QUESTION: The Gemara at the end of 10b says that David ha'Melech attempted to bring Avshalom out of Gehinom. Tos. DH Dkarav tries to reconcile this Gemara with the opinion of Rebbi Meir in Sanhedrin (103b) who says that Avshalom did not go to Olam ha'Ba. According to Rebbi Meir, Avshalom did not go to Olam ha'Ba nor was he judged in Gehinim (like our Gemara says), and thus why is Avshalom not included in the list (Sanhedrin 103a) of those who "are not living [in Olam ha'Ba] and are not judged [in Gehinom]?" Tosfos answers that the list there includes only kings. (It is not clear why Tosfos doesn't simply answer that Rabi Meir doesn't accept the Drash, hence we wouldn't need to answer that in Sanhedrin they only include kings, (which is a little difficult, because Avsholom was a king Lpoeil for a while)).

The question is that we find (Chagiga 15b) that Rabi Meir said Mutav Dlidaina Vileisi Lalma Dosi, if so why would Dovid Hamelech want to take him out of Gehinom and thereby cause Avshalom to forfeit his Olam ha'Ba?

ANSWER: According to the MaHaRShA in Chagiga the answer is that by Acheir, there was Zchus HaTorah that held him out of Gehinom. Rabi Meir reversed that logic for Olam Ha'Ba -- by Avsholom, he was in Gehinom hence he had no Zchus HaTorah, in which case he would anyway not get Olam ha'Ba, so Dovid ha'Melech A"H at least upgraded him to "Lo Chayin Vlo Nidonin."

Umisaymim bToiv, Kol Tuv,

Yitzchok Zirkind