(א) בַּעֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם. וּמַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר, וַהֲלֹא בְמַאֲמָר אֶחָד יָכוֹל לְהִבָּרְאוֹת, אֶלָּא לְהִפָּרַע מִן הָרְשָׁעִים שֶׁמְּאַבְּדִין אֶת הָעוֹלָם שֶׁנִּבְרָא בַעֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת, וְלִתֵּן שָׂכָר טוֹב לַצַּדִּיקִים שֶׁמְּקַיְּמִין אֶת הָעוֹלָם שֶׁנִּבְרָא בַעֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת:
(ב) עֲשָׂרָה דוֹרוֹת מֵאָדָם וְעַד נֹחַ, לְהוֹדִיעַ כַּמָּה אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם לְפָנָיו, שֶׁכָּל הַדּוֹרוֹת הָיוּ מַכְעִיסִין וּבָאִין עַד שֶׁהֵבִיא עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת מֵי הַמַּבּוּל. עֲשָׂרָה דוֹרוֹת מִנֹּחַ וְעַד אַבְרָהָם, לְהוֹדִיעַ כַּמָּה אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם לְפָנָיו, שֶׁכָּל הַדּוֹרוֹת הָיוּ מַכְעִיסִין וּבָאִין, עַד שֶׁבָּא אַבְרָהָם וְקִבֵּל עָלָיו שְׂכַר כֻּלָּם:
(ג) עֲשָׂרָה נִסְיוֹנוֹת נִתְנַסָּה אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם וְעָמַד בְּכֻלָּם, לְהוֹדִיעַ כַּמָּה חִבָּתוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם:
(1) With ten utterances the world was created. And what does this teach, for surely it could have been created with one utterance? But this was so in order to punish the wicked who destroy the world that was created with ten utterances, And to give a good reward to the righteous who maintain the world that was created with ten utterances.
(2) [There were] ten generations from Adam to Noah, in order to make known what long-suffering is His; for all those generations kept on provoking Him, until He brought upon them the waters of the flood. [There were] ten generations from Noah to Abraham, in order to make known what long-suffering is His; for all those generations kept on provoking Him, until Abraham, came and received the reward of all of them.
(3) With ten trials was Abraham, our father (may he rest in peace), tried, and he withstood them all; to make known how great was the love of Abraham, our father (peace be upon him).
- Being thrown into a furnace because of his belief in a single G-d;
- Leaving his birthplace, his country and his father's house,
- Famine in the land of Canaan and being forced to leave it;
- The oppression of Pharaoh by taking Sarah away from Abraham,
- The oppression of Avimelech by taking Sarah away from Abraham,
- The war against the militarily superior 4 kings to save Lot (his nephew),
- Taking Hagar in the hope of generating a son,
- Circumcision in a very old age of 99,
- Expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael that was bad in the eyes of Abraham,
- Akeidat [binding of] Yitzchak to be scarified on mount Moriah.
To scutch flax by hand, the scutching knife is scraped down with a sharp strike against the fibers while they hang vertically.[7] The edge of the knife is scraped along the fibers to pull away pieces of the stalk. This is repeated until all of the stalk has been removed and the flax is smooth and silky. When scutching was done by hand, people could scutch up to 15 pounds (6.8 kg) of flax in one day, depending on the quality of the flax, as coarser flax, harder flax, and poorly retted flax takes longer to scutch.[7] Retting removes the pectins that bind the fibers to the stalk and each other, so under-retted flax is harder to separate from the stalk, and often gets damaged in the scutching process. Over-retting the flax causes the fibers to deteriorate and break.[3] These broken fibres are called codilla, which can be used along with heckled tow to make yarn.[8]
(ה) רַבִּי נְחוּנְיָא בֶּן הַקָּנָה אוֹמֵר, כָּל הַמְקַבֵּל עָלָיו עֹל תּוֹרָה, מַעֲבִירִין מִמֶּנּוּ עֹל מַלְכוּת וְעֹל דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ. וְכָל הַפּוֹרֵק מִמֶּנּוּ עֹל תּוֹרָה, נוֹתְנִין עָלָיו עֹל מַלְכוּת וְעֹל דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ:
(5) Rabbi Nehunia ben Hakkanah said: whoever takes upon himself the yoke of the Torah, they remove from him the yoke of government and the yoke of worldly concerns, and whoever breaks off from himself the yoke of the Torah, they place upon him the yoke of government and the yoke of worldly concerns.
