Torah Reading: Sh’Mini (Leviticus 6-8); Haftorah is 2 Samuel 6:1-7:17
By Irv Jacobs, M.D.
LA JOLLA, California –This is a short, entirely prose, sequence of events during the early reign of King David. It involves the ups and downs of moving the desert Ark to Jerusalem, to be housed in a tent at the City of David. The Temple, the ultimate house for the Ark, was to be built later by King Solomon. There are episodes of intrigue and hostility in this story, including within David’s relationship to Michel, daughter of the deceased King Saul, who is David’s wife. God, who punishes actors in these scenes, for innocent unavoidable setbacks, does not come across as loving or reasonable, though he ultimately blesses David and promises loyalty to his throne and successors.
The Books of Samuel relate in long circuitous detail, really a novel, the rise of David, following his kill of Goliath. One has to marvel at the complex story-telling that is involved, by unknown authors, not Samuel. ‘After nearly two centuries of scholarship, the precise literary history and authorship of the great narrative (of David) remains beyond recovery.’ [1]
King Saul, having become jealous of young David as a threat to his throne, tried numerous times to do away with him. David evaded Saul each time, at times through the help of his dear friend Jonathan, a son of Saul.
Meanwhile David won victory after victory, mainly against Philistines, and gained a large following. David had opportunities to kill Saul, but graciously let him continue to rule.
However, Saul the inevitable loser, ultimately lost a battle with the Philistines, and fell on his sword. Thus, David was crowned.
This Haftorah, a short component of David’s story, deals with his supervision, as a young king, of the transfer of the Ark of God from Baalah to Jerusalem on a cart. Serious criteria were the Torah mandates that the ark not be touched or even seen by other than the High Priest.
The connection to the Torah reading of Sh’Mini is described thus: The parsha celebrates the dedication of the tabernacle, and then records the deaths of Nadab and Abihu when they brought ‘alien fire’ into the shrine. The Haftorah initially describes the joyful move of the ark toward Jerusalem, and then describes the abrupt wipeout of Uzza by God when he heroically reached out to grasp it as it began to fall. [2]
Samuel 6:2-12 “…And they mounted the Ark of God on a new cart [3] and carried it off…and Uzzo and Ahio…were driving the cart…and they came to…Nacon, and Uzza reached out to the Ark…for the oxen had slipped. And the Lord’s wrath flared up against Uzza, and God struck him down…And David was incensed because the Lord…burst out against Uzza.” [4]
“And the Ark of the Lord remained…three months (in the house of Obed-Odom)…And David…brought up the Ark…to the City of David…”
Samuel 6:13-23 “…when the bearers of the Ark…had taken six steps…he sacrificed a..bull. And David was leaping and whirling…girt in a linen ephod [5]…in shouts…as the Ark…came into the city of David, Michal daughter of (deceased) Saul…scorned him [6]…And they brought the Ark…and set it…in its place within the tent…David had pitched…David offered up burnt offerings…and sacrifices…and…shared…to all the people…bread and…cake…”
“…And Michel daughter of Saul…said, ‘How honored today is the king…who has exposed himself…as some scurrilous fellow…!’ [7]…And Michel…had no child till her dying day.”
Samuel 7:1-10 “…the king said to Nathan the prophet…’I dwell in a cedarwood house [8] while the Ark…dwells within curtains.’…Nathan (then) saying (via the Lord, to David): Is it you who would build Me a house…to dwell in?…I have gone about in tent and tabernacle…Why have you not built me a cedarwood house? [8]…I…took you from the pasture…to be prince over My people…cut down your enemies…My people…shall no longer quake…”
Here the Haftorah goes into its necessary upbeat ending.
Samuel 7:11-17 “And I will grant you (David) respite from all your enemies…the Lord declares…He…will make you a house…I will raise up your seed after you…and…make his kingship unshaken…I will chastise…with the afflictions of mankind [9]…But my loyalty shall not swerve…your kingship..forever…”
To me, the complete novel of David is a remarkable work of literature by unknown ancient writers. According to scholars, likely it was not written in the time frame of the life of David.
I used the three-volume opus Tanakh (2019) of emeritus professor Robert Alter of the University of California, Berkeley, for his scholarly translation and commentaries. In preparing this essay, I was moved to read the entire complex David story, which takes up the bulk of the Books of Samuel.
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[1] Robert Alter, The Hebrew Bible, Prophets Vol. 2, W. W. Norton & Company, New York, 2019, p. 163
[2] Etz Hayim, The Jewish Publication Society, 2001, New York, p. 644
[3] Ibid. Robert Alter, p. 329—The new cart is a vehicle unpolluted by any previous secular use.
[4] David shows anger against God, who is not fair in this instance.
[5] Ibid. p. 331—David is playing the roles of both priest and king, but, in a short garment and whirling, likely exposed himself.
[6] Ibid. p. 331—Though Michel, daughter of Saul, is married to David, she sees him here with contempt.
[7] Ibid. 331-2—This is dramatic dripping irony sarcasm toward her husband, King David.
[8] Ibid. p. 333—The palace was of stone with cedar paneling. ‘Under curtains’ means the Ark then was housed merely in a tent.
[9] Ibid. p. 335—A warning against straying from the law