Weโve spend a lot of time on ืชืืืืื and specifically ืืื, and itโs time to return to ืกืคืจ ืฉืืืื. The last perek we studied ended with a recap of Davidโs administration:
ืื ืืืืื ืื ืื ืืฆืื ืืฉืจืื; ืืื ืื ืื ืืืืืืข ืขื ืืืจืชื ืืขื ืืคืืชืื ืื ืืืืจื ืขื ืืืก; ืืืืืฉืคื ืื ืืืืืื ืืืืืืจื ืื ืืฉืื ืกืคืจ; ืืฆืืืง ืืืืืชืจ ืืื ืืื ืื ืืื ืขืืจื ืืืืจื ืืื ืืื ืืืืื
And that was very similar to the end of ืคืจืง ื:
ืื ืืืืื ืืื ืขื ืื ืืฉืจืื; ืืืื ืืื ืขืฉื ืืฉืคื ืืฆืืงื ืืื ืขืืื ืื ืืืืื ืื ืฆืจืืื ืขื ืืฆืื; ืืืืืฉืคื ืื ืืืืืื ืืืืืจื ืื ืืฆืืืง ืื ืืืืืื ืืืืืืื ืื ืืืืชืจ ืืื ืื; ืืฉืจืื ืกืืคืจื ืื ืืื ืืื ืื ืืืืืืข ืืืืจืชื ืืืคืืชื; ืืื ื ืืื ืืื ืื ืืืื
And those summaries highlight the fact that ืกืคืจ ืฉืืืื divides into three parts (the division into I Samuel and II Samuel is a much later, Christian, invention). I like to look at it as a limited television series, with three seasons:
- Season 1: ืฉืืืื ื ืคืจืง ื through ืฉืืืื ื ืคืจืง ืื: the story of Shmuel
- Epilogue: ืฉืืืื ื ืคืจืง ืื: David is introduced (but not yet in a starring role)
- Season 2: ืฉืืืื ื ืคืจืง ืื through ืฉืืืื ื ืคืจืง ื: the rise of David
- Epilogue: ืฉืืืื ื ืคืจืง ื: the story of ืืคืืืฉืช
- Season 3: ืฉืืืื ื ืคืจืง ื through ืฉืืืื ื ืคืจืง ืื: the story of Bat Sheva and its aftermath
- Epilogue: ืฉืืืื ื ืคืจืง ื: the rebellion of ืฉืืข ืื ืืืจื
- Appendices: ืฉืืืื ื ืคืจืง ืื through ืฉืืืื ื ืคืจืง ืื
The plot arc of season 3 is over; Davidโs ืชืฉืืื is compled and he is restored to his throne in Jerusalem. The civil war between ืืืืื and ืืฉืจืื has been suppressed by ืืืื, not violence, foreshadowing the story of Shlomo and then the split of the kingdom. But before we get to the sequel, ืกืคืจ ืืืืื, we have four chapters of appendices.
ืคืกืืงื ืืกืืืื ืฉืืกืืฃ ืคืจืง ืืณ ืืืชืืื ืืช ืคืจืงื ืกืคืจ ืฉืืืื ืืืืืืื ืจืฆืฃ ืืื. ืืืจืืขืช ืืคืจืงืื ืืืืจืื ืื ืฉื ืืกืคืจ ืืืืืื ืฉืืฉื โื ืกืคืืืโ ืฉืืื ืืื ืืื ืงืฉืจ ืืฉืืจ ืืืื ื ืืืืืื ืจืฆืฃ ืืจืื ืืืืื ืื ืืงืกืืืืื ืืืฉืื. ืฉืฉืช ืื ืกืคืืื ืื:
- ืื:ืโืืโืคืจืฉืช ืืื ืืืืืขืื ืื.
- ืื:ืืโืืโืืืืืืืช ืขื ืขื ืงื ืคืืฉืชืื.
- ืืโืฉืืจืช ืืื.
- ืื:ืโืโืืืจื ืืื ืืืืจืื ืื.
