Daily Tanach Tuesday Shmuel 2 Chapter 9: Dovid performs kindness for Mifiboshes from the household Shaul

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Chapter 9: Dovid performs kindness for Mifiboshes from the household Shaul

1.      Dovid inquires as to whether there remains any descendants of Shaul:

  • Dovid asked, are there any more descendants from the household of Shaul so I can do kindness with them on behalf of Yehonason?
  • Tziva the servant of Shaul: The house of Shaul had a slave named Tziva.
  • Dovid summons Tziva and inquires as to any remaining descendants: Dovid summoned this slave, and the king asked him are you Tziva? To which he replied that indeed he is his servant [Tziva]. The king asked him, are there any descendants remaining from the house of Shaul that I can do kindness of G-d with? Tziva replied to the king that there is another son remaining to Yehonason and that he is crippled. The king asked him as to his whereabouts, to which Tziva replied to the king that he lives in [hiding in[1]] the house of Machir, the son of Amiel, in [an area called[2]] Lo Davar.

2.      Dovid invites Mifiboshes, the son of Yehonason, to live with him:

  • Dovid brings Mifiboshes to him: Dovid the king sent messengers and he brought Mifiboshes from the house of Machir, the son of Amiel, who lived in the area Lo Davar. When Mifiboshes, the son of Yehonason, the son of Shaul, arrived to Dovid he prostrated his face on the ground and bowed to him. Dovid asked him, “are you Mifiboshes?” and he replied that indeed he is a servant
  • Dovid returns Shaul’s fields to Mifiboshes and gives an open invitation to the palace: Dovid told him: “Do not worry, as I will do with you kindness on behalf of your father Yehonason, and I will return all the fields of Shaul your father, and you shall eat bread at my table throughout all the days.”
  • Mifiboshes replies with humility: Mifiboshes prostrated himself to Dovid and said to him, “Who is your servant that you have turned to a dead dog like me.”

3.      Dovid instructs Tziva that he and his household are being handed to Mifiboshes as servants:

  • The king summoned Tziva, the lad of Shaul, and said to him: “All that belonged to Shaul and to his entire household I have given to [Mifiboshes], the son of your master [Yehonason and Shaul]. You, and your children, and servants, shall work for him the field, and you shall bring the produce [of the field] to [Micha[3]] the son of your master [Mifiboshes], so that the son of your master will have bread to eat. [However,] Mifiboshes, the son of your master [Yehonason and Shaul], will always eat bread on my table.”
  • Tziva’s children and slaves: Tziva had 15 sons and 20 slaves.
  • Tziva replies to the king: Tziva said to the king: “All that my master the king has commanded his servant will be done by his servant.” [Dovid replied to him that[4]] “And Mifiboshes will eat on my table like one of the king’s own sons.”

4.      The aftermath of Mifiboshes:

  • The son of Mifiboshes: Mifiboshes had a small son named Micha.
  • His assets: All the slaves of the house of Tziva became servants for
  • Living in Jerusalem: Mifiboshes settled in Jerusalem as he would always eat on the king’s table.
  • Being crippled: Mifiboshes was crippled in both of his legs.
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[1] Malbim 9:3

[2] Radak 9:4

[3] Metzudos Dovid 9:10

[4] Rashi 9:11

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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