(א) ובשנה הראשונה לשבוע החמישי ביובל ההוא נגמל יצחק ויעש אברהם משתה גדול בחודש השלישי ביום הגמל את יצחק בנו:
(ב) וישמעאל בן הגר המצרית היה על פני אברהם אביו באשר הוא שם:
(ג) וישמח אברהם ויברך את יקוק כי יראה בנים מחלציו ולא מת בלי בנים:
(ד) ויזכור את הדבר אשר דבר אתו ביום הפרד לוט מעמו וישמח כי נתן לו אלוקים זרע על הארץ לרשת את הארץ:
(ה) ויברך בקול גדול את בורא כל היקום:
(ו) ותרא שרה את ישמעאל שמח ומכרכר וגם אברהם שמח בו מאוד ותקנא לראות בישמעאל ותאמר לאברהם:
(ז) גרש האמה הזאת ואת בנה בן האמה הזאת לא יירש עם בני עם יצחק:
(ח) וירע הדבר בעיני אברהם על אודות אמתו ועל בנו לשלח אותם מעל פניו:
(ט) ויאמר אלוקים אל אברהם אל ירע בעיניך על הילד ועל השפחה כל אשר אמרה שרה אליך שמע דברה ועשה אותו כי ביצחק יקרא לך שם וזרע:
(י) ואת בן השפחה הזאת לגוי גדול אשימנו כי ממשפחתך הוא:
(יא) וישכם אברהם בבוקר ויקח לחם וחמת מים וישם אותו על שכם הגר ואת הנער וישלחה ותלך ותתע במדבר באר שבע:
(יב) ויכלו המים מן החמת ויצמא הילד ולא יכל ללכת ויפול ארצה:
(יג) ותקחהו אמו ותלך ותשליכהו תחת עץ שמן:
(יד) ותלך הלאה ותשב לה מנגדו הרחק כמטחוי קשת כי אמרה אל אראה במות ילדי ותשב ותבך:
(טו) ויאמר אליה מלאך אלוקים אחד הקדושים לאמור מה זה תבכי הגר קומי שאי את הילד והחזיקי את ידך בו כי שמע אלוקים אל קולך:
(טז) ותרא את הילד ותפקח את עיניה ותרא באר מים ותלך ותמלא את החמת מים ותשק את ילדה:
(יז) ותקם ותלך נוכח פארן ויגדל הילד ויהי רובה קשת ויהי אלוקים אתו:
(יח) ותקח לו אמו אשה מבנות מצרים ותלד לו בן ויקרא את שמו נביות כי אמרה אלוקים היה קרוב לי בקוראי אליו:
(יט) ויהי בשבוע השביעי בשנה הראשונה בחודש הראשון ליובל ההוא בשנים עשר יום בחודש הזה נדברו בשמים דברים אחדים על אודות אברהם:
(כ) ויאמרו כי נאמנה רוחו בכל אשר ידבר יקוק אתו וכי יאהב אותו ונכון לבו בכל פגע:
(כא) ויבוא השר משטמה ויאמר לפני האלוקים הנה אברהם אוהב ומוקיר את בנו יצחק מכל:
(כב) אמור אליו להקריב אותו לעולה על המזבח וראה תראה אם יעשה את הדבר הזה למען תדע אם נאמנה רוחו בכל אשר תנסהו:
(כג) ואלוקים ידע כי נאמנה רוח אברהם בכל הפגעים אשר הביא עליו כי נסה אותו בעושר המלכים ואחרי כן באשתו בהלקחה ממנו:
(כד) ואחרי כן בישמעאל והגר אמתו בשלחו אותם ובכל אשר נסהו מצא את לבבו נאמן לפניו:
(כה) ולא המרה את רוחו ולא אחר לעשותו כי היה נאמן ואת יקוק אהב:
(1) Isaac was weaned in this jubilee, and Abraham made a great banquet in the third month, on the day his son Isaac was weaned.
