Introduction: From Flight to Leadership
Chapter 22 is a chapter of transition. David moves from being a lone fugitive to becoming the head of a band, a commander over four hundred men. Yet it is precisely in this chapter that the dark side of the flight comes to light: the slander of Doeg the Edomite, the killing of Nov the city of priests, and the heavy question of who is responsible for this bloodshed. We will follow the order of the verses in the footsteps of the Malbim, gathering along the way the words of Chazal and the commentators.
The Cave of Adullam: The Family Flees
וַיֵּלֶךְ דָּוִד מִשָּׁם וַיִּמָּלֵט אֶל־מְעָרַת עֲדֻלָּם וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶחָיו וְכׇל־בֵּית אָבִיו וַיֵּרְדוּ אֵלָיו שָׁמָּה׃ - And David went from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam, and his brothers and all his father's house heard, and they went down to him there.
David sees that there is no place for him with Achish king of Gat, so he escapes to the cave of Adullam, within the Land of Israel. And why do his brothers and all his father's house go down to him? Because in those days there was a real danger in being a relative of someone the king was hunting. There was no court of law and no democratic reality: if you were the relative of a wanted man, they would kill you, or take you as a hostage and torture you until your relative returned and surrendered. Out of fear that Shaul might take revenge on them, they come to David.
Who Gathers to David
וַיִּתְקַבְּצוּ אֵלָיו כׇּל־אִישׁ מָצוֹק וְכׇל־אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ נֹשֶׁא וְכׇל־אִישׁ מַר־נֶפֶשׁ וַיְהִי עֲלֵיהֶם לְשָׂר וַיִּהְיוּ עִמּוֹ כְּאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת אִישׁ׃ - And there gathered to him every man in distress, and every man who had a creditor, and every man bitter of soul, and he became a commander over them, and there were with him about four hundred men.
An entire army gathers to David, and three types of people are counted here. "Every man in distress" - one who has an inner, emotional distress. "Every man who had a creditor" - an external distress: he has a creditor chasing after him, collection proceedings on his heels, and he is looking for somewhere to flee. "And every man bitter of soul" - a man of anger and fury, who is looking for somewhere to risk his life on the battlefield and perform acts of bravery. There are militant types who cannot live in calm, they need action. All of these came to David, and he became a commander over them.
The Parents in Moav and Their Bitter End
וַיֵּלֶךְ דָּוִד מִשָּׁם מִצְפֵּה מוֹאָב וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב יֵצֵא־נָא אָבִי וְאִמִּי אִתְּכֶם עַד אֲשֶׁר אֵדַע מַה־יַּעֲשֶׂה־לִּי אֱלֹהִים׃ - And David went from there to Mitzpeh Moav, and he said to the king of Moav: Let my father and my mother come out to be with you, until I know what God will do for me.
וַיַּנְחֵם אֶת־פְּנֵי מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב וַיֵּשְׁבוּ עִמּוֹ כׇּל־יְמֵי הֱיוֹת־דָּוִד בַּמְּצוּדָה׃ - And he led them before the king of Moav, and they dwelt with him all the days that David was in the stronghold.
David fears that Shaul will pursue him, and so he turns to the king of Moav and asks: this is a situation of danger, and my family is being hunted; let my father and my mother dwell with you and you will be responsible for guarding them. As long as David was in the stronghold, his parents dwelt with the king of Moav. But Chazal say: when David left there for the forest of Cheret, the king of Moav killed his father and his mother and his brothers, and none of them remained except one, whom Nachash the Ammonite kept alive. David's entire family was murdered by the king of Moav, and later we will see that the king of Moav pays a heavy price for this. "There is no faithfulness in a gentile," in the words of Chazal. And David's own death came about through Nachash.
Gad the prophet and the forest of Cheret
וַיֹּאמֶר גָּד הַנָּבִיא אֶל־דָּוִד לֹא תֵשֵׁב בַּמְּצוּדָה לֵךְ וּבָאתָ־לְּךָ אֶרֶץ יְהוּדָה וַיֵּלֶךְ דָּוִד וַיָּבֹא יַעַר חָרֶת׃ - And Gad the prophet said to David: Do not stay in the stronghold; go, and come to the land of Yehuda. So David went and came to the forest of Cheret.
