DAVID'S SIN [line 1]
(Rav Yehudah): One should never bring himself to temptation. David brought himself to temptation and failed.
David: Why do we say Elokei Avraham, Elokei Yitzchak and Elokei Yakov, but not Elokei David? (Maharsha - he knew that even after he dies, Yisrael will not say this.)
Hash-m: I tested them, I did not test you.
David: "Bechaneni Hash-m v'Naseni (test me)"!
Hash-m: I did not tell them in what they will be tested, yet I will tell you. You will be tested in a matter of Ervah.
(Rav Yehudah): "Va'Yhi l'Es ha'Erev va'Yakam David me'Al Mishkavo" - David had Bi'ah during the day (in order to satiate his Yetzer, and not think about women);
He forgot that if one satiates the Ever, it craves more. If one starves it, it is satiated.
"Va'Yis'halech Al Gag... va'Yar Ishah Rochetzes" - Bas Sheva was shampooing her hair under a chest (Ramah - canopy). The Satan took the form of a bird. David shot an arrow at it. It broke the chest (lifted the canopy) and revealed her. David saw her.
David inquired, and was told that she was Uriyah's wife. He sent for her - "...va'Tavo Elav va'Yishkav Imah..."
"Bachanta Libi... Tzeraftani Val Timtza" (You tested me, to refine me. I did not pass.)
"Zamosi Bal Ya'avar Pi" - if only I had not asked to be tested!
(Rava): "...Eich Tomru l'Nafshi Nudi Harchem Tzipor" - David asked Hash-m 'forgive me for the sin, lest people say that a bird toppled the mountain (king).'
(Rava): "Lecha Levadcha Chotasi... Lema'an Titzdak b'Davrecha" - David told Hash-m 'You know that I could have overcome my Yetzer, just I did not want people to say that the slave (me) overcame his Master.'
(Rava): "Ki Ani l'Tzela Nachon u'Mach'ovai Negdi Samid" - Bas Sheva was prepared for David from the six days of creation, just she came to him through great anguish.
Support (Beraisa - Tana d'Vei R. Yishmael): Bas Sheva was prepared for David from the six days of creation, just he took her before the proper time.
(Rava): "...Kor'u v'Lo Damu" - David said, 'if I would be torn, my blood would not spill (because it drains from me when people shame me);'
When my tormentors are learning the four Misos of Beis Din (some texts - Ohalos and Nega'im, i.e. difficult tractates unrelated to my sin; learning about Tzara'as should make one careful about Lashon ha'Ra), they stop learning to ask me which is the death penalty for Bi'ah with a married woman;
I answer that it is choking, and he has a share in the world to come, but one who makes someone blush has no share in the world to come.
Rav Yehudah): Even when David was sick, he fulfilled the Onah of his 18 wives - "Yagati b'Anchasi Ascheh b'Chol Laylah Mitasi."
(Rav Yehudah): David thought to (Ramah - pretend to) serve idolatry - "va'Yhi David Ba Ad ha'Rosh Asher Yishtachaveh Sham l'Eilohim" - 'Rosh' refers to idolatry.
Chushai ha'Arki encountered David.
Chushai: Will people say that a king like yourself will serve idolatry?!
David: My son is about to kill me. People will think that Hash-m was not justified in doing this to me. It will be an open Chilul Hash-m. It is better that I (pretend to) serve idolatry!
Chushai: Why did you marry a Yafes To'ar (a beautiful woman taken in war)?
David: This is permitted!
Chushai: You did not expound that the Parshah of Ben Sorer u'Moreh is written right after it, to teach that one who marries a Yafes To'ar will have a Ben Sorer u'Moreh. (Therefore, people will not question Hash-m's ways.)
(R. Dostai of Biri): David was like a Kusi merchant (who sells bit by bit. Likewise, David asked for forgiveness bit by bit);
David: "Shegi'os Mi Yavin (who can avoid sinning b'Shogeg)?"
Hash-m: I forgive to you (for Shogeg).
David: "Mi'Nistaros Nakeni" (cleanse me from intentional sins in private)!
Hash-m: I forgive to you.
David: (Also forgive) "Gam mi'Zedim..." (intentional sins in public).
Hash-m: I forgive to you.
David: "Al Yimshelu Vi (Chachamim should not expound my sin)"
Hash-m: I grant this.
David: "V'Nikeisi mi'Pesha Rav (my sin should not be written in Scripture)"
Hash-m: That is impossible. I removed a Yud from Sarai (when I changed her name to Sarah), and the Yud was complaining for hundreds of years until I added it to Hoshe'a (when I changed his name to Yehoshua). All the more so, I cannot omit an entire Parshah!
"V'Nikeisi mi'Pesha Rav" - David asked for total forgiveness.
Hash-m: Your son Shlomo will write "...ha'Ba El Eshes Re'ehu Lo Yinakeh Kol ha'Noge'a Bah"!
David: Will I be forever plagued by this sin?
Hash-m: Accept on yourself afflictions. (He did.)
(Rav Yehudah): David was a Metzora for six months. "Techat'eni v'Ezov (purify me with hyssop, which is used to be Metaher Metzora'im) v'Etaher";
The Shechinah departed from him - "Hashivah Li Seson Yish'echa v'Ru'ach Nedivah Sismecheni";
The Sanhedrin separated from him - "Yashuvu Li Yera'echa."
