Shemini
II Samuel 6:1-7:17
After generations of wars with their neighbors under King David and earlier leaders, the nation of Israel is unified and at peace - and David yearns to fulfill his desire builds a permanent house for God in the royal city. His first step is to transport the Ark from the Avinadav family’s home in Givah on a wagon guided by two family members, Uzzah and Achiyo, but disaster strikes: Uzzah touches it, and God kills him. (“Avinadav'' combines the names of Avihu and Nadav whom God also suddenly strikes down for their trespasses while participating in the Tabernacle’s inauguration, as recounted in this week’s Parashah.) The Ark spends the next three months in the nearby home of Obed-Edom, whose family is blessed by its presence. With jubilation led by David and trepidation, the Ark is successfully carried by hand to Jerusalem. Afterward, Michal tells her husband, David, that his jubilation degraded the crown. David rejects her criticism - and her, too. Some time later, David tells the prophet, Nathan, that he wants to build a permanent house for God. Nathan approves - but God does not. He instructs Nathan to tell David that his son, not he, will build His Temple. God nonetheless assures David that He will support his royal line forever.
Haftarah Breakdown
Verses 6:1-5: David sets out to bring the Ark to Jerusalem.
II Samuel 6:2
שמואל ב ו:ב
David and all the people who were with him set out from Baalim of Judah to bring up from there God’s Ark called [by] the Name- the name, “Lord of Hosts Enthroned on the Cherubim.”
וַיָּ֣קָם ׀ וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ דָּוִ֗ד וְכָל־הָעָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִתּ֔וֹ מִֽבַּעֲלֵ֖י יְהוּדָ֑ה לְהַעֲל֣וֹת מִשָּׁ֗ם אֵ֚ת אֲר֣וֹן הָאֱלֹקים אֲשֶׁר־נִקְרָ֣א שֵׁ֗ם שֵׁ֣ם ה' צְבָא֛וֹת יֹשֵׁ֥ב הַכְּרֻבִ֖ים עָלָֽיו׃
Verses 6:6-8: Uzzah supports the Ark with his hand and is struck dead…
II Samuel 6:7
שמואל ב ו:ז
The Lord’s anger flared against Uzzah. God smote him there for his error, and he died there, at God’s Ark.
וַיִּֽחַר־אַ֤ף ה' בְּעֻזָּ֔ה וַיַּכֵּ֥הוּ שָׁ֛ם הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים עַל־הַשַּׁ֑ל וַיָּ֣מָת שָׁ֔ם עִ֖ם אֲר֥וֹן הָאֱלֹקים׃
Verses 6:9-12a:... so David leaves the Ark with Obed-Edom, to whose family it brings blessings for three months.
II Samuel 6:10
שמואל ב ו:י
David would not remove the Lord’s ark to him into the city of David. David carried it aside into the house of Obed Edom the Gittite.
וְלֹֽא־אָבָ֣ה דָוִ֗ד לְהָסִ֥יר אֵלָ֛יו אֶת־אֲר֥וֹן ה' עַל־עִ֣יר דָּוִ֑ד וַיַּטֵּ֣הוּ דָוִ֔ד בֵּ֥ית עֹבֵֽד־אֱד֖וֹם הַגִּתִּֽי׃
Verses 6:12b-19: With sacrifices and dancing jubilation led by David, the Ark is carried to a tent in the royal city.
II Samuel 6:15
שמואל ב ו:ט״ו
David and all the house of Israel brought up the Lord’s ark with shouting, and with the sound of the shofar.
וְדָוִד֙ וְכָל־בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מַעֲלִ֖ים אֶת־אֲר֣וֹן ה' בִּתְרוּעָ֖ה וּבְק֥וֹל שׁוֹפָֽר׃
Verses 6:20-23: Michal, David’s wife, criticizes his dancing before the Ark. David rejects her words and her.
II Samuel 6:20
שמואל ב ו:כ
David returned to bless his household. Michal, daughter of Saul, came out to meet David, and said, “How glorious was the king of Israel today, in that he revealed [himself] today [before] the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the empty fellows reveals [himself]!”
וַיָּ֥שָׁב דָּוִ֖ד לְבָרֵ֣ךְ אֶת־בֵּית֑וֹ וַתֵּצֵ֞א מִיכַ֤ל בַּת־שָׁאוּל֙ לִקְרַ֣את דָּוִ֔ד וַתֹּ֗אמֶר מַה־נִּכְבַּ֨ד הַיּ֜וֹם מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אֲשֶׁ֨ר נִגְלָ֤ה הַיּוֹם֙ לְעֵינֵ֨י אַמְה֣וֹת עֲבָדָ֔יו כְּהִגָּל֥וֹת נִגְל֖וֹת אַחַ֥ד הָרֵקִֽים׃
Verses 7:1-3: Dwelling peacefully in his palace,, David deems it fitting to build a house for the Ark.