Gad the prophet was sent on a special mission from Hashem to warn David not to remain in the stronghold, which was a place of hiding, but rather to go to the land of Yehuda, where he would find rescue and be better protected. David leaves the stronghold and comes to the forest of Cheret. Chazal say that Cheret is the name of the place, and the Targum renders it "the woodland of Cheret." There is a Midrash that the place was as dry as earthenware (cheres), meaning completely arid, a place that had not a drop of water in it - the wilderness of Yehuda - and in David's merit the Holy One, blessed be He, moistened it.
Shaul beneath the tamarisk: in whose merit does he still reign
וַיִּשְׁמַע שָׁאוּל כִּי נוֹדַע דָּוִד וַאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ וְשָׁאוּל יוֹשֵׁב בַּגִּבְעָה תַּחַת־הָאֶשֶׁל בָּרָמָה וַחֲנִיתוֹ בְיָדוֹ וְכׇל־עֲבָדָיו נִצָּבִים עָלָיו׃ - And Shaul heard that David was discovered, and the men who were with him, while Shaul was sitting in Giva beneath the tamarisk in Rama, his spear in his hand, and all his servants standing over him.
What is the meaning of "that David was discovered"? Rashi explains that it became known to David that Shaul was pursuing him, and he took care to guard himself against him. Shaul hears that David is already wary of him. The Radak explains: David became known and famous as having men with him. From that point on Shaul begins to fear that a faction has arisen here preparing to rebel against him, an actual coup. And this is generally how coups were carried out in those days, by generals: whoever holds the keys of the army is the one who seizes power. So it is today as well in totalitarian states.
And what is the meaning of "beneath the tamarisk in Rama"? Who sat in Rama? Shmuel of Rama. Chazal say: Shaul sits in Giva in the merit of the great tamarisk (eshel) that is in Rama, namely Shmuel of Rama. In his merit, for he would pray on Shaul's behalf and ask that the work of his hands not be nullified during his lifetime, Shaul's kingship still continued. Were it not for this, Shaul would no longer have been king.
Shaul's rallying speech: "Listen now, Benjaminites"
וַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל לַעֲבָדָיו הַנִּצָּבִים עָלָיו שִׁמְעוּ־נָא בְּנֵי יְמִינִי גַּם־לְכֻלְּכֶם יִתֵּן בֶּן־יִשַׁי שָׂדוֹת וּכְרָמִים לְכֻלְּכֶם יָשִׂים שָׂרֵי אֲלָפִים וְשָׂרֵי מֵאוֹת׃ - And Shaul said to his servants standing over him: Listen now, Benjaminites, will the son of Yishai give to all of you as well fields and vineyards, will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds?
Shaul heard that David was already organizing a band of four hundred men, and he fears that the rebellion is becoming real and that David is preparing a surprise attack and a seizure of the kingship. In such a situation he feels that he must close ranks, for the great problem is that people love to go with the winners. They rush forward, toward the party that seems to them likely to succeed. Shaul makes a calculation: perhaps my kingship is no longer attractive, and people are saying to themselves - David will seize the kingship, let us make ties with him, he is the next trend, Shaul is already a dead horse. You look at a person and see what he is going through, and you see that things are going wrong, and evidently the next thing is already David. This is what Shaul greatly fears.
Therefore he turns to them with an argument about the distribution of positions: the tribe of Yehuda, David's men, are his family, they expect an office, an inheritance, a field or a vineyard, that something be arranged for them. But you, Benjaminites, are not of his family. What do you expect that he will give you too? Is it conceivable that all of you will be commanders of thousands? A commander of a thousand is, after all, one over a thousand. Will he arrange fields and vineyards for all of you? Understand: first, you are not of his family; and second, even if he wanted to, only a few could receive anything. So where are your inclinations, where are you running?