(2) And Ishmael, the son of Hagar, the Egyptian, was before the face of Abraham, his father, in his place,
(3) and Abraham rejoiced and blessed God because he had seen his sons and had not died childless.
(4) And he remembered the words which He had spoken to him on the day on which Lot had parted from him, and he rejoiced because the Lord had given him seed upon the earth to inherit the earth,
(5) and he blessed with all his mouth the Creator of all things.
(6) And Sarah saw Ishmael playing and dancing and Abraham rejoicing with great joy, and she became jealous of Ishmael and said to Abraham,
(7) "Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman will not be heir with my son, Isaac."
(8) And the thing was grievous in Abraham's sight, because of his maidservant and because of his son, that he should drive them from him.
(9) And God said to Abraham "Let it not be grievous in thy sight, because of the child and because of the bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken to her words and do (them); for in Isaac shall thy name and seed be called.
(10) But as for the son of this bondwoman I will make him a great nation, because he is of thy seed."
(11) And Abraham rose up early in the morning and took bread and a bottle of water, and placed them on the shoulders of Hagar and the child, and sent her away.
And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba,
(12) and the water in the bottle was spent, and the child thirsted, and was not able to go on, and fell down.
(13) And his mother took him and cast him under an olive tree,
(14) and went and sat her down over against him, at the distance of a bow-shot; for she said, "Let me not see the death of my child," and as she sat she wept.
(15) And an angel of God, one of the holy ones, said unto her, "Why weepest thou, Hagar? Arise, take the child, and hold him in thine hand; for God hath heard thy voice, and hath seen the child."
(16) And she opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water, and she went and filled her bottle with water, and she gave her child to drink,
(17) and she arose and went towards the wilderness of Paran.
And the child grew and became an archer, and God was with him;
(18) and his mother took him a wife from among the daughters of Egypt.
And she bare him a son, and he called his name Nebaioth; for she said, "The Lord was nigh to me when I called upon him."
(19) For he should become the portion of the Most High, and all his seed had fallen into the possession of God, that it should be unto the Lord a people for (His) possession above all nations and that it should become a kingdom and priests and a holy nation.
(20) that he was faithful in all that He told him, and that he loved the Lord, and that in every affliction he was faithful.
(21) And the prince Mastêmâ came and said before God, "Behold, Abraham loveth Isaac his son, and he delighteth in him above all things else;
(22) bid him offer him as a burnt-offering on the altar, and Thou wilt see if he will do this command, and Thou wilt know if he is faithful in everything wherein Thou dost try him."
(23) And the Lord knew that Abraham was faithful in all his afflictions; for He had tried him through his country and with famine, and had tried him with the wealth of kings, and had tried him again through his wife, when she was torn (from him),
(24) and with circumcision, and had tried him through Ishmael and Hagar, his maid-servant, when he sent them away.
And in everything wherein He had tried him, he was found faithful,
(25) and his soul was not impatient, and he was not slow to act; for he was faithful and a lover of the Lord.
Not A Sausage
On the second day of the Jewish New Year, the Torah reading tells the story of God calling on Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac. Abraham doesn’t refuse, and Isaac is rescued from death just as Abraham’s knife comes towards him. Why would God do such a thing? Ancient Rabbinic commentary, and an even older Jewish book called Jubilees, suggests a mischievous angel got involved, trapping God into asking for this sacrifice from God’s most loyal follower.
We’ve told our tale from the perspective of that angel called Mastemah.
Watching God and Abraham all lovey-dovey down there makes me ill.
To be honest, I was never in favour of humans in the first place. They threaten our angelic supremacy. But you have to wonder why God created something so obviously faulty. I mean, have you ever heard of an angel getting things wrong? No, neither have I. But God seems intent on hanging out with human beings and, I guess, there’s no figuring out what God’s planning. But just because I can’t understand God’s plans doesn’t mean I have to like them. And it doesn’t mean I have to accept God’s decisions either.
So, when these human things were created, I sat back and watched. At first, things started to go quite well. God gave Adam and Eve one command, and they blew it. Ha! Then Cain killed Abel. My, how we laughed up here in the clouds. Nine generations later, the entire human race was so violent and useless that God destroyed the lot of them. Ha! But did God give up on humans and just hang out with us angels? Oh, no, God kept on looking for a human to partner with.
