Daily Tanach Wednesday Shmuel 2 Chapter 19 Part 4: A controversy breaks out between the people of Yehuda and the rest of Israel

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1.      A controversy breaks out between the people of Yehuda and the rest of Israel:

  • The king is escorted back home by the tribe of Judah: The king crossed to the city of Gilgola and Kimhan traveled together with him. Likewise, all of the people of Judah helped the king cross [the Jordan River and return back to Jerusalem] together with half [i.e., a minor amount[1]] of the nation of Israel.
  • The other tribes confront the king: The rest of the Jewish people [excluding the tribe of Judah] came to the king and confronted him for having let the tribe of Judah “steal their hearts” by escorting the king and his household and all of his men alone through the Jordan [and not waiting for them to arrive and join the escort, hence making it appear as if they don’t want to re-coronate the king[2]].
  • The reply of the men of Judah: All the men of Judah replied to the men of Israel, “The reason that we did this is because the king comes from our tribe, and after all there is nothing to be angry about over the fact that we escorted him, as we did not participate in any of his meals and he has given us any gifts [and hence there was no profit involved in escorting him].”
  • The reply to the men of Israel: The men of Israel replied to the men of Judah, “We have 10 times greater strength than you in relevance of the king [as we represent 10 tribes, and you only represent one[3]] and therefore we should have stronger influence with Dovid than you. Why then did you shame us and not allow us to be the first ones to come and escort our king.”
  • In summary of the controversy, the men of Judah ended up speaking much harsher words than the men of Israel.

[1] Radak 19:41

[2] See Radak 19:42

[3] Rashi 19:44

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.

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