7/30/2019 David's Character, Morim Sheet

1/2

Background: Were discussing Davids character, his good traits and a little bit of his dark side,

as seen through his relationship with one of his wives, Michal bat Shaul. Michal came to love

David, like seemingly everyone else in the story besides Shaul, and Shaul decides to try and

use this fact to his advantage, by sending David out on a suicide mission to capture 100

Pelishti...um...Privates (seriously, I almost just put this fact in the shiur and translated it that

way) in the hope that he gets killed. This fails, and David gets Michal. Shaul, trying to kill Davidagain, sends men to their house to go kill David, but Michal helps David escape. Shaul then

marries Michal off to Paltil ben Laish, presumably as punishment for conspiring to help the

enemy. Later, David takes Michal back from Palti as part of a peace agreement with

Mephiboshet, Shauls son and successor, and Palti cries the whole way until Avner tells him to

go home. The next time we see Michal, she is criticizing David for being too singy-dancy and

making a fool of himself when the Aron arrives in Ir David.

Objective:

David is an extremely charismatic man, a brave warrior who everyone seems to immediately fall

in love with, who appears to have his every endeavor blessed by divine grace, as opposed to

Shaul, a weak-willed and distant leader whose kingship has been revoked by God. But beneath

that charisma lurks a side of David that is a callous, coldhearted tyrant, who knows full well the

charismatic power he wields and has no compunctions about using it for his own gain. What we

will see in the upcoming shiurim on David is a glimpse into the battle that rages between these

two sides of him.

Trigger:

Lets go with the same type of trigger as last time, why not. Start off by saying, briefly, the story

of Michal yelling at David. Then work backwards. Who is Michal? Who is David? What is their

history? Finally, at the end, bring it all back to the initial story and notice the specific things that

get mentioned and their significance.

Sources:

The People love David for his bravery

Shmuel Alef 18:5

) (

:

David went to fight wherever Saul sent him. He was very successful, so Saul put him in charge

of the soldiers. This pleased everyone, even Sauls officers.

Shmuel Alef 18:16

: ) (

But all the people in Israel and Judah loved David because he was out among them and led

them into battle.

What character traits do these pesukim reveal about David?

Michal Bat Shaul

Shmuel Alef 18:20

) (:

People told Saul that his daughter Michal loved David. This made Saul happy.

7/30/2019 David's Character, Morim Sheet

2/2

Shmuel Alef 19:11-12

) (

: ) ( :

Saul sent men to watch Davids house. They stayed there all night. They were waiting to kill

David in the morning, but Davids wife Michal warned him. She said, You must run away tonightand save your life. If you dont, you will be killed tomorrow.

Palti Ben Laish

Shmuel Alef 25:44

) (:

And Shaul gave Michal his daughter, wife of David, to Palti Ben Laish, who was from Galim

Shmuel Bet 3:15-16

) ( : ) (

:

Then Ish Bosheth told the men to go and take Michal from a man named Paltiel son of Laish. 16

Michals husband, Paltiel, followed them, crying all the way to Bahurim. Finally, Abner said to

him, Go back home. So Paltiel went back home.

Looking at the peshat, how does Palt/iel feel? Do his feelings matter?

Michals criticism of David

Shmuel Bet 6:20-23

) (

) :

) ( :: ) ( :

20 David went back to bless his house, but Sauls daughter Michal came out to meet him. She

said, The king of Israel did not honor himself today! You took off your clothes in front of your

servants girls. You were like a fool who takes off his clothes without shame!

21 Then David said to Michal, The Lord chose me, not your father or anyone from his family.

The Lord chose me to be leader of his people, the Israelites. So I will continue dancing and

celebrating in front of the Lord. 22 I might do things that are even more embarrassing! Maybe

you will not respect me, but the girls you are talking about are proud of me!

23 Sauls daughter Michal never had a child. She died without having any children.

1. What behavior does she deem unfitting of a king? Who is Michal? What differences are there

between David and her father? What is bubbling under the surface of this criticism?

2. Why does David respond in the way he does? What might the significance of Michals

childlessness be?