went out ืœืงืจืืช ืฉืื•ืœ ื”ืžืœืš.โ€Ž ื“ื•ื“ ื‘ืจื‘ื‘ืชื™ื• was their way of praising Saul for his excellent choice in generals. ืžืœื‘ื™ืดื in fact reads ื‘ืืœืคื•, ื‘ืจื‘ื‘ืชื™ื• as โ€œwith his thousands or myriadsโ€: Saulโ€™s army was smaller thus his victory that much greater. But Saul heard something much more sinister, and David apparently did not object. His entire purpose (as we have seen) for the way he killed Goliath was to make it apparent that (ืฉืžื•ืืœ ื ื™ื–:ืžื”)โ€Ž ืื ื›ื™ ื‘ื ืืœื™ืš ื‘ืฉื ื”ืณ ืฆื‘ืื•ืช. But he evidently failed; the people saw David as the victor, not ื”ืณ.

ื™ ื•ื™ื”ื™ ืžืžื—ืจืช ื•ืชืฆืœื— ืจื•ื— ืืœื”ื™ื ืจืขื” ืืœ ืฉืื•ืœ ื•ื™ืชื ื‘ื ื‘ืชื•ืš ื”ื‘ื™ืช ื•ื“ื•ื“ ืžื ื’ืŸ ื‘ื™ื“ื• ื›ื™ื•ื ื‘ื™ื•ื; ื•ื”ื—ื ื™ืช ื‘ื™ื“ ืฉืื•ืœืƒ ื™ื ื•ื™ื˜ืœ ืฉืื•ืœ ืืช ื”ื—ื ื™ืช ื•ื™ืืžืจ ืื›ื” ื‘ื“ื•ื“ ื•ื‘ืงื™ืจ; ื•ื™ืกื‘ ื“ื•ื“ ืžืคื ื™ื• ืคืขืžื™ืืƒ ื™ื‘ ื•ื™ืจื ืฉืื•ืœ ืžืœืคื ื™ ื“ื•ื“: ื›ื™ ื”ื™ื” ื”ืณ ืขืžื• ื•ืžืขื ืฉืื•ืœ ืกืจืƒ ื™ื’ ื•ื™ืกืจื”ื• ืฉืื•ืœ ืžืขืžื• ื•ื™ืฉืžื”ื• ืœื• ืฉืจ ืืœืฃ; ื•ื™ืฆื ื•ื™ื‘ื ืœืคื ื™ ื”ืขืืƒ

ืฉืžื•ืืœ ื ืคืจืง ื™ื—

Missing the Point

As Henry Biberfeld points out, Saul was an experienced warrior. He shouldnโ€™t have missed. Not twice. This hit Saul harder than Davidโ€™s killing Goliath, that Davidโ€™s victory came from ื”ืณ. And his response was not to start supporting David, but to decide that if he, Saul, himself could not kill David, he would have to arrange for his death another way.

ื™ื“ ื•ื™ื”ื™ ื“ื•ื“ ืœื›ืœ ื“ืจื›ื• ืžืฉื›ื™ืœ; ื•ื”ืณ ืขืžื•ืƒ ื˜ื• ื•ื™ืจื ืฉืื•ืœ ืืฉืจ ื”ื•ื ืžืฉื›ื™ืœ ืžืื“; ื•ื™ื’ืจ ืžืคื ื™ื•ืƒ ื˜ื– ื•ื›ืœ ื™ืฉืจืืœ ื•ื™ื”ื•ื“ื” ืื”ื‘ ืืช ื“ื•ื“: ื›ื™ ื”ื•ื ื™ื•ืฆื ื•ื‘ื ืœืคื ื™ื”ืืƒ

Coming and Going

Being the one who is ื™ื•ืฆื ื•ื‘ื ืœืคื ื™ื”ื is the very definition of a Jewish leader

ื˜ื• ื•ื™ื“ื‘ืจ ืžืฉื” ืืœ ื”ืณ ืœืืžืจืƒ ื˜ื– ื™ืคืงื“ ื”ืณ ืืœืงื™ ื”ืจื•ื—ืช ืœื›ืœ ื‘ืฉืจ ืื™ืฉ ืขืœ ื”ืขื“ื”ืƒ ื™ื– ืืฉืจ ื™ืฆื ืœืคื ื™ื”ื ื•ืืฉืจ ื™ื‘ื ืœืคื ื™ื”ื ื•ืืฉืจ ื™ื•ืฆื™ืื ื•ืืฉืจ ื™ื‘ื™ืื; ื•ืœื ืชื”ื™ื” ืขื“ืช ื”ืณ ื›ืฆืืŸ ืืฉืจ ืื™ืŸ ืœื”ื ืจืขื”ืƒ

ื‘ืžื“ื‘ืจ ืคืจืง ื›ื–

ืœื ื›ื“ืจืš ืžืœื›ื™ ื”ืืžื•ืช ืฉื™ื•ืฉื‘ื™ื ื‘ื‘ืชื™ื”ื ื•ืžืฉืœื—ื™ืŸ ืืช ื—ื™ืœื•ืชื™ื”ื ืœืžืœื—ืžื”, ืืœื ื›ืžื• ืฉืขืฉื™ืชื™ ืื ื™ ืฉื ืœื—ืžืชื™ ื‘ืกื™ื—ื•ืŸ ื•ืขื•ื’, ืฉื ืืžืจ (ื‘ืžื“ื‘ืจ ื›ื:ืœื“) ืืœ ืชื™ืจื ืืชื• ื›ื™ ื‘ื™ื“ืš ื ืชืชื™ ืืชื•. ื•ื›ื“ืจืš ืฉืขืฉื” ื™ื”ื•ืฉืข, ืฉื ืืžืจ (ื™ื”ื•ืฉืข ื”:ื™ื’) ื•ื™ืœืš ื™ื”ื•ืฉืข ืืœื™ื• ื•ื™ืืžืจ ืœื• ื”ืœื ื• ืืชื” ื•ื’ื•ืณ. ื•ื›ืŸ ื‘ื“ื•ื“ ื”ื•ื ืื•ืžืจ (ืฉืžื•ืืœ ื ื™ื—:ื˜ื–) ื›ื™ ื”ื•ื ื™ื•ืฆื ื•ื‘ื ืœืคื ื™ื”ื; ื™ื•ืฆื ื‘ืจืืฉ ื•ื ื›ื ืก ื‘ืจืืฉ:

ืจืฉืดื™ ืฉื, ื“ืดื” ืืฉืจ ื™ืฆื ืœืคื ื™ื”ื

So Saulโ€™s strategy backfires; instead of dying in battle David shows himself to be more kingly than the king. This also foreshadows another incident when a different king sent his general out to lead the battle, hoping he would die:

ื ื•ื™ื”ื™ ืœืชืฉื•ื‘ืช ื”ืฉื ื” ืœืขืช ืฆืืช ื”ืžืœืื›ื™ื ื•ื™ืฉืœื— ื“ื•ื“ ืืช ื™ื•ืื‘ ื•ืืช ืขื‘ื“ื™ื• ืขืžื• ื•ืืช ื›ืœ ื™ืฉืจืืœ ื•ื™ืฉื—ืชื• ืืช ื‘ื ื™ ืขืžื•ืŸ ื•ื™ืฆืจื• ืขืœ ืจื‘ื”; ื•ื“ื•ื“ ื™ื•ืฉื‘ ื‘ื™ืจื•ืฉืœืืƒ

ืฉืžื•ืืœ ื‘ ืคืจืง ื™ื