ื‘ืกืดื“

Kavanot: Secret Sanctuary

Thoughts on Tanach and the Davening

Strong and Brave

ื—ื–ืง ื•ืืžืฅ: ื—ื–ืง ื‘ื’ื•ืฃ ื•ืืžืฅ ื‘ืœื‘, ื“ื”ื™ื™ื ื• ืฉื™ืืžืฅ ืืช ืœื‘ื‘ื• ืฉืœื ื™ืจืš

ื”ื›ืชื‘ ื•ื”ืงื‘ืœื”, ื“ื‘ืจื™ื ืœื:ื•

To quickly add another point to our discussion last time of ืชื”ื™ืœื™ื ื›ื–, the last pasuk says ืงื•ื” ืืœ ื”ืณ twice. We interpreted that as referring to the two sides of the perek: have faith in ื”ืณ in good times and donโ€™t be arrogant, and have faith in ื”ืณ in bad times and donโ€™t despair. It was mentioned that the speaker of the perek seems almost bipolar, going between those extremes. I think the linking phrase in the last pasuk, ื—ื–ืง ื•ื™ืืžืฅ ืœื‘ืš, addresses that. As I understand ื”ื›ืชื‘ ื•ื”ืงื‘ืœื”,โ€Ž ื—ื–ืง refers to being strong enough to withstand physical pain. ืืžืฅ means having the strength to withstand psychological pain. David urges us to hold together even as the opposing forces in life threaten to tear us apart. This will become more important as we see Davidโ€™s life go through those very highs and lows.

Hobโ€œNobโ€bing

ื ื•ื™ืงื ื•ื™ืœืš; ื•ื™ื”ื•ื ืชืŸ ื‘ื ื”ืขื™ืจืƒ ื‘ ื•ื™ื‘ื ื“ื•ื“ ื ื‘ื” ืืœ ืื—ื™ืžืœืš ื”ื›ื”ืŸ; ื•ื™ื—ืจื“ ืื—ื™ืžืœืš ืœืงืจืืช ื“ื•ื“ ื•ื™ืืžืจ ืœื• ืžื“ื•ืข ืืชื” ืœื‘ื“ืš ื•ืื™ืฉ ืื™ืŸ ืืชืšืƒ

ืฉืžื•ืืœ ื ืคืจืง ื›ื

After David runs off, Jonathan returns to Givat Shaul, and David goes to Nob. Whatโ€™s Nob? Aside from our story and its sequellae, it only appears in a list of cities in ื ื—ืžื™ื” and in ื™ืฉืขื™ื”, in the haftarah for the eighth day of Pesach:

ื›ื— ื‘ึผึธื ืขึทืœ ืขึทื™ึผึทืช ืขึธื‘ึทืจ ื‘ึผึฐืžึดื’ึฐืจื•ึนืŸ; ืœึฐืžึดื›ึฐืžึธืฉื‚ ื™ึทืคึฐืงึดื™ื“ ื›ึผึตืœึธื™ื•ืƒ ื›ื˜ ืขึธื‘ึฐืจื•ึผ ืžึทืขึฐื‘ึผึธืจึธื” ื’ึผึถื‘ึทืข ืžึธืœื•ึนืŸ ืœึธื ื•ึผ; ื—ึธืจึฐื“ึธื” ื”ึธืจึธืžึธื” ื’ึผึดื‘ึฐืขึทืช ืฉืึธืื•ึผืœ ื ึธืกึธื”ืƒ ืœ ืฆึทื”ึฒืœึดื™ ืงื•ึนืœึตืšึฐ ื‘ึผึทืช ื’ึผึทืœึผึดื™ื; ื”ึทืงึฐืฉืึดื™ื‘ึดื™ ืœึทื™ึฐืฉืึธื” ืขึฒื ึดื™ึผึธื” ืขึฒื ึธืชื•ึนืชืƒ ืœื ื ึธื“ึฐื“ึธื” ืžึทื“ึฐืžึตื ึธื”; ื™ึนืฉืึฐื‘ึตื™ ื”ึทื’ึผึตื‘ึดื™ื ื”ึตืขึดื™ื–ื•ึผืƒ ืœื‘ ืขื•ึนื“ ื”ึทื™ึผื•ึนื ื‘ึผึฐื ึนื‘ ืœึทืขึฒืžึนื“; ื™ึฐื ึนืคึตืฃ ื™ึธื“ื•ึน ื”ึทืจ ื‘ื™ืช (ื‘ึผึทืช) ืฆึดื™ึผื•ึนืŸ ื’ึผึดื‘ึฐืขึทืช ื™ึฐืจื•ึผืฉืึธืœึธึดืืƒ

ื™ืฉืขื™ื”ื• ืคืจืง ื™

Sancherev is described as marching through all the cities of the kingdom of Yehudah from the North, and ends up in Nob, pointing to Jerusalem. We donโ€™t have any archeological evidence about Nob, but the speculation is that it was probably on Mount Scopus. Why would David run there?