- ืื:ืโืืโืืืืืจื ืืื.
- ืืโืคืจืฉืช ืืืคืงื.
Several ืกืคืจืื of ืชื ืดื have โappendicesโ, chapters at the end that are clearly out of context. This is one example of that. We see it also in ืกืคืจ ืืืงืจื, which conceptually ends with the ืชืืืื and (ืืืงืจื ืื:ืื) ืืื ืืืงืื ืืืืฉืคืืื ืืืชืืจืช ืืฉืจ ื ืชื ืืณ ืืื ื ืืืื ืื ื ืืฉืจืื ืืืจ ืกืื ื ืืื ืืฉื, but continues with a perek about ืขืจืืื, appraising donations. Similarly, ืฉืืฉืื is the last ืฉืืคื of ืกืคืจ ืฉืืคืืื, but after that we have the stories of ืคืกื ืืืื and ืคืืืฉ ืืืขื, which take place chronologically much earlier.
I havenโt seen any sources that discuss why the Torah or the ื ืืื should organize the book that way, but I can hypothesize. Every ืกืคืจ ื ืืืื has a message, a ืืืกืจ ืืฉืื, that is the theme of the ืกืคืจ. But that moral is not explicitly stated; it is implied in the text as a whole. There is a danger, therefore, that we will draw the wrong conclusion. For example, I discussed the appendix to ืกืคืจ ืืืงืจื in ืคืจืฉืช ืืืงืืชื ืชืฉืคืดื, suggesting that we might think that the ultimate sacrifice that ืืณ wants is human sacrifice, and ืขืจืืื teaches us that no, โdedicatingโ a person to ืืงืืดื means substituting their value.
So what does our set of appendices teach us?
ืื ืกืคืืื ืืกืืืจืื ืกืืจ ืืืืกืื. ืืืจืืื ืงืืขื ืืฉืืจื (4, 3), ืกืืืื ืกืืคืืจื ืืืืืืืช ืฉื ืืืืืจื ืืื (2,5), ืืืืขืืคืช ืืืืฆืื ืืช (1,6) ืฉื ื ืกืืคืืจืื ืขื ืืชืืืืืืช ืขื ืคืืจืขื ืืช ืืืจืฅโืจืขื ืื ืืืจโืืืกืชืืืืื ืฉื ืืื ืืืจื ืืืื:(ืฉืืืื ื ืื:ืื) ืึทืึผึตืขึธืชึตืจ ืึฑืึนืงึดืื ืึธืึธืจึถืฅ,(ืฉืืืื ื ืื:ืื) ืึทืึผึตืขึธืชึตืจ ืืณ ืึธืึธืจึถืฅ.
The outermost pair are narratives of Davidโs failure and ืชืฉืืื, which really is the theme of the last part of ืกืคืจ ืฉืืืื. The lists of Davidโs heroes are, as we will see when we compare them to the parallels in ืืืจื ืืืืื, more poetic than prose. The center pair are pure poetry.
The last narrative in the chronological sequence of ืกืคืจ ืฉืืืื, in ืคืจืง ื, is the rebellion of ืฉืืข ืื ืืืจื. It foreshadows the breakup of the kingdom that will be the theme of ืกืคืจ ืืืืื. If we look at the appendices in textual order, we end up with another transition to ืกืคืจ ืืืืื, that foreshadows the building of the ืืืช ืืืงืืฉ. But if we read the appendices as a whole, as a chiasmus, then the appendices focus on David as author of ืกืคืจ ืชืืืืื, as the ื ึฐืขึดืื ืึฐืึดืจืึนืช ืึดืฉืึฐืจึธืึตื.
And that, I think, is why we have the appendix, why it is important to stay until the end of the movie and watch the post-credits scene, as it were. If we only read the narratives of ืกืคืจ ืฉืืืื, we see David as a violent, vindictive warlord. He may learn from his mistakes and teach us the meaning of real ืชืฉืืืโand that is the ืืืกืจ ืืฉืื of our ืกืคืจโbut it misses a critical part of how we are to think about King David.
