Kings begins with the impending death of King David around 961 BCE, and goes through the fall of the Judean monarchy and the Temple's destruction in 586 BCE. It concludes around the year 561 BCE, with the rise of Babylonian King Evil-Merodach (2 Kings 25:27-30).
This week's Haftarah places place at the beginning of the book of Kings, and includes King David's final words and instructions to the incoming leader, King Solomon.
(א) וַיִּקְרְב֥וּ יְמֵֽי־דָוִ֖ד לָמ֑וּת וַיְצַ֛ו אֶת־שְׁלֹמֹ֥ה בְנ֖וֹ לֵאמֹֽר׃
(כט) וַיִּקְרְב֣וּ יְמֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ לָמוּת֒ וַיִּקְרָ֣א ׀ לִבְנ֣וֹ לְיוֹסֵ֗ף וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ אִם־נָ֨א מָצָ֤אתִי חֵן֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ שִֽׂים־נָ֥א יָדְךָ֖ תַּ֣חַת יְרֵכִ֑י וְעָשִׂ֤יתָ עִמָּדִי֙ חֶ֣סֶד וֶאֱמֶ֔ת אַל־נָ֥א תִקְבְּרֵ֖נִי בְּמִצְרָֽיִם׃ (ל) וְשָֽׁכַבְתִּי֙ עִם־אֲבֹתַ֔י וּנְשָׂאתַ֙נִי֙ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם וּקְבַרְתַּ֖נִי בִּקְבֻרָתָ֑ם וַיֹּאמַ֕ר אָנֹכִ֖י אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֥ה כִדְבָרֶֽךָ׃ (לא) וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הִשָּֽׁבְעָה֙ לִ֔י וַיִּשָּׁבַ֖ע ל֑וֹ וַיִּשְׁתַּ֥חוּ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עַל־רֹ֥אשׁ הַמִּטָּֽה׃ {פ}
Our Torah and Haftarah portions begin with a Jewish leader's impending death. While the Haftarah contains David's final words, the Torah portion contains Jacob's last words to his loved ones. Both use the phrase vayikr'vu y'mei .... lamut - When ____'s life was drawing to a close." In both cases, the patriarch vayetzav, instructs his progeny.
(ג) וְאַף דָּוִד כְּתִיב בּוֹ, וְהַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִד זָקֵן (מלכים א א, א). כֵּיוָן שֶׁנָּטָה לָמוּת, וַיִּקְרְבוּ יְמֵי דָוִד לָמוּת (מלכים א ב, א).
(ד) וְאַף יַעֲקֹב כְּשֶׁנָּטָה לָמוּת, הִתְחִיל מַשְׁפִּיל עַצְמוֹ לִפְנֵי יוֹסֵף, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ אִם נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ. אֵימָתַי, כְּשֶׁקָּרַב לַמִּיתָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיִּקְרְבוּ יְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לָמוּת.
(3) Similarly, concerning King David it is written: Now King David was old (I Kings 1:1). When he drew near to death, it is written about him: Now the days of David drew near that he should die (ibid. 2:1).
(4) So too Jacob, when he drew near to death, began to humble himself before Joseph. He said to him: “If now I have found favor in your sight” (Gen. 48:29). When? When he was approaching death, as it is said: And the time drew near that Israel must die.
Michael Fishbane, JPS BIble Commentary: Haftarot, p.79
"The point of this midrashic comparison is to highlight that Jacob was of diminished authority in old age, as signaled by the language of entreaty, while David's loss of dignity is implied by the absence of the title "king" in the notice of his impending death. Accordingly, the preacher's insight has little to do with filial loyalty or parental privilege. It rather serves to suggest how Scripture reminds us that the elderly feel dependent upon their young (Jacob) and are regard differently with the diminishments of old age (David).
Jacob's instructions:
(כט) וַיְצַ֣ו אוֹתָ֗ם וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵהֶם֙ אֲנִי֙ נֶאֱסָ֣ף אֶל־עַמִּ֔י קִבְר֥וּ אֹתִ֖י אֶל־אֲבֹתָ֑י אֶ֨ל־הַמְּעָרָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר בִּשְׂדֵ֖ה עֶפְר֥וֹן הַֽחִתִּֽי׃
(טז) וַיְצַוּ֕וּ אֶל־יוֹסֵ֖ף לֵאמֹ֑ר אָבִ֣יךָ צִוָּ֔ה לִפְנֵ֥י מוֹת֖וֹ לֵאמֹֽר׃ (יז) כֹּֽה־תֹאמְר֣וּ לְיוֹסֵ֗ף אָ֣נָּ֡א שָׂ֣א נָ֠א פֶּ֣שַׁע אַחֶ֤יךָ וְחַטָּאתָם֙ כִּי־רָעָ֣ה גְמָל֔וּךָ וְעַתָּה֙ שָׂ֣א נָ֔א לְפֶ֥שַׁע עַבְדֵ֖י אֱלֹהֵ֣י אָבִ֑יךָ וַיֵּ֥בְךְּ יוֹסֵ֖ף בְּדַבְּרָ֥ם אֵלָֽיו׃
David's instructions:
(2) “I am going the way of all the earth; be strong and show yourself a man. (3) Keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in His ways and following His laws, His commandments, His rules, and His admonitions as recorded in the Teaching of Moses, in order that you may succeed in whatever you undertake and wherever you turn. (4) Then the LORD will fulfill the promise that He made concerning me: ‘If your descendants are scrupulous in their conduct, and walk before Me faithfully, with all their heart and soul, your line on the throne of Israel shall never end!’
