Commentary for Shabbat 111:16

ושמואל אמר לא קיבל דוד לשון הרע דברים הניכרים חזא ביה דכתיב (שמואל ב יט, כה) ומפיבושת בן שאול ירד (לפני) המלך ולא עשה רגליו ולא עשה שפמו ואת בגדיו לא כיבס וגו' וכתיב ויהי כי בא ירושלים לקראת המלך ויאמר לו המלך למה לא הלכת עמי מפיבושת ויאמר אדוני המלך עבדי רמני כי אמר עבדך אחבשה לי החמור וארכב עליה ואלך את המלך כי פסח

And thou hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Sam. Xli, 9. ');">¹¹</span> just as thou art not [to be] punished for the sword of the Ammonites, so art thou not [to be] punished for [the death of] Uriah the Hittite. What is the reason? He was rebellious against royal authority, saying to him, and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open field [etc].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Sam. XI, 11. Thus he disobeyed David's order to go home. ');">¹⁶</span> Rab said: When you examine [the life of] David, you find nought but 'save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Kings XV, 5. Rashi: his only sin lay in encompassing Uriah's death, but not in taking Bathsheba (as explained above). From the context, however, it appears that Rab does not exculpate him from adultery with Bathsheba, but means that David was guilty of no other sin save that in connection with Uriah, which naturally includes his behaviour with Bathsheba. On that view Rab rejects Rabbi's exegesis (That too appears from Rab's prefacing remark: 'Rabbi who is descended, etc.'). ');">¹⁷</span> Abaye the Elder pointed out a contradiction in Rab['s dicta]: Did Rab say thus? Surely Rab said, David paid heed to slander? The difficulty remains. [To revert to] the main text: 'Rab said, David paid heed to slander,' for it is written, And the king said unto him, where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, belo da bar [in Lo-debar].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Sam. IX, 4. ');">¹⁸</span> And it is written, Then David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, millo dabar [from Lo-debar].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 5. Maharsha: belo dabar is translated: He (Mephibosheth son of Jonathan and grandson of Saul) has words, i.e., makes unloyal accusations against you. But David found that he was millo dabar, i.e., he had not made such accusations. Thus Ziba's charges were unfounded. This explains the Gemara that follows. ');">¹⁹</span> Now consider: he [David] saw that he [Ziba] was a liar; then when he slandered him a second time, why did he pay heed thereto? For it is written, And the king said, And where is thy master's son? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem [: for he said, To-day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XVI, 3. ');">²⁰</span> And how do we know that he accepted it [the slander] from, him? Because it is written, Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine is all that pertaineth unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I do obeisance; let me find favour in thy sight, my lord, O king.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 4. ');">²¹</span> But Samuel maintained: David did not pay heed to slander, [for] he saw self-evident things in him,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which substantiated Ziba's charges. Thus it was not a mere acceptance of slander. ');">²²</span> For it is written, And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king; and he had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, etc.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XIX, 24. ');">²³</span> While it is written, And it came to pass, when he was come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him, Wherefore wentest thou not with me, Mephibosheth? And he answered, My Lord, O king, my servant deceived me: for thy servant said, I will saddle me an ass, that I may ride thereon, and go with the king, because thy servant is lame,

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