ื—ื–ืดืœ tell us that the ืžืฉื›ืŸ was there at that time:

ื›ืฉืžืช ืขืœื™ ื”ื›ื”ืŸ ื—ืจื‘ื” ืฉื™ืœื” ื•ื‘ืื• ืœื ื•ื‘ ื›ืฉืžืช ืฉืžื•ืืœ ื”ืจืžืชื™ ื—ืจื‘ื” ื ื•ื‘ ื•ื‘ืื• ืœื’ื‘ืขื•ืŸ

ื–ื‘ื—ื™ื ืงื™ื—,ื‘

And in more detail in ืกื“ืจ ืขื•ืœื:

โ€ฆื•ื™ื•ื ืฉืžืช ื‘ื• ืขืœื™, (ืชื”ื™ืœื™ืโ€Ž ืขื—:ืก-ืกื) ื•ื™ื˜ืฉ ืžืฉื›ืŸ ืฉืœื•; ืื”ืœ ืฉื›ืŸ ื‘ืื“ืืƒ ืกื ื•ื™ืชืŸ ืœืฉื‘ื™ ืขื–ื•; ื•ืชืคืืจืชื• ื‘ื™ื“ ืฆืจืƒ โ€ฆื‘ืชื—ืœืช ืืœื• ื›ืณ ื”ื ื” ื”ื‘ื™ืื• [ื‘ื›ืชื‘ื™ึพื™ื“ ืื•ืงืกืคื•ืจื“: ื”ื‘ื™ื ืฉืžื•ืืœ ื”ืจื•ืื”] ืืช ืื•ื”ืœ ืžื•ืขื“ ืœื ื•ื‘. ื•ืืขืดืค ืฉื”ื™ื” ืื”ืจื•ืŸ ื”ืณ ื‘ืงืจื™ืช ื™ืขืจื™ื, ื‘ื ื‘ ื”ื™ื• ืžืงืจื™ื‘ื™ื ื›ืœ ื™ื’ ืฉื ื”โ€ฆ

ืกื“ืจ ืขื•ืœื ื™ื’

But how did they know? There are hints:

โ€ฆื›ื™ ืœื ื”ื™ื” ืฉื ืœื—ื ื›ื™ ืื ืœื—ื ื”ืคื ื™ื ื”ืžื•ืกืจื™ื ืžืœืคื ื™ ื”ืณโ€ฆ

ืฉืžื•ืืœ ื ืคืจืง ื›ื:ื–

ื•ื™ืืžืจ ื”ื›ื”ืŸ ื—ืจื‘ ื’ืœื™ืช ื”ืคืœืฉืชื™ ืืฉืจ ื”ื›ื™ืช ื‘ืขืžืง ื”ืืœื” ื”ื ื” ื”ื™ื ืœื•ื˜ื” ื‘ืฉืžืœื” ืื—ืจื™ ื”ืืคื•ื“โ€ฆ

ืฉืžื•ืืœ ื ืคืจืง ื›ื:ื™

But the best evidence is the presence of ืื—ื™ืžืœืš ื”ื›ื”ืŸ. We get his full name later on:

ื•ื™ืขืŸ ื“ืื’ ื”ืื“ืžื™ ื•ื”ื•ื ื ืฆื‘ ืขืœ ืขื‘ื“ื™ ืฉืื•ืœ ื•ื™ืืžืจ: ืจืื™ืชื™ ืืช ื‘ืŸ ื™ืฉื™ ื‘ื ื ื‘ื” ืืœ ืื—ื™ืžืœืš ื‘ืŸ ืื—ื˜ื•ื‘ืƒ

ืฉืžื•ืืœ ื ืคืจืง ื›ื‘:ื˜

Unfortunately, there are two ืื—ื˜ื•ื‘ ื”ื›ื”ืŸ's in Tanach:

ื›ื– ื‘ื ื™ ืœื•ื™: ื’ืจืฉื•ืŸ ืงื”ืช ื•ืžืจืจื™ืƒ

ื›ื— ื•ื‘ื ื™ ืงื”ืช ืขืžืจื ื™ืฆื”ืจ ื•ื—ื‘ืจื•ืŸ ื•ืขื–ื™ืืœืƒ ื›ื˜ ื•ื‘ื ื™ ืขืžืจื ืื”ืจืŸ ื•ืžืฉื” ื•ืžืจื™ื;