Shaul's two complaints
כִּי קְשַׁרְתֶּם כֻּלְּכֶם עָלַי וְאֵין־גֹּלֶה אֶת־אׇזְנִי בִּכְרׇת־בְּנִי עִם־בֶּן־יִשַׁי וְאֵין־חֹלֶה מִכֶּם עָלַי וְגֹלֶה אֶת־אׇזְנִי כִּי הֵקִים בְּנִי אֶת־עַבְדִּי עָלַי לְאֹרֵב כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה׃ - For you have all conspired against me, and there is none who reveals to me that my son has made a covenant with the son of Yishai, and none of you is troubled for me or reveals to me that my son has set up my servant against me to lie in wait, as it is this day.
He has two complaints. The first: the moment Yehonatan made a covenant with David, you should have told me. Why did you not reveal that there was such an alliance from within my own family, an alliance to help someone who is rebelling against me? A thing happening in my own house, and I know nothing of it at all. And if you say that you did not think a rebellion would grow out of it, now there is no room to doubt: "for my son has set up my servant against me to lie in wait" - you see that this connection gave birth to an actual rebellion, and David has already raised an army. And for what purpose an army, if not to come and storm the throne and seize the kingship? The second complaint: "and none of you is troubled for me" - no one feels my pain. Even now, when you see a rebellion, there is no one who comes to reveal it to me, to feel my pain and to try to help me.
Doeg the Edomite: a cunning wicked man
וַיַּעַן דֹּאֵג הָאֲדֹמִי וְהוּא נִצָּב עַל־עַבְדֵי־שָׁאוּל וַיֹּאמַר רָאִיתִי אֶת־בֶּן־יִשַׁי בָּא נֹבֶה אֶל־אֲחִימֶלֶךְ בֶּן־אֲחִטוּב׃ - Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing over the servants of Shaul, answered and said: I saw the son of Yishai coming to Nov, to Achimelech son of Achituv.
וַיִּשְׁאַל־לוֹ בַּיהֹוָה וְצֵידָה נָתַן לוֹ וְאֵת חֶרֶב גׇּלְיָת הַפְּלִשְׁתִּי נָתַן לוֹ׃ - And he inquired of Hashem for him, and gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.
On the surface, one who looks superficially does not understand what is wanted from Doeg. The king fears a rebellion, Doeg is one of the king's men, the king demands that they tell him who acted against him, and Doeg tells him things as they were. So why did Chazal write such harsh things about him, that he has no share in the World to Come and more, and why did King David compose a chapter in Tehillim against him?
The Malbim says: if you examine the verses carefully, word by word as is his way, you will see that Doeg was a cunning wicked man. A cunning wicked man is one who does his wickedness with cunning, as though he were righteous, while within himself he sets his ambush. In examining the words we see how much malice of heart there was here, how much baseless hatred he bore for David, and what a terrible harm came out of this evil speech, for Shaul accepted the matter exactly as it was presented to him.
"Coming to Nov, to Achimelech" - instead of "coming to the Mishkan of Hashem"
Had he said that David came directly to the Mishkan of Hashem, this would have shown that David had nothing to hide: he came to a public place and spoke openly before all eyes. But Doeg, in his great wickedness, says: "coming to Nov, to Achimelech son of Achituv" - not to the Mishkan, but to the man. The implication is that he came specifically to his home. And what does he have to request at his home? Apparently there are secrets to weave there. Had this been an open matter, why did he not come to the Mishkan to speak with him before everyone? From here it is clear that there was something hidden here, apparently how to seize the kingship and how Achimelech would help him.
And note David's words in Tehillim: "To the choirmaster, a maskil of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Shaul and said to him: David has come to the house of Achimelech." This is the emphasis, and this is the essence of the evil speech - "to the house of Achimelech." And this is an outright lie, for David went to the Mishkan of Hashem. When you say that he went secretly to his home, you give an entirely different picture to the whole story.