Question: What is the source that this was for six months?
Answer - contradiction: It says "b'Chevron Molach Sheva Shanim", and it says "b'Chevron Molach Al Yehudah Sheva Shanim v'Shishah Chodoshim"!
Resolution: The first verse does not count the six months that he was a Metzora.
David: Forgive to me for the sin!
Hash-m: I forgive to you.
David: "Asei Imi Os l'Tovah va'Yir'u Son'ai v'Yevoshu (make a sign to show this, so my enemies will be embarrassed)"!
Hash-m: I will not do so in your lifetime, rather, in your son's day.
When Shlomo built the Beis ha'Mikdash and wanted to bring the Aron into the Kodesh ha'Kodoshim, the gates clung to each other and would not let it enter. Shlomo sang 24 praises to Hash-m; they remained closed.
He said "Se'u She'arim Rosheichem..." - they remained closed.
When he said "Zochrah l'Chasdei David Avdecha", they opened. The faces of David's enemies turned black (from shame). All knew that Hash-m forgave David.
GECHAZI [line 17]
We learn that Gechazi has no share in the world to come from "va'Yelech Elisha Dameshek";
Question: Why did Elisha go there?
Answer: He went to get Gechazi to do Teshuvah. He did not succeed.
Elisha: Do Teshuvah!
Gechazi: You taught me that if one sins and makes others sin, Hash-m does not allow him to repent.
Question: How did he make others sin?
Answer #1: He used magnets to suspend Yarav'am's idols in mid-air (making people think that they have power).
Answer #2: He carved a name of Hash-m on the idol's mouth. It would say the first two of the 10 utterances (and people thought that the idol was declaring "Anochi Hash-m...")
Answer #3: He expelled Rabanan from learning from Elisha - "ha'Makom... Tzar Mimenu." (After Gechazi left, the Talmidim were crowded. Before this, there were less Talmidim, and there was enough room.)
(Beraisa): One should repel with the left hand, and draw close with the right hand, unlike Elisha, who repelled Gechazi with both hands;
Question: Why does it say "va'Yomer (Gechazi) Lo Holach Avdecha... va'Yomer Elav (Elisha)... ha'Es Lokachas Es ha'Kesef v'Lokachas Begadim v'Zeisim u'Chramim v'Tzon u'Vakar v'Avadim u'Shfachos"? Gechazi took only money and clothes!
Answer (R. Yitzchak): At the time, Elisha was teaching about the eight Sheratzim (rodents). Na'aman, the head general of Aram, had Tzara'as. A girl taken captive from Eretz Yisrael told him that Elisha would be able to cure him.
Elisha told him to immerse seven times in the Yarden. Na'aman thought that he was mocking him, but the people he was with convinced him to try it. It worked. He wanted to give Elisha everything he had with him, but Elisha refused to take. Na'aman left. Gechazi slipped away, caught up with Na'aman, (lied and said that Elisha reconsidered) and took a gift from Na'aman. When he returned, Elisha saw that Na'aman's Tzara'as was on Gechazi.
Elisha: Rasha! The time has come for you to receive your reward for learning about the eight Sheratzim (and all your Torah, in this world, and not in the world to come. This is why Elisha mentioned eight things.) The Tzara'as of Na'aman should cling to you and your children forever!
Gechazi left. His Tzara'as was snow-white.
(R. Yochanan): "Arba'ah Anashim Hayu Metzora'im" - these were Gechazi and his three sons.
(Beraisa - R. Shimon ben Elazar): Three things should be repelled with the left hand, and drawn close with the right - the Yetzer ha'Ra, a child, and a wife.
(Beraisa): Elisha fell sick three times - "(1) Ve'Elisha Cholah (2) Es Chalyo (3) Asher Yamus Bo";
These were for causing bears to ravage youths (who had mocked him), for repelling Gechazi with both hands, and the sickness he died from .
Until Avraham, there were no visible signs of old age. People would see Avraham and think that hei is Yitzchak (and vice-versa, because they looked the same). Avraham prayed for a solution, and Hash-m agreed - "v'Avraham Zaken Ba ba'Yamim."
Until Yakov, there was no weakness (shortly before death. People did not know when to command or bless their children). Yakov prayed for a solution, and Hash-m agreed - "va'Yomer l'Yosef Hinei Avicha Choleh."
Until Elisha, no one ever recovered from weakness (it came only shortly before death). He prayed, and recovered - "Chalyo Asher Yamus Bo" implies that he was sick other times (and recovered).
GENERATIONS WITH NO SHARE IN THE WORLD TO COME
(Mishnah): The Dor ha'Mabul (generation of the flood) has no share in the world to come, and they will not be judged (Ramah - for they already received their punishment, the flood) - "Lo Yadun Ruchi va'Adam l'Olam" - there will be neither Din (judgment) nor Ru'ach;
The Dor ha'Flagah (generation of the dispersion) has no share in the world to come - "va'Yafetz Hash-m" in this world, and "umi'Sham Hefitzam" from the world to come.