ื•ื‘ื ื™ ืื”ืจืŸ ื ื“ื‘ ื•ืื‘ื™ื”ื•ื ืืœืขื–ืจ ื•ืื™ืชืžืจืƒ ืœ ืืœืขื–ืจ ื”ื•ืœื™ื“ ืืช ืคื™ื ื—ืก ืคื™ื ื—ืก ื”ืœื™ื“ ืืช ืื‘ื™ืฉื•ืขืƒ ืœื ื•ืื‘ื™ืฉื•ืข ื”ื•ืœื™ื“ ืืช ื‘ืงื™ ื•ื‘ืงื™ ื”ื•ืœื™ื“ ืืช ืขื–ื™ืƒ ืœื‘ ื•ืขื–ื™ ื”ื•ืœื™ื“ ืืช ื–ืจื—ื™ื” ื•ื–ืจื—ื™ื” ื”ื•ืœื™ื“ ืืช ืžืจื™ื•ืชืƒ ืœื’ ืžืจื™ื•ืช ื”ื•ืœื™ื“ ืืช ืืžืจื™ื” ื•ืืžืจื™ื” ื”ื•ืœื™ื“ ืืช ืื—ื™ื˜ื•ื‘ืƒ ืœื“ ื•ืื—ื™ื˜ื•ื‘ ื”ื•ืœื™ื“ ืืช ืฆื“ื•ืง ื•ืฆื“ื•ืง ื”ื•ืœื™ื“ ืืช ืื—ื™ืžืขืฅืƒ ืœื” ื•ืื—ื™ืžืขืฅ ื”ื•ืœื™ื“ ืืช ืขื–ืจื™ื” ื•ืขื–ืจื™ื” ื”ื•ืœื™ื“ ืืช ื™ื•ื—ื ืŸืƒ ืœื• ื•ื™ื•ื—ื ืŸ ื”ื•ืœื™ื“ ืืช ืขื–ืจื™ื”; ื”ื•ื ืืฉืจ ื›ื”ืŸ ื‘ื‘ื™ืช ืืฉืจ ื‘ื ื” ืฉืœืžื” ื‘ื™ืจื•ืฉืœืืƒ

ื“ื‘ืจื™ ื”ื™ืžื™ื ื ืคืจืง ื”

ื•ืื—ื™ื” ื‘ืŸ ืื—ื˜ื•ื‘ ืื—ื™ ืื™ื›ื‘ื•ื“ ื‘ืŸ ืคื™ื ื—ืก ื‘ืŸ ืขืœื™ ื›ื”ืŸ ื”ืณ ื‘ืฉืœื• ื ืฉื ืืคื•ื“; ื•ื”ืขื ืœื ื™ื“ืข ื›ื™ ื”ืœืš ื™ื•ื ืชืŸืƒ

ืฉืžื•ืืœ ื ื™ื“:ื’

One the son of ืืžืจื™ื”, descended from ืคื™ื ื—ืก ื‘ืŸ ืืœืขื–ืจ, and one the son of ืคื™ื ื—ืก ื‘ืŸ ืขืœื™ (thatโ€™s part of what makes ืชื ืดืš hard: everyone has lots of names, and lots of people have the same name). So we have to keep digging:

ื•ื™ืžืœื˜ ื‘ืŸ ืื—ื“ ืœืื—ื™ืžืœืš ื‘ืŸ ืื—ื˜ื•ื‘ ื•ืฉืžื• ืื‘ื™ืชืจ; ื•ื™ื‘ืจื— ืื—ืจื™ ื“ื•ื“ืƒ

ืฉืžื•ืืœ ื ื›ื‘:ื›

So ืื‘ื™ืชืจ is the son of our ืื—ื™ืžืœืš ื‘ืŸ ืื—ื˜ื•ื‘. When David moves the ืืจื•ืŸ to ื™ืจื•ืฉืœื, he divides the leadership of the ื›ื”ื•ื ื”:

ื ื•ืœื‘ื ื™ ืื”ืจืŸ ืžื—ืœืงื•ืชื: ื‘ื ื™ ืื”ืจืŸ ื ื“ื‘ ื•ืื‘ื™ื”ื•ื ืืœืขื–ืจ ื•ืื™ืชืžืจืƒ ื‘ ื•ื™ืžืช ื ื“ื‘ ื•ืื‘ื™ื”ื•ื ืœืคื ื™ ืื‘ื™ื”ื ื•ื‘ื ื™ื ืœื ื”ื™ื• ืœื”ื; ื•ื™ื›ื”ื ื• ืืœืขื–ืจ ื•ืื™ืชืžืจืƒ ื’ ื•ื™ื—ืœืงื ื“ื•ื™ื“ ื•ืฆื“ื•ืง ืžืŸ ื‘ื ื™ ืืœืขื–ืจ ื•ืื—ื™ืžืœืš ืžืŸ ื‘ื ื™ ืื™ืชืžืจ ืœืคืงื“ืชื ื‘ืขื‘ื“ืชืืƒ โ€ฆ