What Doeg did not tell
Notice how many details were omitted. He did not tell that David said he was going on the king's mission. He did not tell that David came to the Mishkan of Hashem. He did not tell that David was seized by a ravenous hunger. He did not tell that David requested and even demanded the sword, that the sword of Goliath was the only sword there, and that Achimelech at first even refused to give it. And he did not tell that the entire picture that stood before Achimelech was that David was nothing but the extended arm of King Shaul. That is what David told him, and he had no other information: David said "I am on the king's mission," and as the king's messenger it was his duty to help him.
And further: "Achimelech son of Achituv." Not only Achimelech himself, but the entire family of Achituv is joined to this act of treachery. The whole family there is bound up with David, the whole family together with him.
The reversed order of events: "He inquired of Hashem for him" first
The Malbim makes a wonderful precise observation. In fact, the inquiry of Hashem came at the end, so how does Doeg place it at the beginning of the story? There is great cunning here. Were we to ask Doeg: if it was all secret, how do you know about it? He would answer: I was in the Mishkan. If so, why did Achimelech need to come to the Mishkan and publicize his connections with David, if according to you it was all clandestine? To this his account answers: David wanted to inquire through the Urim VeTumim, and the Urim VeTumim are in the Mishkan, so Achimelech had no choice but to come there. First David went to Achimelech's house in secret, and immediately afterward they were forced to go up to the Mishkan in order to inquire of Hashem. That is why he places "he inquired of Hashem for him" first.
And not only that. If the inquiry of Hashem came first, then even if we were to say that Achimelech did not know at the outset, after the inquiry he was already exposed to the information, for the Kohen is the one who receives the answer and delivers it, and he already knew that David was fleeing, and knew everything. If so, how can he claim he did not know? And even more: if you already knew that David was fleeing, and despite all that "he gave him provisions and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine," this proves that you deliberately assisted David.
And the Malbim says: had he placed the sword of Goliath first, one might have thought that Achimelech had no choice, for the sword was in David's hand and he was threatening his life, and out of that threat he inquired of Hashem for him. But according to the order Doeg presented, first he inquired of Hashem, then he gave provisions, and the giving of the provisions was also not under duress, and only at the end was the sword given. It turns out that everything was done willingly, and it cannot be attributed to coercion.
"And he gave him provisions" - denying the ravenous hunger
Here too there is falsehood. He does not mention that David was seized by ravenous hunger, but says "he gave him provisions," and the meaning of "provisions" is food for the journey. Had he said that David was seized by ravenous hunger, that would imply that David arrived starving and had no other way to sustain himself. But according to Doeg this was not the case: Achimelech understood that David would need a long time before he succeeded in seizing the kingship, and therefore he took care to supply him with food for the road, so that he would have more than enough to be able to come and conquer you, my lord the king.
And so too with the sword: see how an inaccuracy in the facts changes the entire picture. David told Achimelech that he had hurried to set out on the king's business and had not managed to take even a sword, and he asked for some sword; Achimelech replied that there was only the sword of Goliath and hinted that perhaps he should not take it, and David said "give it to me, there is none like it." But Doeg describes it: "and he gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine," as though from the outset Achimelech went and gave him the sword of Goliath. A distortion and twisting of the facts.
The summons to judgment
וַיִּשְׁלַח הַמֶּלֶךְ לִקְרֹא אֶת־אֲחִימֶלֶךְ בֶּן־אֲחִיטוּב הַכֹּהֵן וְאֵת כׇּל־בֵּית אָבִיו הַכֹּהֲנִים אֲשֶׁר בְּנֹב וַיָּבֹאוּ כֻלָּם אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ׃ - And the king sent to summon Achimelech son of Achituv the Kohen and all his father's house, the Kohanim who were in Nov, and they all came to the king.
וַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל שְׁמַע־נָא בֶּן־אֲחִיטוּב וַיֹּאמֶר הִנְנִי אֲדֹנִי׃ - And Shaul said, hear now, son of Achituv, and he said, here I am, my lord.
The king sends to summon not only Achimelech but also all his father's house, for Doeg had said "Achimelech son of Achituv," meaning the entire family of Achituv is joined to this act of treachery. And when he addresses him he calls him "son of Achituv." We have already explained that when one wishes to disgrace a person, one calls him by his father's name: "son of Yishai," "son of Achituv." The intent is: in yourself you are nothing, you are a zero; only your father has a name, and perhaps by his power there is something in you, but you in yourself are nothing.
