Daily Tanach Wednesday Shmuel 2 Chapter 18: Avshalom is found and killed and buried

1.      Avshalom is found and killed and buried:

• Avshalom hangs by his hair from a tree: Avshalom was coming towards the servants of Dovid while riding on a mule. Now, as the mule was galloping under a large Alah tree, the hair of Avshalom got stuck to one of the branches of the tree and he was hanging between heaven and earth while the mule continued with its journey and passed from under him.
• Yoav is informed of the predicament of Avshalom and seeks his death: A certain man had witnessed this and saw Avshalom stuck on the tree and he went and told Yoav of what happened with Avshalom and that he is hanging from a tree. Yoav responded to the man who informed him of this by saying, “If you have seen this happen to him, then why didn’t you kill him and I would have compensated you with much monetary reward in exchange, in addition to giving you a belt.” The man responded to Yoav saying, “Even if I were to weigh the money in my own hands, I could not send my hand against the son of the king, as we all heard the king instruct both you and Avishaiy and Itaiy not to harm his son Avshalom and to sit and guard him. How could I be able to act in a deceitful way and kill him when certainly the king would discover this and then punish me, while you would sit opposite him and not come to my aid.” Yoav then responded to him saying, “Never mind that I asked you, I will go and do it myself.”
• Avshalom is killed: Yoav took three spares in his hand and he stabbed Avshalom with it three times into his heart, while he was still alive hanging from the tree. [He stabbed him so hard that his body became attached to the tree and was stabbed into it.[1]] Ten lads who were the weapon carriers of Yoav surrounded the area and they smote Avshalom and killed him.
• Yoav gathers the nation and proclaims victory: Yoav blew the shofar and called all his soldiers to return from chasing after members of the Jewish army loyal to Avshalom, as he felt the victory was already achieved and there is no more need for the loss of more lives in the war.
• Avshalom is buried: They took the body of Avshalom and threw it into a large pit that was in the forest, and buried him under a very large mound of stones. All the Jewish people who were on the side of Avshalom then fled back to their homes.
• The hand monument of Avshalom: In the past, prior to the war, Avshalom made for himself a monument in the king’s Valley in order to commemorate himself, being that he did not have any sons to continue his reign. He named that monument after himself and indeed it is called “Yad Avshalom” until this very day.

[1] Radak 18:14