II Samuel 7:2
שמואל ב ז:ב
The king said to the prophet Nathan: “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but God’s ark dwells within a curtain!”
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ אֶל־נָתָ֣ן הַנָּבִ֔יא רְאֵ֣ה נָ֔א אָנֹכִ֥י יוֹשֵׁ֖ב בְּבֵ֣ית אֲרָזִ֑ים וַֽאֲרוֹן֙ הָֽאֱלֹקים יֹשֵׁ֖ב בְּת֥וֹךְ הַיְרִיעָֽה׃
Verses 7:4-7: God tells the prophet Nathan that David will not build Him a home...
II Samuel 7:7
שמואל ב ז:ז
Wherever I [God] traveled with all the children of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the rulers of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people, Israel, saying, “Why did you not build Me a house of cedar?”
בְּכֹ֥ל אֲשֶֽׁר־הִתְהַלַּכְתִּי֮ בְּכָל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ הֲדָבָ֣ר דִּבַּ֗רְתִּי אֶת־אַחַד֙ שִׁבְטֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוִּ֗יתִי לִרְע֛וֹת אֶת־עַמִּ֥י אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר לָ֛מָּה לֹֽא־בְנִיתֶ֥ם לִ֖י בֵּ֥ית אֲרָזִֽים׃
Verses 7:8-17: ...but David’s son will build it. God will support David’s royal line forever.
II Samuel 7:13
שמואל ב ז:י״ג
He [David’s son] shall build a house for My name, and I will make firm his kingdom’s throne forever.
ה֥וּא יִבְנֶה־בַּ֖יִת לִשְׁמִ֑י וְכֹנַנְתִּ֛י אֶת־כִּסֵּ֥א מַמְלַכְתּ֖וֹ עַד־עוֹלָֽם׃
Connections
For Maimonides, David’s humble exultation before the Ark exemplifies proper love of God and His precepts.
Mishneh Torah, Shofar, Sukkah and Lulav 8:15
משנה תורה, הלכות שופר וסוכה ולולב ח:ט״ו
The joy of a person rejoicing when performing a precept, and when loving God who commanded us to perform them, is a great act of divine service. Anyone who refrains from this joy deserves punishment, as Scripture (Deut. 28:47) states, “Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and with a good heart.” Anyone who is arrogant and glorifies himself, or considers himself glorious, on such occasions is a sinner and a fool. Solomon warned against this, saying (Prov. 25:6), "Do not beautify yourself before the King.” Anyone who humbles himself and his body on such occasions is the great and honored one who serves the Lord out of love. Similarly, David, King of Israel, said (II Sam. 6:22), “I would lower myself even more than this; I would be lowly in my own eyes.” Greatness and honor are [attained] only by rejoicing before the Lord, as Scripture states (II Sam. 6:16), "King David lept and danced before the Lord.”
הַשִּׂמְחָה שֶׁיִּשְׂמַח אָדָם בַּעֲשִׂיַּת הַמִּצְוָה וּבְאַהֲבַת הָאֵל שֶׁצִּוָּה בָּהֶן. עֲבוֹדָה גְּדוֹלָה הִיא. וְכָל הַמּוֹנֵעַ עַצְמוֹ מִשִּׂמְחָה זוֹ רָאוּי לְהִפָּרַע מִמֶּנּוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים כח מז) "תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר לֹא עָבַדְתָּ אֶת ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְטוּב לֵבָב". וְכָל הַמֵּגִיס דַּעְתּוֹ וְחוֹלֵק כָּבוֹד לְעַצְמוֹ וּמִתְכַּבֵּד בְּעֵינָיו בִּמְקוֹמוֹת אֵלּוּ חוֹטֵא וְשׁוֹטֶה. וְעַל זֶה הִזְהִיר שְׁלֹמֹה וְאָמַר (משלי כה ו) "אַל תִּתְהַדַּר לִפְנֵי מֶלֶךְ". וְכָל הַמַּשְׁפִּיל עַצְמוֹ וּמֵקֵל גּוּפוֹ בִּמְקוֹמוֹת אֵלּוּ הוּא הַגָּדוֹל הַמְכֻבָּד הָעוֹבֵד מֵאַהֲבָה. וְכֵן דָּוִד מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל אָמַר (שמואל ב ו כב) "וּנְקַלֹּתִי עוֹד מִזֹּאת וְהָיִיתִי שָׁפָל בְּעֵינָי". וְאֵין הַגְּדֻלָּה וְהַכָּבוֹד אֶלָּא לִשְׂמֹחַ לִפְנֵי ה' שֶׁנֶּאֱ' (שמואל ב ו טז) "וְהַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִד מְפַזֵּז וּמְכַרְכֵּר לִפְנֵי ה'"
With emendations, all translations are from Sefaria.org. To dedicate, comment, or subscribe, email zbeer570@gmail.com.