These appendices serve as the transition to another book of ืชื ืดื, the one that features the โrealโ King David, the King David who we cite every day, the ื ึฐืขึดืื ืึฐืึดืจืึนืช ืึดืฉืึฐืจึธืึตื:โ ืกืคืจ ืชืืืืื.
King Davidโs biography as told in the historical books gives only the surface outline of his lifeโฆ
Davidโs real life is recorded in the psalms. This is the true mirror of his being, reflecting every phase of his life. If the historical books show the outward contours of his image, the psalms probe the deepest secrets. The psalms are his world, the world of the idea of G-d with all its varietyโฆHence, allusions to actual events occur only rarely in the psalms. The historical books provide the form to be filled in with idea and experience.
The chiastic structure of the appendix means that we build up from the tragedy of ืคืจืง ืื to the ืฉืืจื of ืคืจืง ืื, reminding us where we โreallyโ belong, then move back down to the tragedy of ืคืจืง ืื, which returns us to the โhistoricalโ David, and ends with David finally getting close to his ultimate goal, ืืืื ืฉื ืืื ืืืื ืืืณ.
The other thing that this appendix does, by connecting to ืกืคืจ ืชืืืืื, is tell us how to read ืชืืืืื. Rav Medan discusses why ืกืคืจ ืฉืืืื is its own ืกืคืจ, not part of ืกืคืจ ืฉืืคืืื and ืกืคืจ ืืืืื:
ืืืขืชื ื, ืืฉ ืืจืืืช ืืช ืืืืงืชื ืฉื ืืกืคืจืื ืฉืืคืืื, ืฉืืืื ืืืืืื, ืืืงืืืื ืืฉืืืฉ ืชืงืืคืืช ืืชืืืืืช ืืจืฉืืช ืืฉืืื ื ืขื ืขื ืืฉืจืื, ืืืืืื ืื ืืฉืืืฉ ืชืงืืคืืช ืืฉืื ืืช ืื ืืื ืืืืืืืืืช ืื ืืื ืืชืืืืืช ืื ืืืช ืขื ืืฉืจืื ืืืชืืืืืช ืขื ืืฉืจืื ืขืฆืื.
ืฉืืคืืื: ืฉืืื ื ืืืฉืื ืืฉืืื.
ืืชืืืืช ืกืคืจ ืฉืืืื, ืืจืื ืฉืืื ืืืืฉืื ืฉืื. ืืืฉื ืื ืกืคืจ ืฉืืืื ืืืจืื ืืืืืื ืืื ื ืืื, ืืื ื ืืืืื ืืืงืื ืืืงืื ืืื ืืงืื ืงืืืข. ืืชืงืืคื ืื ืืืชืจื ืืืืืชโฆืืคืืจืืฉ ืืืืจืื, ืฉืืื ืืงืื ืืืืื ืืฉืืื ืโฆ
ืกืคืจ ืืืืื ืขืืกืงโฆืืชืงืืคื ืืฉืืืฉืืช: ืฉืืื ื ืืืืจืช ืืืืกื ืื ืงืืืขื. ืืืจืื ืืืืืื ืืชืืืืื ืืืืฉ. ืฉืื ื ืืกืจื ืืืืืช.