And now there’s Abraham.
I waited 100 years for Abraham to mess up, and nothing. No eating forbidden fruit, no murders, not a foot wrong! And then Abraham had a son. Look down there; Abraham’s throwing a big party to celebrate his son, Isaac, growing up. The future of this cosy little relationship between God and Abraham looks secure for another generation and, if you ask me, that’s very bad news for us angels.
“Oooh, you are so lovely,” says God to Abraham.
“Ahhh, I love you too,” says Abraham to God.
“Yuck!” I say to no one in particular. I really need to do something. “God,” I say to God. “About that Abraham?”
“Yes, Matsemah, what about Abraham? Lovely, isn’t he?”
“Well, I suppose so, just it’s a bit of a shame that he doesn’t seem to like You very much.”
“What?!” That got God’s attention. So far, so good.
“Well, I suppose he doesn’t mind You, but my sense is that he prefers his son.”
“Prefers that boy to Me? Creator of Heaven and Earth, no!” Really, sometimes God can be just too easy to wind up.
“It’s just that he’s thrown this huge barbecue in honour of his son. You can smell the meat, right? All that meat in honour of his son and not a single sausage offered to You. You know, oh great and mighty God, I really do think Abraham prefers his son to You.”
“There … is … absolutely … no … chance Abraham prefers his son to Me,” says God, taking the bait now. Wait for it, wait for it… “I could ask Abraham to sacrifice his only son to Me and he wouldn’t refuse.”
“Really,” I say, all innocent and charming. “I think you should try that, and we could see how it works out?”
And there, ladies and gentlemen, is how to play the creator of the heavens and earth.
(ו) בַּמָּה֙ אֲקַדֵּ֣ם יקוק אִכַּ֖ף לֵאלֹקֵ֣י מָר֑וֹם הַאֲקַדְּמֶ֣נּוּ בְעוֹל֔וֹת בַּעֲגָלִ֖ים בְּנֵ֥י שָׁנָֽה׃ (ז) הֲיִרְצֶ֤ה יקוק בְּאַלְפֵ֣י אֵילִ֔ים בְּרִֽבְב֖וֹת נַֽחֲלֵי־שָׁ֑מֶן הַאֶתֵּ֤ן בְּכוֹרִי֙ פִּשְׁעִ֔י פְּרִ֥י בִטְנִ֖י חַטַּ֥את נַפְשִֽׁי׃ (ח) הִגִּ֥יד לְךָ֛ אָדָ֖ם מַה־טּ֑וֹב וּמָֽה־יקוק דּוֹרֵ֣שׁ מִמְּךָ֗ כִּ֣י אִם־עֲשׂ֤וֹת מִשְׁפָּט֙ וְאַ֣הֲבַת חֶ֔סֶד וְהַצְנֵ֥עַ לֶ֖כֶת עִם־אֱלֹקֶֽיךָ׃ (פ)
(21) Meanwhile, all the Moabites had heard that the kings were advancing to make war on them; every man old enough to bear arms rallied, and they stationed themselves at the border. (22) Next morning, when they rose, the sun was shining over the water, and from the distance the water appeared to the Moabites as red as blood. (23) “That’s blood!” they said. “The kings must have fought among themselves and killed each other. Now to the spoil, Moab!” (24) They entered the Israelite camp, and the Israelites arose and attacked the Moabites, who fled before them. They advanced, constantly attacking the Moabites, (25) and they destroyed the towns. Every man threw a stone into each fertile field, so that it was covered over; and they stopped up every spring and felled every fruit tree. Only the walls of Kir-hareseth were left, and then the slingers surrounded it and attacked it. (26) Seeing that the battle was going against him, the king of Moab led an attempt of seven hundred swordsmen to break a way through to the king of Edom; but they failed. (27) So he took his first-born son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him up on the wall as a burnt offering. A great wrath came upon Israel, so they withdrew from him and went back to [their own] land.
The two main sources for the existence and history of King Mesha are the Mesha Stele and the Hebrew Bible. Aside from these attestations, references to Mesha are scanty, a noteworthy exception being the El-Kerak Inscription.
