About this episode
Today's daf is sponsored by the Hadran Women of Long Island in honor of the birth of a grandson to our friend and co-learner Suri Davis. "May she and her family enjoy much nachat from the new arrival as he grows l'Torah (& daf), l'chupa and l'maasim tovim , and may his birth be the harbinger of smachot for all." Palti ben Layish is praised for refraining from relations with Michal, his wife, as she was still married to King David. His self-restraint is considered greater than Joseph and Boaz, who also overcame their desires. Regarding unique laws pertaining to kings: Their mourning practices are distinct. A king does not leave his palace to attend burials. However, Rabbi Yehuda challenges this, citing that King David accompanied Avner ben Ner's body. The rabbis explain that David did this specifically to prove to the people that he had not ordered Avner's death. During the seudat havra'a (mourner's meal), while the people sit on the floor, the king sits on a dargash . The Gemara presents two interpretations of what constitutes a dargash . The first interpretation is rejected. Concerning funeral processions, there is a question about whether women should follow or precede the bier. The rabbis defer to local custom, while Rabbi Yehuda cites King David's example to prove that women should walk in front. The rabbis' response to his proof is discussed. For what action was Avner punished? Rav explains that Avner could have protested King Saul's decision to kill the inhabitants of Nov (or King Saul's many attempts to kill David) but failed to do so. Rabbi Yitzchak contends that Avner did protest, but Saul did not listen. According to this interpretation, his sin was crowning Ish Boshet as king, which delayed David's reign over all of Israel by two and a half years. The requirement that a king must obtain permission from the Great Sanhedrin before engaging in optional warfare is restated here, despite being mentioned in the first chapter of Sanhedrin. A king has the right to create a path through private property. During wartime, when spoils are collected, the king claims his portion first, before the people may take their share. Shmuel and Rav debate whether a king is permitted to exercise all the powers that the prophet Shmuel warned about when the people requested a king (taking their sons, cattle, etc.). Was this a genuine description of royal prerogatives, or merely a warning to instill fear of the monarchy? This discussion parallels a debate between the tannaim Rabbi Yosi and Rabbi Yehuda. Rabbi Nehorai offers a third view: Shmuel's words were meant to discourage the request for a king. Rabbi Eliezer takes a middle ground, suggesting that while the elders' request for a king was appropriate, the amei haaretz sought one for improper reasons—to emulate other nations. Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Yosi explain that upon entering the land, the Jews received three commandments: to establish a king, to destroy Amalek, and to build the Beit haMikdash. Rabbi Yosi derives this sequence from verses in the Tanach. King Solomon initially ruled over both the celestial and terrestrial realms, but his marriage to non-Jewish wives diminished his authority in both spheres. There is disagreement about whether he regained his full authority after his downfall.