The Indictment: From the Lighter to the Graver
וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו שָׁאוּל לָמָּה קְשַׁרְתֶּם עָלַי אַתָּה וּבֶן־יִשָׁי בְּתִתְּךָ לוֹ לֶחֶם וְחֶרֶב וְשָׁאוֹל לוֹ בֵּאלֹהִים לָקוּם אֵלַי לְאֹרֵב כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה׃ - And Shaul said to him: Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Yishai, in that you gave him bread and a sword, and inquired of God for him, so that he should rise up against me to lie in wait, as at this day?
With Shaul there is no longer any dispute; the facts are clear to him according to Doeg's report. But Doeg told them in the order of inquiry, bread, and sword, whereas here Shaul changes the order. The Malbim explains that Shaul arranges matters from the lighter to the graver. First, you gave bread to one who rebels against the king, a criminal offense. Second, you gave him a sword, a sword with which he could kill the king. And third, gravest of all: you inquired of God for him. One inquires of the Urim VeTumim only for the king, yet you went and inquired on behalf of a private individual. For what purpose? So that he should go out to fight against me, "to rise up against me to lie in wait." You held a powerful instrument designated for the king's use alone, and you used it on behalf of a commoner, and in order to undermine the king.
Achimelech's Defense
וַיַּעַן אֲחִימֶלֶךְ אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֹּאמַר וּמִי בְכׇל־עֲבָדֶיךָ כְּדָוִד נֶאֱמָן וַחֲתַן הַמֶּלֶךְ וְסָר אֶל־מִשְׁמַעְתֶּךָ וְנִכְבָּד בְּבֵיתֶךָ׃ - And Achimelech answered the king and said: And who among all your servants is as faithful as David, the king's son in law, who is at your bidding and honored in your house?
Achimelech says to him: there was nothing that would make me imagine that David was rebelling against the king. Had David been a treacherous person by nature, fine, but "who among all your servants is as faithful as David" - he is known and renowned as a faithful man. Had we seen him rebel against you in the past, fine, but "who is at your bidding" - to every place you sent him he went, and he never rebelled. Had I aided someone who was not of the king's family but of a rival family, fine, but he is "the king's son in law," one of your household. And had I known that you had distanced and humiliated him, perhaps I would have suspected that he sought to return to his former honor and was therefore rebelling against you; but he is "honored in your house," and this is all I know until now, for the matter of your pursuit of him was not publicly known. If so, why would he want to rebel, and why should I suspect him?
"Today I Have Begun to Inquire of God for Him"
הַיּוֹם הַחִלֹּתִי לִשְׁאׇל־לוֹ בֵאלֹהִים חָלִילָה לִּי אַל־יָשֵׂם הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּעַבְדּוֹ דָבָר בְּכׇל־בֵּית אָבִי כִּי לֹא־יָדַע עַבְדְּךָ בְּכׇל־זֹאת דָּבָר קָטֹן אוֹ גָדוֹל׃ - Did I today begin to inquire of God for him? Far be it from me. Let the king not impute anything to his servant, nor to all my father's house, for your servant knew nothing of all this, either small or great.
One interpretation: Did I begin only today to inquire of God for him? This is not the first time. Apparently in the past too he would inquire of God on his behalf, at Shaul's mission, when the king needed to know what to do, and he would send David to inquire.
An additional interpretation: now, at this hour, it is revealed to Achimelech that David is not faithful to Shaul's house, and that the king regards him as a rebel. On this he says: did I inquire of God for him today, after I learned that he is rebelling against you? Had I inquired today, fine, then clearly I am aiding those who rebel against you. But I inquired even before it became known that David had any grievance against you, and if so, on what is the charge?
And he adds, pleading: "Let the king not impute anything to his servant, nor to all my father's house" - the guilt you ascribe to me is not in me, and all the more so it cannot be tied to all my father's house, "for your servant knew nothing of all this, either small or great."
