Sholom. I have not been able to understand the cheshbon of Avshalom to rebel against Dovid Hamelech. Avshalom was surely a tsaddik and talmid chochem, so where did he go wrong? And why did he grow his hair long, which is not derech YIddishkeit, especially for wearing tefillin??
Indeed, how does a nazir properly wear the tefillin shel rosh?
Thank you,
David Goldman
NY
Todd Kobernick, San Diego, California
Shalom
It is never easy to explain to wrong cheshbonos of people mentioned in Tanach. In this case let me point out the following. The Gemoro in Sanhedrin (107a) explains that Avshalom's mother who we know from Tanach (Shmuel II 3:1) to be a descendant from a non-Jewish king, was a yefas toar- a woman taken captive and married by Dovid haMelech. The gemara proceeds to explain that the result of marrying a yefas toar can be having a rebellious son. So in essence the behavior of Avshalom was a direct result of his lineage.
Regarding wearing tefillin for a nazir. There are a few factors that must be considered. Avshalom was a nazir olam who was permitted to shave his hair periodically. The Rambam rules that he may do this every twelve months. During this time, since he may not cut his hair, the hair is considered part of his body, and thus there would be no problem wearing tefillin on the hair. The problem would arise when a person has long hair, which he may cut. In this case it is not considered an extension of the body, thus creating a chatzitzah, between the head and the tefillin.
Yehuda Landy