Question: The Mishnah taught that converts came with Ezra from Bavel. What is the source for this?

Answer: The pasuk states (Ezra 6, 21), "...together with all those who separated themselves from the impurity of the nations of the land to join them...''

Question: The Mishnah taught that freed slaves came. What is the source for this?

Answer: The pasuk states, "...and all of Nesinim etc. (and the freed slaves).

Question: The Mishnah taught that Mamzerim came. What is the source for this?

Answer (R. Simon): The pasuk states (Nechemyah 7, 21), "And these ascended from Tel Melach, Tel Charsha, (Kruv Adon and Imer)...''. 'From Tel Melach' refers to coming from Bavel; 'Tel Charsha' refers to the Shtukis and Asufis; 'Kruv' refers to mamzerim, as they were young men (ruvin) following after their eyes; 'adon' - as they said that there is no judgment and no Master (adon).

R. Chizkiyah added, that the word 'adon' means that they followed their eyes and they said that there is no judgment and no Judge. 'And imer' that they rebelled with their bad ways.

R. Avun citing R. Pinchas: 'Imer' - means that they flaunted themselves like the hem of a garment.

R. Levi citing R. Shimon ben Lakish: 'Tel Melach' - means that they were worthy of becoming a pile of salt, but the judgment did not act against them.

'Nesinim' - R. Imi citing R. Yehoshua ben Levi taught that it refers to the pasuk that states (Yehoshua 9, 27), "On that day, Yehoshua made them (vayitnem) woodchoppers and water drawers for the congregation (and for the Altar of Hash-m)...''.

Question: It is a punishment to serve the people, but why is it a punishment to serve for the Altar of Hash-m?

Answer: Yehoshua 'hanged them on the wall', i.e. he put them aside...

He said, "I will not bring them close nor distance them - the one (i.e. King David) who will build the Temple will decide whether to bring them close or distance.

David came and distanced them, as the pasuk says (Shmuel 2, 21, 2), "The Givonim were not from the children of Israel''.

Why did he distance them? As the pasuk states (ibid, pasuk 1), "And there was a famine in the days of David for three consecutive years''.

King David: For four sin the rains are stopped - idolatry, immorality, murder and pledging publicly without paying.

Idolatry- as the pasuk states (Devarim 11, 16), "Be aware for yourselves, lest your heart be seduced''. What does the pasuk say after that? (Pasuk 17), "And the fury of Hash-m will burn against you, and He will stop the rain etc.''

Immorality - as the pasuk states (Yirmiyahu 3, 2), "...you have polluted the land with your adultery and your evil''. What is the punishment for this? (Pasuk 3), "The raindrops have been withheld and there has been no latter rain etc.''

Murder - as the pasuk states (Bamidbar 35, 33), "...for the blood will pollute (yachnif) the land''. (We expound the word yachnif to be yachan af - anger will rest upon the land.) (See Yerushalmi Taanis Perek 3 Halachah 3)

Pledging publicly without paying - as the pasuk states (Mishlei 25, 14), "Like clouds and wind and rain is a person who praises himself for a false gift''.

(When the three year famine struck) King David checked the nation and did not find any of these (four) sins. He asked of the Urim and Tumim, as the pasuk states (Shmuel 2, 21, 1), "And David asked of Hashem'' - using the Urim and Tumim.

R. Elazar: The pasuk says (Tzefanyah 2, 3), "Seek Hash-m, all you humble of the land who fulfilled his law''. What does this mean? That He remembers a person's good at the time that He performs judgement, as the pasuk states in regard to bringing Shaul to justice for his treatment of the Givonim (Shmuel 2, 21, 1), "And Hash-m said, 'It is to Shaul and to the House of Blood'' - 'to Shaul' that you did not act kindly with him (as he was not eulogized suitably); 'and to the House of Blood'' - that Shaul killed the Givonim. (Note: This entry follows the explanation of the Pnei Moshe.)

David summoned the Givonim and said to them, "What do you have against the House of Shaul?'' (David was not aware that Shaul had also ordered the killing of the Givonim that were in the city of Nov, when he had all of the Kohanim there killed.)

Givonim: As he killed seven of our people - two woodchoppers, two water drawers, a Chazan, a scribe and a Shamash.

David: What would you like to do (to be appeased, since Shaul is already dead)?

Givonim: (Shmuel 2, 21, 6), "Let seven of his descendants be given to us and we will hang them for Hash-m in Givas Shaul - the chosen one of Hashem''.

David: What benefit do you have from killing them? Please accept silver and gold instead.

Givonim: (ibid, pasuk 4), "We have no monetary claim against Shaul and his House.''

David: Perhaps some of them are embarrassed from the others (but they would otherwise accept my offer of money). He spoke to each of them separately and asked them what benefit they have from killing and that they should accept gold and silver instead; but they also responded that their claim against Shaul is not monetary claim. This is indicated in the pasuk (ibid) that is written as 'I do not have (a monetary claim)'' but it is read as "we do not have''.

At that time David said that Hash-m gave Yisrael three good gifts - they are merciful, shy and they perform acts of kindness...

Merciful - as the pasuk states (Devarim 13, 18), "...and He will give you mercy''.

Shy - as the pasuk states (Shemos 20, 17), "...and that awe of Him shall be on your faces'' - this is a sign of shy people, who do not sin. Whoever does not have the trait of shame, it is certain that his ancestors did not stand at Mount Sinai.

Perform acts of kindness - as the pasuk states (Devarim 7, 12), "...and Hash-m, your G-d, will guard for you the covenant and the kindness''. But these people did not have even one of those three traits.

Immediately, David arose and distanced the Givonim from the rest of the nation, as the pasuk states (Shmuel 2, 21, 2), "and the Givonim were not from the children of Israel''.

Ezra also distanced them, as the pasuk states (Nechemyah 11, 21), "...and the Nesinim dwelt in Ofel''.

Even in the future, Hash-m will distance them, as the pasuk states in reference to the Givonim (Yechezkel 48, 19), "and the worker of the city will serve it...'' (that they will remain slaves even in the future).

The pasuk there states (Shmuel 2, 21, 7-8), "The king said "I will give''...And the king took the two sons of Ritzpah daughter of Ayah, who were born to Shaul - who were Admoni and Mepiboshes etc. (and the five sons of Michal).''

Question: The pasuk states (Shmuel 2, 6, 23), "And Michal daughter of Shaul had no child until the day she died'', and you say that she had five sons?

Answer: They were the sons of Merav, but since Michal brought them up, they were named after her.

The pasuk states (Shmuel 2, 21, 9), "...and he gave them to the hand of the Givonim and they hanged them on the mountain before Hash-m, all seven (shivatayim) fell together.'' The word shivatayim is written with the letter yud. This alludes to the fact that Mepiboshes ben Yehonasan ben Shaul, who was great in Torah, was not ultimately killed...''And David put his eyes upon him to save him''...

David said - Behold, I am passing them in front of the Altar and whoever is absorbed by the Alter is mine (i.e. saved from the hands of the Givonim).

So David passed them in front of the Altar and prayed for him (Mepiboshes) and the Altar absorbed him, as the pasuk states (Tehilim 57, 3), "I will call out to the elevated G-d, to the G-d who fulfils me'' - that Hash-m agreed to David's request.

The pasuk above continues (Shmuel 2, 21, 9), "And they were killed in the time of the first harvest'' - at the beginning of the harvest, as the pasuk then mentions "the beginning of the barley harvest''.