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Shemuel Bet Chapter 5
The entire nation of Israel approaches David in Hevron and accepts him as their king, acknowledging him as the divinely appointed monarch. The elders of Israel make a covenant with David and anoint him as their ruler. David then lays siege to Jerusalem, which was still in the hands of the Yevusim (Jebusites) and had never been conquered by Jewish forces. He offers an incentive to the soldier who is first to capture the “tzinor”, variously translated as waterway or as tower (the book of Divre Hayamim explains that the incentive was the opportunity to be the general of the army of Israel, and that Yoav was the winner.)
David makes reference to the importance of removing the “blind and the lame” when penetrating the city; apparently the “blind and the lame” is an allusion to some form of deterrent that obstructed Jewish entry into Jerusalem. The city quickly falls to David’s forces, he builds a fortress there, and he establishes Jerusalem as his new capital. Divine providence is manifest in all that David does. Hiram, King of Tzor, sends craftsmen to Israel to construct a palace for David.
The chapter proceeds to tell us that David perceived these events as evidence that Hashem had intervened in his life in such a miraculous manner because of the merit of the Jewish people. He married additional wives and concubines and had several more children after arriving in Jerusalem from Hevron.
When the Pelishtim discover that the Jews have selected David as their new king, they prepare for battle against him. David inquires of Hashem and is told to attack them; he is assured of victory. David triumphs over the Pelishtim in the first skirmish and his men collect the abandoned idols of their adversaries and destroy them. The Pelishtim regroup and threaten the Jewish forces again; David once again communicates with Hashem and is told to stage a surprise attack on the Phillistine army from behind them rather than confronting them head-on. When the soldiers hear a sound like marching on the tree tops, that will be their signal to descend upon the Pelishtim. David adheres to the instructions of Hashem and is victorious on the battlefield.
David’s decision to relocate his capital from Hevron to Yerushalayim is easily understood. Although Hevron had a rich history dating back to the era of the Patriarchs, it was specifically associated with the tribe of Yehuda. Keeping the capital city in Hevron might have been interpreted as meaning that the King David, who hailed from the tribe of Yehuda, was placing his own extended family ahead of everyone else. It might have been seen as perpetuating a tribal feud between Yehuda and Binyamin, the tribe of Shaul. By selecting Jerusalem, which actually straddles the territory of Yehuda and Binyamin, David demonstrates his intent to rise above the differences that divide the political factions in Israel from one another. His monarchy will be for all Jews – the tribe of Yehuda and the tribe of Binyamin, and, by extension, all twelve tribes of Israel.
The references to the “blind and the lame” are quite vague and mysterious and pose one of the greatest challenges to students of the Bible. Countless interpretations have been offered for the meaning of this phrase in the context of the battle for Jerusalem. The Midrash states that the Jebusites placed a statute of a blind man (representing Yitzchaq) and one of a lame man (representing Yaaqov) with an engraved reminder of the promise Avraham made to Avimelekh not to harm his immediate descendants. David’s argument was that this agreement had already expired and could therefore now be ignored.
Another intriguing interpretation is that the Yevusim trusted the strength of their walls so much, they placed blind and lame men on the wall or at the gates as if to mockingly declare, “our city is so well fortified, we can rely upon blind and lame guards to defend it.” Still another explanation argues that the tradition among ancient Canaanites was to bring actual blind or lame men to the battle and then to pronounce a curse that anyone who attacked the city would be stricken with lameness or blindness. These are just a few of the myriad approaches to these verses; I highly recommend exploring the commentaries and how they deal with these phrases in truly creative ways.
As with several enigmatic passages in the Bible, we may never know exactly what the terms “lame and blind” referred to in their original context; all we know is that a reader of these words at the time they were recorded would presumably have understood their meaning. What we can infer is that there was some obstruction – symbolic, spiritual, physical or emotional – that the Jewish army had to overcome if it was going to capture the city of Jerusalem from the Yevusim. David encourages them in this quest and is surely gratified when Yoav achieves distinction through his courageous deeds.
As predicted by the Torah, the success and blessing of the Jewish nation would lead to the admiration and support of nations across the globe. Hence, we see the King of Tzor constructing a palace for David, who recognizes this as a fulfillment of Divine promise. David busies himself with growing his family, having many children so that his divinely sanctioned monarchy will one day be inherited by a proper successor. At the same time, however, the advancement of the people of Israel can incite and attract the hatred and animosity of the gentiles, as we see in the response of the Pelishtim to David’s exceptional leadership ability – rather than acknowledge or praise him, they plan an attack against him right away.
The description of the two conflicts with the Pelishtim is noteworthy because of David’s repeated inquiry with Hashem to clarify the proper course of action. Even in the heat of battle or when the situation appears dire and urgent, David does not enter into the theater of war without first seeking the Divine word to guide him. In this case, as in others, David observes the commands of Hashem on the battlefield and therefore vanquishes his enemies with relative ease.
David is always cognizant of the fact that the providential care he experiences is a function of the merits of the Jewish nation, not his individual, personal excellence. He therefore devotes the resources and talents with which he has been blessed to the service of Hashem and of the greater good. He is a genuine leader of the people who is fully committed to placing their needs, interests and importance above his own.