Just as ืกืคืจ ืชืืืืื teaches us how to read ืกืคืจ ืฉืืืื,โ ืกืคืจ ืฉืืืื teaches us how to read ืกืคืจ ืชืืืืื: as the work of ืืื ืืืื.โ ืชืืืืื jumps between celebrations of Israel on their land, connected to their G-d, and pleas for salvation from exile, when they are isolated from the land and from G-d. All of it has this underlying sense of longing for an intimate connection to ืืงืืดื. The human ืืื ืืฉืจืื symbolizes both of those connections, to the land and to ืืณ:
ืืืืจื ื ืืื ืื ืขื ืืงืฉืจ ืืื ืืืืืช ืืฉืจืื ืืืจืฅ ืืฉืจืื ืืืฉืจืืช ืืฉืืื ื ืื. ืฉืืจื ืืื ืืฉืืื ื ืฉืืจื ืืื ืืืจืฅ ืืฉืจืื ืขื ืขื ืืฉืจืื. ืืื ืืืจ ืืืืจืื ืืืจืืช ืืืืื ื (ืืจืืฉืืช ืื:ื-ื): ืึทืึฒืงึดืึนืชึดื ืึถืช ืึผึฐืจึดืืชึดื ืึผึตืื ึดื ืึผืึตืื ึถืึธโฆืึดืึฐืืึนืช ืึฐืึธ ืึตืืึนืงึดืื ืึผืึฐืึทืจึฐืขึฒืึธ ืึทืึฒืจึถืืึธื ืึฐื ึธืชึทืชึผึดื ืึฐืึธ ืึผืึฐืึทืจึฐืขึฒืึธ ืึทืึฒืจึถืืึธ ืึตืช ืึถืจึถืฅ ืึฐืึปืจึถืืึธ ืึตืช ืึผึธื ืึถืจึถืฅ ืึผึฐื ึทืขึทื ืึทืึฒืึปืึผึทืช ืขืึนืึธื; ืึฐืึธืึดืืชึดื ืึธืึถื ืึตืืึนืงึดืื. ืืืืงื ืืื ืืฉืจืืช ืืฉืืื ื ืืืจืฅ ืืืื ืืืช ืงืืข ืืืฉืื ืช ืฉืื, ืืืื ืืืช ืงืืข ืืืืืืชื ืืืจืขื ื ืชืืืจื ืืฃ ืืื, ืืืคื ืฉืขืื ื ื ืชื ืืืื (ืฉืืืื ื ื:ืื-ืื):โฆืึฐืึดืึผึดืื ืึฐืึธ ืืณ ืึผึดื ืึทืึดืช ืึทืขึฒืฉืึถื ืึผึฐืึธ ืืณื ืึผึดื ืึดืึฐืึฐืืึผ ืึธืึถืืึธ ืึฐืฉืึธืึทืึฐืชึผึธ ืึถืช ืึฒืึนืชึถืืึธ ืึทืึฒืงึดืืึนืชึดื ืึถืช ืึทืจึฐืขึฒืึธ ืึทืึฒืจึถืืึธ ืึฒืฉืึถืจ ืึตืฆึตื ืึดืึผึตืขึถืืึธ; ืึทืึฒืึดืื ึนืชึดื ืึถืช ืึทืึฐืึทืึฐืชึผืึนื ืืึผื ืึดืึฐื ึถื ืึผึทืึดืช ืึดืฉืึฐืึดืโฆ ืืืช ืืืณ ืชืืื ืืืืช ืืืื ืืฉืจืื, ืืืืช ืืืื ืืื ื ืืื ืืฉืคืื ืืฉืืฉืืช ืืฆืืืช.
David, as the first real king, whose life was dedicated to building the ืืืช ืืืงืืฉ that he would never see, is the reification of ืื ืกืช ืืฉืจืื. Connecting ืฉืืืื to ืชืืืืื makes that explicit.
ืฉื ื ืจืืืชืื ื: ืจืณ ืืืืขืืจ ืืืืจ ืื ืคืจืฉื ืฉืืืจ ืืื ืื ืื ืขืฆืื ืืืจื ืืื ืื ืื ืืฉืจืื.
With that, I want to look at these remaining perakim of ืกืคืจ ืฉืืืื but focused on ืชืืืืื. So I will read them in chiastic order, looking at the narrative perakim first, and ending with poetry of (ืฉืืืื ื ืื:ื)โ ืึฐืึตืึผึถื ืึผึดืึฐืจึตื ืึธืึดื ืึธืึทืึฒืจึนื ึดืืโฆื ึฐืขึดืื ืึฐืึดืจืึนืช ืึดืฉืึฐืจึธืึตื.