The Books of Samuel record that Moab was conquered by David (floruit c.1000-970 BC) and retained in the territories of his son Solomon (d. c.931 BC). Later, after the split of Israel into two kingdoms, King Omri of the northern kingdom of Israel reconquered Moab after it had been lost subsequent to King Solomon's reign.
The Mesha Stele, named after the Moabite king who erected it, makes no mention of earlier history and only mentions the conquest of the land by Omri. The stele records Mesha's liberation of Moab from under the suzerainty of Israel in c.850 BC.
2 Kings 3:4 reports the same events from the point of view of the Israelites, stating that "King Mesha of Moab ... used to deliver to the king of Israel one hundred thousand lambs, and the wool of one hundred thousand rams", before rebelling against "the king of Israel... Jehoram" (the Mesha Stele does not name the king against whom Mesha rebelled). The Second Book of Kings and the Mesha Stele differ in their explanation for the success of the revolt: according to Mesha, "Israel has been defeated", but 2 Kings says the Israelites withdrew when Mesha sacrificed the eldest son of either himself or the Edomite king to his god Chemosh (the text is not explicit at this point) on the walls of the capital city in which he was being besieged. If the latter is the case, the interpretation would be that Mesha's deed caused Edom to withdraw from the coalition. While it is plausible that one king held the eldest son of a neighbouring king hostage and sacrificed him when attacked, it is at least as plausible that he offered his own son to his main god in exchange for deliverance from destruction. In any case, the effect stated in the Bible is remarkable. "And there came great wrath against Israel. And they withdrew from him and returned to their own land."(2 Kings 3:27)
(א) לְדָוִ֗ד מִ֫זְמ֥וֹר נְאֻ֤ם יקוק ׀ לַֽאדֹנִ֗י שֵׁ֥ב לִֽימִינִ֑י עַד־אָשִׁ֥ית אֹ֝יְבֶ֗יךָ הֲדֹ֣ם לְרַגְלֶֽיךָ׃ (ב) מַטֵּֽה־עֻזְּךָ֗ יִשְׁלַ֣ח יקוק מִצִּיּ֑וֹן רְ֝דֵ֗ה בְּקֶ֣רֶב אֹיְבֶֽיךָ׃ (ג) עַמְּךָ֣ נְדָבֹת֮ בְּי֪וֹם חֵ֫ילֶ֥ךָ בְּֽהַדְרֵי־קֹ֭דֶשׁ מֵרֶ֣חֶם מִשְׁחָ֑ר לְ֝ךָ֗ טַ֣ל יַלְדֻתֶֽיךָ׃ (ד) נִשְׁבַּ֤ע יקוק ׀ וְלֹ֥א יִנָּחֵ֗ם אַתָּֽה־כֹהֵ֥ן לְעוֹלָ֑ם עַל־דִּ֝בְרָתִ֗י מַלְכִּי־צֶֽדֶק׃
(ה) וַיַּעֲנ֧וּ בְנֵי־חֵ֛ת אֶת־אַבְרָהָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֥ר לֽוֹ׃ (ו) שְׁמָעֵ֣נוּ ׀ אֲדֹנִ֗י נְשִׂ֨יא אֱלֹקִ֤ים אַתָּה֙ בְּתוֹכֵ֔נוּ בְּמִבְחַ֣ר קְבָרֵ֔ינוּ קְבֹ֖ר אֶת־מֵתֶ֑ךָ אִ֣ישׁ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ אֶת־קִבְר֛וֹ לֹֽא־יִכְלֶ֥ה מִמְּךָ֖ מִקְּבֹ֥ר מֵתֶֽךָ׃
(5) And the Hittites replied to Abraham, saying to him, (6) “Hear us, my lord: you are the elect [Prince] of God among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our burial places; none of us will withhold his burial place from you for burying your dead.”
| ניתוח דקדוקי | |
|---|---|
| כתיב מלא | דביר |
| הגייה* | dvir |
| חלק דיבר | שם־עצם |
| מין | זכר |
| שורש | ד־ב־ר |
| דרך תצורה | משקל קְטִיל |
| נטיות | ר׳ דְּבִירִים |
- לשון המקרא החדר הפנימי והחשוב ביותר במשכן ובבית המקדש, קודש הקודשים.
