The way Rashi seems to understand, Dovid Hamelech was more concerned about his hesped and others being metapel with him than living a day longer in order to do mitzvos and learn torah.
That seems difficult to understand. Any thoughts?
Simcha Cohen
I believe that David was concerned about his hesped because of what is written in another Gemara. In Yevamos 78a we read that the three years of famine in the time of David was because Shaul ha'Melech had not been eulogized properly after his death at the hands of the Pelishtim. In Bamidbar Rabah (Naso 8), the Midrash describes how David brought Shaul's bones to Jerusalem for burial, and then the famine stopped and rain came.
Thus, David's sensitivity to proper eulogy is not for self-aggrandizement, but rather because of the punishment he (and the people) received for not eulogizing Shaul properly. He is worried that on Shabbos he will not merit a proper eulogy and this will cause an accusation against the people of Israel.
The Sefas Emes asks why he cannot be eulogized and buried on the next day, Sunday. He suggests that David ha'Melech did not want people to cancel their Oneg Shabbos once they heard of his death, which would be the automatic reaction of the people. Based on this, Rashi means that "they will be able to deal with my eulogy" without desecrating Shabbos.
Yoel Domb