The Sentence and the Runners' Refusal
וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ מוֹת תָּמוּת אֲחִימֶלֶךְ אַתָּה וְכׇל־בֵּית אָבִיךָ׃ - And the king said: You shall surely die, Achimelech, you and all your father's house.
וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ לָרָצִים הַנִּצָּבִים עָלָיו סֹבּוּ וְהָמִיתוּ כֹּהֲנֵי יְהֹוָה כִּי גַם־יָדָם עִם־דָּוִד וְכִי יָדְעוּ כִּי־בֹרֵחַ הוּא וְלֹא גָלוּ אֶת־אׇזְנִי וְלֹא־אָבוּ עַבְדֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ לִשְׁלֹחַ אֶת־יָדָם לִפְגֹעַ בְּכֹהֲנֵי יְהֹוָה׃ - And the king said to the runners standing over him: Turn and kill the priests of Hashem, for their hand too is with David, and because they knew that he was fleeing and did not reveal it to me. But the king's servants would not put forth their hand to strike the priests of Hashem.
The king commands the runners standing before him to kill the priests of Hashem, but they do not buy the story and are deeply troubled. Killing the priests of Hashem, with Achimelech at their head, is no simple matter at all. Imagine being told to enter a place where the great sages of Israel are sitting and to kill them. They were not willing under any circumstances. And Chazal say that these were Avner and Amasa, who stood beside Shaul and heard the command and would not lay a hand on the priests of Hashem.
And how did they dare to refuse the king's command? Chazal say they expounded the words "ach" and "rak" ("only" and "but"), for wherever "ach" or "rak" is said, it comes to limit. It was said to Yehoshua: "Any man who rebels against your word shall be put to death," and from here we learn the conduct toward the king: one may not defy his word, and one who defies his word is liable to death. Could this even apply to a matter of sin? If he tells me to desecrate Shabbat, if he tells me to transgress a prohibition, must I obey him? The verse teaches: "Only (rak) be strong and courageous to observe and to do according to all the Torah." The word "rak" comes to limit: not everything. Where the matter touches upon Torah, both you and the king are obligated to obey the voice of Hashem. Therefore they told him that they were not willing to do this.
Based on this, the Radak notes: it is impossible to say that Avner and Amasa are the "runners." "Standing over him" means important officers who stand beside the king. Therefore it should be read as though it said "to the runners and to those standing over him": the runners are simple people who run at the king's bidding, and those standing over him are Avner and Amasa, officers and dignitaries in the house of Shaul.
"You were caught like a fish": Doeg carries out the decree
וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ לְדוֹאֵג סֹב אַתָּה וּפְגַע בַּכֹּהֲנִים וַיִּסֹּב דּוֹאֵג הָאֲדֹמִי וַיִּפְגַּע־הוּא בַּכֹּהֲנִים וַיָּמֶת בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא שְׁמֹנִים וַחֲמִשָּׁה אִישׁ נֹשֵׂא אֵפוֹד בָּד׃ - And the king said to Doeg: Turn, you, and strike the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he struck the priests, and he put to death on that day eighty five men who wore the linen ephod.
Note the spelling: "le-Doyeg." Rashi says his name was changed. He said to him: You were caught like a fish (dag). You informed on them, so you kill them. For often a person is willing to say things that will cause another's death, but to kill with his own hands, to strangle him, he is not willing; he wants to keep his hands clean and is unwilling to get dirty. This is why the Torah says that when witnesses come to testify against a murderer, "the hand of the witnesses shall be upon him first to put him to death." Do not be a hero only to stand on the witness stand and say "we saw that he murdered"; know that you will have to kill him with your own hands. Think twice before you say these things, and be completely certain about it. If he truly is a murderer, you have fulfilled a mitzvah; but if there is doubt, take into account that it is not the court that will kill him but you, and it will rest upon your conscience. And this is what he said to Doeg: You thought only to speak lashon hara and someone else would finish the job? You were caught like a fish.