ื• ื•ื™ื›ืชื‘ื ืฉืžืขื™ื” ื‘ืŸ ื ืชื ืืœ ื”ืกื•ืคืจ ืžืŸ ื”ืœื•ื™ ืœืคื ื™ ื”ืžืœืš ื•ื”ืฉืจื™ื ื•ืฆื“ื•ืง ื”ื›ื”ืŸ ื•ืื—ื™ืžืœืš ื‘ืŸ ืื‘ื™ืชืจ ื•ืจืืฉื™ ื”ืื‘ื•ืช ืœื›ื”ื ื™ื ื•ืœืœื•ื™ื ื‘ื™ืช ืื‘ ืื—ื“ ืื—ื– ืœืืœืขื–ืจ ื•ืื—ื– ืื—ื– ืœืื™ืชืžืจืƒ

ื“ื‘ืจื™ ื”ื™ืžื™ื ื ืคืจืง ื›ื“

So ืื—ื™ืžืœืš ื‘ืŸ ืื‘ื™ืชืจ is descended from ืื™ืชืžืจ, so his great-grandfather ืื—ื˜ื•ื‘ is descended from ืื™ืชืžืจ, and not ืคื™ื ื—ืก ื‘ืŸ ืืœืขื–ืจ. He must be the grandson of ืขืœื™, so it makes sense that his son ืื—ื™ืžืœืš would be the ื›ื”ืŸ ื’ื“ื•ืœ, and thus be living by the ืžืฉื›ืŸ.

The Trouble with Tabernacles

So we are left with lots of hints that the ืžืฉื›ืŸ was in ื ื‘, but no direct statements. Contrast that to the evidence that the ืžืฉื›ืŸ was in ื’ื‘ืขื•ืŸ before the ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ was built:

ื•ืืช ืฆื“ื•ืง ื”ื›ื”ืŸ ื•ืื—ื™ื• ื”ื›ื”ื ื™ื ืœืคื ื™ ืžืฉื›ืŸ ื”ืณ ื‘ื‘ืžื” ืืฉืจ ื‘ื’ื‘ืขื•ืŸืƒ

ื“ื‘ืจื™ ื”ื™ืžื™ื ื ื˜ื–:ืœื˜

Why isnโ€™t ื ื‘ mentioned? I havenโ€™t seen anyone deal with this directly, but I think itโ€™s an interesting question. The question, however, is worded wrong: the difference isnโ€™t between ื ื‘ and ื’ื‘ืขื•ืŸ, itโ€™s between ืกืคืจ ืฉืžื•ืืœ and ืกืคืจ ื“ื‘ืจื™ ื”ื™ืžื™ื.โ€Ž ืกืคืจ ืฉืžื•ืืœ never mentions the ืžืฉื›ืŸ at all after the death of ืขืœื™ and the capture of the ืืจื•ืŸ, not in ื ื‘ or in ื’ื‘ืขื•ืŸ. When David moves the ืืจื•ืŸ to ื™ืจื•ืฉืœื,โ€Ž ืกืคืจ ืฉืžื•ืืœ goes straight to his attempts to build the ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ. Thereโ€™s no mention that a central place for the ืฉื›ื™ื ื” already exists. ื“ื‘ืจื™ ื”ื™ืžื™ื doesnโ€™t mention ื ื‘ for the simple reason that ื ื‘ had already been destroyed by the time the narrative section of ื“ื‘ืจื™ ื”ื™ืžื™ื starts, in ืคืจืง ื™ with the death of ืฉืื•ืœ. So the question is: why doesnโ€™t ืกืคืจ ืฉืžื•ืืœ mention the ืžืฉื›ืŸ?

