Daily Tanach Thursday Shmuel 2 Chapter 21: Seven descendants of Shaul are killed by the Givonim

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1.      Seven descendants of Shaul are killed by the Givonim:

  • Mifiboshes is saved by Dovid from being given to the Givonim: The king had mercy on Mifiboshes, the son of Yehonason, the son of Shaul, as he had made an oath in the name of G-d between him and between Yehonason, the son of Shaul [to help and assist his descendants]. [The descendants of Shaul were each required to pass in front of the Aron Habris, and whoever was chosen by the Aron would be put to death. Hence, Dovid prayed to G-d that Mifiboshes would not be chosen.[1]]
  • The seven descendants who were chosen for death: The king took the two sons of Ritzpah the daughter of Ayah who gave birth for Shaul, Armoni, and Mifiboshes[2], and the five sons of [Meirav, whose stepmother was[3]] Michal, the daughter of Shaul, who had birthed from Adriel the son of Barzilaiy from Micholasi.
  • The hanging: The above seven individuals were handed over to the Givonim and hung on a mountain in front of G-d [i.e. in front of the Aron and Urim Vetumim[4]]. All seven died together. They were put to death in the very beginning of the time of harvest of the fields of barley [in the month of Nisan[5]].
  • Ritzpah guards the bodies from the birds: Ritzpah the daughter of Ayah took a sack and covered it over the rock [that they were hung by] in order to protect them from the birds of the heavens that they should not attack them during the day, and to protect them from the animals of the field at night. The bodies remain covered until the time of the rain season [in Tishreiy[6]]. [Thus, the bodies remained hanging for six months from Nisan until Tishreiy. This was done in order to publicize to the nations of the world the severity of even harming a convert, and certainly against harming the Jewish people.[7]]

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[1] Rashi 21:7; Yevamos 79a

[2] This is a different Mifiboshes, who was the son of Shaul, and is not to be confused with Mifiboshes the son of Yehonason, who was the grandson of Shaul.

[3] Rashi 20:8

[4] Radak 21:9

[5] Rashi 21:9

[6] Rashi 21:9

[7] Rashi 21:10; Yevamos 79a

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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