And why specifically like a fish? A fish is caught by its mouth, the hook lodges in its mouth. He said to him: you too were caught by your tongue. And the Chafetz Chaim adds: often a great person makes it hard for the evil inclination, which finds it difficult to catch him with sins, for he is not drawn after the pleasures and desires of this world. Where does it catch him? By the tongue. A person like us would not come to speak against the great sages of Israel, for we know our own smallness and their greatness. But a great person who has a dispute with another great person, a disagreement in halacha or in outlook, may come to speak lashon hara about his fellow, for he is on the same level and has no sense of nullification toward him. So it was with Miriam: would we ever have dared to speak about Moshe? But Miriam, his older sister, felt she had the right even to criticize him. And so it was here: Doeg was caught in lashon hara about a great one of Israel, about David the king, for Doeg himself was also great in Torah. And sometimes the evil inclination catches a person with lashon hara of this kind.
The destruction of Nov: "and do not be overly wicked"
וְאֵת נֹב עִיר־הַכֹּהֲנִים הִכָּה לְפִי־חֶרֶב מֵאִישׁ וְעַד־אִשָּׁה מֵעוֹלֵל וְעַד־יוֹנֵק וְשׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר וָשֶׂה לְפִי־חָרֶב׃ - And Nov, the city of the priests, he struck with the edge of the sword, from man to woman, from child to infant, and ox and donkey and sheep, by the edge of the sword.
Chazal say: regarding Amalek it is written "and Shaul and the people had pity on the best of the flock," and a heavenly voice came out and said to him: Do not be overly righteous. Are you more merciful than the Creator of the world? The Creator of the world said to destroy them. And regarding Nov the city of the priests, where he killed from child to infant, ox and donkey and sheep by the edge of the sword, a heavenly voice came out and said: and do not be overly wicked. One who wants to be overly righteous may, Heaven forbid, come to be overly wicked. Rather, a person must go according to what the Torah says; do not try to be more righteous than the Torah, for in the end you will do things that are the very opposite of the Torah.
And why did he strike them all? So that others would hear and fear, that no man would again dare to endanger himself and help David.
The Radak's Question: Where is the Punishment for Nov?
The Radak asks a tremendous question: in all the places where Shaul's sins are mentioned, the sin of killing Nov, the city of the Kohanim, is not mentioned. And even when Shaul's sons were handed over to be hanged before the sun, together with Ritzpah daughter of Ayah, as we will reach later, for which sin was this? For the killing of the Givonim who were in Nov, the city of the Kohanim. For in Nov it was not only the Kohanim who were killed, but also the Givonim, who were the woodcutters and water drawers for the Mishkan, and it was for their blood that the claim was made, and because of it his sons were handed over to death. But for the killing of the Kohanim themselves we find no claim.
The Radak resolves this: know that the Kohanim were liable to death, and their sin is not revealed in Scripture. And this is what we saw earlier with Eli, that the Holy One, blessed be He, told him that the punishment would accompany the house of Eli for the coming generations. Eli's sons were desecrating the holy offerings and taking from the sacrifices "as the fork brought up," as we saw at the beginning of Sefer Shmuel, and this sin continued for generations, "all the increase of your house shall die as men." And this is what was fulfilled at Nov, the city of the Kohanim. Even so, there is a place where Chazal say that Shaul's death before its time, when he fell by the sword of the Pelishtim in war as we will see later, part of it was for the sin of Nov, the city of the Kohanim.
David's Responsibility
In the holy Zohar (part 2, page 224) it is implied that the sin was David's sin, as David himself will say shortly. David was not careful, and went to Achimelech at a time when Doeg the Edomite was there, and in doing so incriminated him. How can you make contact with a person when you know you are being pursued, and anyone who comes into contact with you becomes liable with his life? The obligation falls on David. And therefore it is said that all of David's sons were killed except for Yoash who hid, and just as from Nov only Evyatar remained, so too with David only Yoash remained.