ื™ื ื•ื™ืืžืจ ื”ืณ ืืœ ืฉืžื•ืืœ ื”ื ื” ืื ื›ื™ ืขืฉื” ื“ื‘ืจ ื‘ื™ืฉืจืืœ: ืืฉืจ ื›ืœ ืฉืžืขื• ืชืฆืœื™ื ื” ืฉืชื™ ืื–ื ื™ื•ืƒ ื™ื‘ ื‘ื™ื•ื ื”ื”ื•ื ืืงื™ื ืืœ ืขืœื™ ืืช ื›ืœ ืืฉืจ ื“ื‘ืจืชื™ ืืœ ื‘ื™ืชื• ื”ื—ืœ ื•ื›ืœื”ืƒ ื™ื’ ื•ื”ื’ื“ืชื™ ืœื• ื›ื™ ืฉืคื˜ ืื ื™ ืืช ื‘ื™ืชื• ืขื“ ืขื•ืœื ื‘ืขื•ืŸ ืืฉืจ ื™ื“ืข ื›ื™ ืžืงืœืœื™ื ืœื”ื ื‘ื ื™ื• ื•ืœื ื›ื”ื” ื‘ืืƒ ื™ื“ ื•ืœื›ืŸ ื ืฉื‘ืขืชื™ ืœื‘ื™ืช ืขืœื™: ืื ื™ืชื›ืคืจ ืขื•ืŸ ื‘ื™ืช ืขืœื™ ื‘ื–ื‘ื— ื•ื‘ืžื ื—ื” ืขื“ ืขื•ืœืืƒ

ืฉืžื•ืืœ ื ืคืจืง ื’

ื˜ื• ื•ื™ืฉืคื˜ ืฉืžื•ืืœ ืืช ื™ืฉืจืืœ ื›ืœ ื™ืžื™ ื—ื™ื™ื•ืƒ ื˜ื– ื•ื”ืœืš ืžื“ื™ ืฉื ื” ื‘ืฉื ื” ื•ืกื‘ื‘ ื‘ื™ืช ืืœ ื•ื”ื’ืœื’ืœ ื•ื”ืžืฆืคื”; ื•ืฉืคื˜ ืืช ื™ืฉืจืืœ ืืช ื›ืœ ื”ืžืงื•ืžื•ืช ื”ืืœื”ืƒ ื™ื– ื•ืชืฉื‘ืชื• ื”ืจืžืชื” ื›ื™ ืฉื ื‘ื™ืชื• ื•ืฉื ืฉืคื˜ ืืช ื™ืฉืจืืœ; ื•ื™ื‘ืŸ ืฉื ืžื–ื‘ื— ืœื”ืณืƒ

ืฉืžื•ืืœ ื ืคืจืง ื–

ืฉืžื•ืืœ was the ื ื‘ื™ื of ื—ื•ืจื‘ืŸ ืฉื™ืœื”, just as ื™ืจืžื™ื”ื• was the ื ื‘ื™ื of ื—ื•ืจื‘ืŸ ื‘ื™ืช ืจืืฉื•ืŸ. I imagine that even when the ืžืฉื›ืŸ was rebuilt, as long as ื‘ื ื™ ืขืœื™ were the ื›ื”ื ื™ื ื’ื“ื•ืœื™ื,โ€Ž ืฉืžื•ืืœ still considered it destroyed. There may still have been a ืžื–ื‘ื— and ืฉื•ืœื—ืŸ, but it was just an empty tent without the ืฉื›ื™ื ื”.โ€Ž ืฉืžื•ืืœโ€˜s focus turned to building the ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ, as we saw when we discussed his yeshiva of ื ื™ื•ืช in ืจืžื”. It would have a new lineage of ื›ื”ื ื™ื, as we quoted above from ื“ื‘ืจื™ ื”ื™ืžื™ื ื ืคืจืง ื”. We see that ืฉืžื•ืืœ worked on that from ืขื–ืจืโ€™s re-establishing the second ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ:

ื› ื•ืคื™ื ื—ืก ื‘ืŸ ืืœืขื–ืจ ื ื’ื™ื“ ื”ื™ื” ืขืœื™ื”ื ืœืคื ื™ื ื”ืณ ืขืžื•ืƒ โ€ฆื›ื‘ ื›ืœื ื”ื‘ืจื•ืจื™ื ืœืฉืขืจื™ื ื‘ืกืคื™ื ืžืืชื™ื ื•ืฉื ื™ื ืขืฉืจ; ื”ืžื” ื‘ื—ืฆืจื™ื”ื ื”ืชื™ื—ืฉื ื”ืžื” ื™ืกื“ ื“ื•ื™ื“ ื•ืฉืžื•ืืœ ื”ืจืื” ื‘ืืžื•ื ืชืืƒ

ื“ื‘ืจื™ ื”ื™ืžื™ื ื ืคืจืง ื˜

From the point of view of the ื ื‘ื™ืื™ื who wrote ืกืคืจ ืฉืžื•ืืœ, there was no โ€œืžืฉื›ืŸโ€; there was a temporary storage facility for the ื›ืœื™ื that David would take advantage of, nothing more.