(5) “Further, you know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me, what he did to the two commanders of Israel’s forces, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether: he killed them, shedding blood of war in peacetime, staining the girdle of his loins and the sandals on his feet with blood of war.
- Joab, son of Zeruiah, was David's nephew and the head of his army until Joab betrayed him by killing David's rebellious son Absalom, against the king's orders.
- Amasa was a rival general Joab assassinated.
- When Joab's brother Asahel was killed in battle, Joab took revenge and killed general Abner against the king's orders.
Josephus Flavius, Antiquity of the Jews 7:1 (1st Century CE text)
Abner died by this treachery of Joab, which, as he said himself, was in the way of punishment for his brother Asahel, whom Abner smote and slew as he was pursuing after him in the battle of Hebron, but as the truth was, out of his fear of losing his command of the army, and his dignity with the king, and lest he should be deprived of those advantages, and Abner should obtain the first rank in David's court.
Joab killed Abner at a particularly inopportune time, shortly after Abner and David had secured peace between their two houses.
(ו) וְעָשִׂ֖יתָ כְּחׇכְמָתֶ֑ךָ וְלֹֽא־תוֹרֵ֧ד שֵׂיבָת֛וֹ בְּשָׁלֹ֖ם שְׁאֹֽל׃ (ז) וְלִבְנֵ֨י בַרְזִלַּ֤י הַגִּלְעָדִי֙ תַּֽעֲשֶׂה־חֶ֔סֶד וְהָי֖וּ בְּאֹכְלֵ֣י שֻׁלְחָנֶ֑ךָ כִּי־כֵן֙ קָרְב֣וּ אֵלַ֔י בְּבׇרְחִ֕י מִפְּנֵ֖י אַבְשָׁל֥וֹם אָחִֽיךָ׃ (ח) וְהִנֵּ֣ה עִ֠מְּךָ֠ שִֽׁמְעִ֨י בֶן־גֵּרָ֥א בֶן־הַיְמִינִי֮ מִבַּחֻרִים֒ וְה֤וּא קִֽלְלַ֙נִי֙ קְלָלָ֣ה נִמְרֶ֔צֶת בְּי֖וֹם לֶכְתִּ֣י מַחֲנָ֑יִם וְהֽוּא־יָרַ֤ד לִקְרָאתִי֙ הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן וָאֶשָּׁ֨בַֽע ל֤וֹ בַֽיהֹוָה֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אִם־אֲמִֽיתְךָ֖ בֶּחָֽרֶב׃ (ט) וְעַתָּה֙ אַל־תְּנַקֵּ֔הוּ כִּ֛י אִ֥ישׁ חָכָ֖ם אָ֑תָּה וְיָֽדַעְתָּ֙ אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁ֣ר תַּֽעֲשֶׂה־לּ֔וֹ וְהֽוֹרַדְתָּ֧ אֶת־שֵׂיבָת֛וֹ בְּדָ֖ם שְׁאֽוֹל׃
(6) So act in accordance with your wisdom, and see that his white hair does not go down to Sheol in peace. (7) “But deal graciously with the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, for they befriended me when I fled from your brother Absalom; let them be among those that eat at your table. (8) “You must also deal with Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim. He insulted me outrageously when I was on my way to Mahanaim; but he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by the LORD: ‘I will not put you to the sword.’ (9) So do not let him go unpunished; for you are a wise man and you will know how to deal with him and send his gray hair down to Sheol in blood.”
Barzillai gave David and his troops food during Absalom's rebellion.
During this rebellion, when David went to Hahanaim, Shim'i (a member of Saul's family) pelted David with stones and publicly cursed him. Since David was still cursed by him, David kept a promise to not harm Shim'i.
(יא) וְהַיָּמִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר מָלַ֤ךְ דָּוִד֙ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אַרְבָּעִ֖ים שָׁנָ֑ה בְּחֶבְר֤וֹן מָלַךְ֙ שֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֔ים וּבִירֽוּשָׁלַ֣͏ִם מָלַ֔ךְ שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים וְשָׁלֹ֖שׁ שָׁנִֽים׃ (יב) וּשְׁלֹמֹ֕ה יָשַׁ֕ב עַל־כִּסֵּ֖א דָּוִ֣ד אָבִ֑יו וַתִּכֹּ֥ן מַלְכֻת֖וֹ מְאֹֽד׃ {ס}
What are David's final instructions? Why do you think he chose these words?
How are David's final instructions similar to Jacob's? How are they different?