The Power of a Bite of Food
Chazal said: great is a bite of food, for it distances the close, and draws near the distant, and averts the eye from the wicked, and rests the Shechinah upon the prophets of the Baal, and its unintentional error rises to the level of intentional sin. A bite of food is drawing close and hospitality, that you give a person a cup of coffee and a little to eat. It distances the close - from Amon and Moav, who did not greet us with bread and water and were distanced. It draws near the distant - from Yitro, "call him that he may eat bread," and by this merit he was drawn near. It averts the eye from the wicked - from Michah, whose tent was open to every passerby and he would give them a livelihood, and through this the Holy One, blessed be He, averted His eye from him. It rests the Shechinah upon the prophets of the Baal - from Ido the prophet, for the false prophet hosted him and received a prophecy to convey to him. And its unintentional error rises to the level of intentional sin - for had Yonatan not lent David two loaves of bread, Nov the city of the Kohanim would not have been killed, and Doeg the Edomite would not have been banished, and Shaul and his three sons would not have been killed. See what this is: everything because of a small nail. You would have given David a little bread, and we would have spared the whole story.
Evyatar Escapes and David Takes Responsibility
וַיִּמָּלֵט בֵּן־אֶחָד לַאֲחִימֶלֶךְ בֶּן־אֲחִטוּב וּשְׁמוֹ אֶבְיָתָר וַיִּבְרַח אַחֲרֵי דָוִד׃ - And one son of Achimelech son of Achituv escaped, and his name was Evyatar, and he fled after David.
וַיַּגֵּד אֶבְיָתָר לְדָוִד כִּי הָרַג שָׁאוּל אֵת כֹּהֲנֵי יְהֹוָה׃ - And Evyatar told David that Shaul had killed the Kohanim of Hashem.
וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד לְאֶבְיָתָר יָדַעְתִּי בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא כִּי־שָׁם דּוֹאֵג הָאֲדֹמִי כִּי־הַגֵּד יַגִּיד לְשָׁאוּל אָנֹכִי סַבֹּתִי בְּכׇל־נֶפֶשׁ בֵּית אָבִיךָ׃ - And David said to Evyatar: I knew on that day, because Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Shaul. I am the cause of the death of every soul of your father's house.
David says: I knew on that very day that Doeg the Edomite was there, and I knew that he would report to Shaul. "I have brought about" - from the word for cause: I caused this, I set in motion that it would be so. That is, an act close to intentional, for I caused their death and I require atonement. And indeed the Midrash relates that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: through you were killed the people of Nov, the city of the priests. So there was such a claim against him.
"Stay with me"
שְׁבָה אִתִּי אַל־תִּירָא כִּי אֲשֶׁר־יְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת־נַפְשִׁי יְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת־נַפְשֶׁךָ כִּי־מִשְׁמֶרֶת אַתָּה עִמָּדִי׃ - Stay with me, do not fear, for whoever seeks my life seeks your life, for you are a charge in my keeping.
David tells him: in any case it is worthwhile for you to remain with me. For whoever seeks you will seek me first, and you will always be secondary; no one will pursue you as the primary target. And from the standpoint of protection you are far safer here, for there are many men here. "For you are a charge in my keeping" - and I too need you, for you are a priest and the Urim VeTumim are in your hand, and as we will see in the next chapter, King David uses the Urim VeTumim.
In summary:
Chapter 22 teaches how far the power of speech can reach: Doeg the Edomite did not fabricate facts out of nothing, but arranged them cunningly - he omitted the king's mission, the Mishkan, the ravenous hunger, and Achimelech's refusal, placed the inquiry of Hashem before the sword, and called the Mishkan "the house of Achimelech" - and from this distortion was born the destruction of Nov, the city of the priests, and the killing of eighty five wearers of the linen ephod. Alongside this stand Avner and Amasa, who refused an unlawful order by virtue of "only be strong and courageous," the heavenly voice that called out to Shaul "and do not be overly wicked," and King David, who does not evade responsibility and says "I have brought it about." And from here comes the lesson our Sages taught: were it not for two loaves of bread, the entire episode would not have occurred, and a person is required to weigh well every word he lets out of his mouth, just as he is required to be careful not to be more righteous than the Torah.