- ”וַיָּבִאוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים אֶת אֲרוֹן בְּרִית יהוה אֶל מְקוֹמוֹ, אֶל דְּבִיר הַבַּיִת אֶל קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים; אֶל תַּחַת כַּנְפֵי הַכְּרוּבִים.“ (מלכים א׳ ח, פסוק ו)
- ”שְׁמַע קוֹל תַּחֲנוּנַי, בְּשַׁוְּעִי אֵלֶיךָ; בְּנָשְׂאִי יָדַי אֶל דְּבִיר קָדְשֶׁךָ.“ (תהלים כח, פסוק ב)
- לשון המקרא שם מקום ישוב.
(ו) עַ֤ד שֶׁיָּפ֙וּחַ֙ הַיּ֔וֹם וְנָ֖סוּ הַצְּלָלִ֑ים אֵ֤לֶךְ לִי֙ אֶל־הַ֣ר הַמּ֔וֹר וְאֶל־גִּבְעַ֖ת הַלְּבוֹנָֽה׃
(6) When the day blows gently And the shadows flee, I will betake me to the mount of myrrh, To the hill of frankincense.
(ז) וּבְרֹ֥ב גְּאוֹנְךָ֖ תַּהֲרֹ֣ס קָמֶ֑יךָ תְּשַׁלַּח֙ חֲרֹ֣נְךָ֔ יֹאכְלֵ֖מוֹ כַּקַּֽשׁ׃ (ח) וּבְר֤וּחַ אַפֶּ֙יךָ֙ נֶ֣עֶרְמוּ מַ֔יִם נִצְּב֥וּ כְמוֹ־נֵ֖ד נֹזְלִ֑ים קָֽפְא֥וּ תְהֹמֹ֖ת בְּלֶב־יָֽם׃ (ט) אָמַ֥ר אוֹיֵ֛ב אֶרְדֹּ֥ף אַשִּׂ֖יג אֲחַלֵּ֣ק שָׁלָ֑ל תִּמְלָאֵ֣מוֹ נַפְשִׁ֔י אָרִ֣יק חַרְבִּ֔י תּוֹרִישֵׁ֖מוֹ יָדִֽי׃ (י) נָשַׁ֥פְתָּ בְרוּחֲךָ֖ כִּסָּ֣מוֹ יָ֑ם צָֽלְלוּ֙ כַּֽעוֹפֶ֔רֶת בְּמַ֖יִם אַדִּירִֽים׃
(7) In Your great triumph You break Your opponents;
You send forth Your fury, it consumes them like straw. (8) At the blast of Your nostrils the waters piled up,
The floods stood straight like a wall;
The deeps froze in the heart of the sea.
(9) The foe said,
“I will pursue, I will overtake,
I will divide the spoil;
My desire shall have its fill of them.
I will bare my sword—
My hand shall subdue them.”
(10) You made Your wind blow, the sea covered them;
They sank like lead in the majestic waters.
(ז) מַה כְּתִיב לְמַעְלָה מִן הָעִנְיָן (ויקרא כ, כז): וְאִישׁ אוֹ אִשָּׁה כִּי יִהְיֶה בָהֶם אוֹב אוֹ יִדְעֹנִי, רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ דְּסִכְנִין אָמַר בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי לֵוִי וְאִישׁ זֶה שָׁאוּל, וְאִשָּׁה זוֹ אֵשֶׁת בַּעֲלַת אוֹב,
רַבִּי לֵוִי בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי חָמָא בַּר חֲנִינָא מַה כְּתִיב (דברים כח, יג): וְהָיִיתָ רַק לְמַעְלָה, מוּטָב הָיָה לוֹ לִשְׁאֹל בָּאוּרִים וְתֻמִּים שֶׁל מַעְלָן וְלֹא בָּאוֹב וְיִדְעֹנִי שֶׁל מַטָּן, הוּא שֶׁאָמַר לַעֲבָדָיו (שמואל א כח, ז): בַּקְּשׁוּ לִי אֵשֶׁת בַּעֲלַת אוֹב וְאֵלְכָה אֵלֶיהָ וְאֶדְרְשָׁה בָּהּ, לְמָה שָׁאוּל דּוֹמֶה בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה,
