The story on Amud Aleph says that Shlomo Hamelech saw that the Malach Hamavet was upset about having to kil 2 Kushim. Shlomo believed that the Malach was upset because he did not want to kill them, but it turned out that he was upset because he could not take their lives until they went to a certain place. As a result, Shlomo unwittingly sends the two men to their deaths by sending them the place where the Malach Hamavet could kill them when Shlomo's intent was to save their lives. I believe that Shlomo simply misunderstood the Malach Hamavet. My friend maintains that the Malach Hamavet deliberately fooled Shlomo into sending the two Kushim to a place where he could kill them.
a) Which is it?
b) Also, why didn't Shlomo just pray to Hash-m to spare them? Why did he believe that he could interfere with Hash-m's decision that it was their time to die?
Gil Tanenbaum, Jerusalem, Israel
While I am not dismissing your explanation, there is definitely a solid logical approach to your friend's explanation as well. The Malach ha'Maves knew that they were to die at the gate of Luz, a city where people did not die. It makes sense that by appearing to Shlomo as upset and revealing this information to Shlomo who was apparenty fond of these two scribes, Shlomo would unwittingly dispatch them to their deaths. If the place was anywhere else, this understanding would have much less authority, as why would the Malach ha'Maves think he would send them to any other specific place? Being that he sent them to Luz, I think that your friend's opinion is probably more accurate. This answers your second question as well. He had good reason to believe that he could spare them from dying, as Hash-m made a city called Luz where people didn't die (see Rashi DH "Amtinhu," and Sotah 46b).
All the best,
Yaakov Montrose