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אָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ מָשָׁל לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁנִּכְנַס לִמְדִינָה וְגָזַר וְאָמַר כָּל הַתַּרְנְגוֹלִים שֶׁיֵּשׁ כָּאן יִשָּׁחֲטוּ בַּלַּיְלָה, בִּקֵּשׁ לָצֵאת אָמַר יֵשׁ כָּאן תַּרְנְגוֹל שֶׁיִּקְרָא, אָמְרוּ לוֹ לֹא אַתָּה הוּא שֶׁגָּזַרְתָּ וְאָמַרְתָּ כָּל תַּרְנְגוֹלִים שֶׁיֵּשׁ כָּאן יִשָּׁחֲטוּ. כָּךְ שָׁאוּל הֵסִיר אֶת הָאוֹבוֹת וְאֶת הַיִּדְעוֹנִים מִן הָאָרֶץ וְהוּא אוֹמֵר: בַּקְּשׁוּ לִי אֵשֶׁת בַּעֲלַת אוֹב, אַף עַל פִּי כֵן (שמואל א כח, ז): וַיֹּאמְרוּ עֲבָדָיו אֵלָיו הִנֵּה אֵשֶׁת בַּעֲלַת אוֹב, (שמואל א כח, ח): וַיִּתְחַפֵּשׂ שָׁאוּל, נַעֲשָׂה חָפְשִׁי לַמַּלְכוּת, (שמואל א כח, כח): וַיִּלְבַּשׁ בְּגָדִים אֲחֵרִים, מָאנִין פָּנִיקָא. (שמואל א כח, כח):
וַיֵּלֶךְ הוּא וּשְׁנֵי אֲנָשִׁים עִמּוֹ, זֶה אַבְנֵר וַעֲמָשָׂא, אָמַר רַבִּי אַיְבוּ לִמְדָתְךָ תּוֹרָה דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא אָדָם יוֹצֵא לַדֶּרֶךְ בְּפָחוֹת מִשְּׁנַיִם, שֶׁאִם יֵצֵא סוֹפוֹ נַעֲשָׂה עֶבֶד לְעַבְדּוֹ, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי אַיְבוּ שְׁנֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם נָהֲגוּ בְּדֶרֶךְ אֶרֶץ, אַבְרָהָם וְשָׁאוּל, בְּאַבְרָהָם מַהוּ אוֹמֵר (בראשית כב. ג): וַיַּשְׁכֵּם אַבְרָהָם בַּבֹּקֶר וַיִּקַּח אֶת שְׁנֵי נְעָרָיו עִמּוֹ, וּמִי הָיוּ יִשְׁמָעֵאל וֶאֱלִיעֶזֶר, בְּשָׁאוּל מַהוּ אוֹמֵר: וַיֵּלֶךְ הוּא וּשְׁנֵי אֲנָשִׁים עִמּוֹ, וּמִי הָיוּ אַבְנֵר וַעֲמָשָׂא, (שמואל א כח, ח): וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל הָאִשָּׁה לָיְלָה, וְכִי לַיְלָה הָיָה, אֶלָּא מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָיָה הַשָּׁעָה אֲפֵלָה לָהֶם כְּלָיְלָה,
R. Levi in the name of R. Hama b. Hanina observed: What does Scripture say? And thou shalt be above only (Deut. xxvIII, 13). It would have been better for Saul to have enquired by the Urim and Thummim of the One above and not by the ghost and familiar spirit of the infernal world, as he said to his servants, Seek me a woman that divineth by a ghost, that I may go to her, and inquire of her (1 Sam. loc. cit.).
To what could Saul be compared at that moment? Resh Lakish said: He was like a king who entered a province and decreed that all the cocks that were there should be slaughtered. He wished to depart at night and asked: 'Is there a cock in the place that will crow? They answered him: Was it not you who issued the decree and ordered that every cock that there is in the place should be slaughtered?' It was the same with Saul. He removed the ghosts and familiar spirits from the land and then he says, 'Seek me a woman that divineth by a ghost. Nevertheless, His servants said to him: Behold, there is a woman that divineth by a ghost (ib.). And Saul disguised himself-wayyithhappes (ib. 8), that is to say, he divested himself (hofshi) of royalty. And put on other raiment (ib.); a commoner's garments.
And went, he and two men with him (ib.), namely, Abner and Amasa. R. Aibu remarked: The Torah here teaches you a good rule of conduct, to wit, that a man should not set out on a journey accompanied by less than two persons, for if he does he will eventually become a servant to his servant. For R. Aibu said: There were two people who followed the correct procedure, viz. Abraham and Saul. What does it say of Abraham? And Abraham rose early in the morning... and took two of his young men with him (Gen. xxII, 3). Who were they? Ishmael and Eliezer. What does it say of Saul? 'And went, he and two men with him.' And who were they? Abner
(ג) וּשְׁמוּאֵ֣ל מֵ֔ת וַיִּסְפְּדוּ־לוֹ֙ כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיִּקְבְּרֻ֥הוּ בָרָמָ֖ה וּבְעִיר֑וֹ וְשָׁא֗וּל הֵסִ֛יר הָאֹב֥וֹת וְאֶת־הַיִּדְּעֹנִ֖ים מֵהָאָֽרֶץ׃ (ד) וַיִּקָּבְצ֣וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ וַיַּחֲנ֣וּ בְשׁוּנֵ֑ם וַיִּקְבֹּ֤ץ שָׁאוּל֙ אֶת־כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בַּגִּלְבֹּֽעַ׃ (ה) וַיַּ֥רְא שָׁא֖וּל אֶת־מַחֲנֵ֣ה פְלִשְׁתִּ֑ים וַיִּרָ֕א וַיֶּחֱרַ֥ד לִבּ֖וֹ מְאֹֽד׃ (ו) וַיִּשְׁאַ֤ל שָׁאוּל֙ בַּיקוק וְלֹ֥א עָנָ֖הוּ יקוק גַּ֧ם בַּחֲלֹמ֛וֹת גַּ֥ם בָּאוּרִ֖ים גַּ֥ם בַּנְּבִיאִֽם׃ (ז) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר שָׁא֜וּל לַעֲבָדָ֗יו בַּקְּשׁוּ־לִי֙ אֵ֣שֶׁת בַּעֲלַת־א֔וֹב וְאֵלְכָ֥ה אֵלֶ֖יהָ וְאֶדְרְשָׁה־בָּ֑הּ וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ עֲבָדָיו֙ אֵלָ֔יו הִנֵּ֛ה אֵ֥שֶׁת בַּעֲלַת־א֖וֹב בְּעֵ֥ין דּֽוֹר׃ (ח) וַיִּתְחַפֵּ֣שׂ שָׁא֗וּל וַיִּלְבַּשׁ֙ בְּגָדִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ ה֗וּא וּשְׁנֵ֤י אֲנָשִׁים֙ עִמּ֔וֹ וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ אֶל־הָאִשָּׁ֖ה לָ֑יְלָה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר (קסומי) [קָסֳמִי־]נָ֥א לִי֙ בָּא֔וֹב וְהַ֣עֲלִי לִ֔י אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־אֹמַ֖ר אֵלָֽיִךְ׃ (ט) וַתֹּ֨אמֶר הָאִשָּׁ֜ה אֵלָ֗יו הִנֵּ֨ה אַתָּ֤ה יָדַ֙עְתָּ֙ אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֣ה שָׁא֔וּל אֲשֶׁ֥ר הִכְרִ֛ית אֶת־הָאֹב֥וֹת וְאֶת־הַיִּדְּעֹנִ֖י מִן־הָאָ֑רֶץ וְלָמָ֥ה אַתָּ֛ה מִתְנַקֵּ֥שׁ בְּנַפְשִׁ֖י לַהֲמִיתֵֽנִי׃ (י) וַיִּשָּׁ֤בַֽע לָהּ֙ שָׁא֔וּל בַּיקוק לֵאמֹ֑ר חַי־יקוק אִֽם־יִקְּרֵ֥ךְ עָוֺ֖ן בַּדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃ (יא) וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הָאִשָּׁ֔ה אֶת־מִ֖י אַעֲלֶה־לָּ֑ךְ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אֶת־שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל הַֽעֲלִי־לִֽי׃