Difference between revisions of "David's Counting of the Nation/2"

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<p>David sinned in directly counting the nation rather than using a redemptive object.</p>
 
<p>David sinned in directly counting the nation rather than using a redemptive object.</p>
 
<mekorot><multilink><a href="JosephusAntiquitiesoftheJews7-13" data-aht="source">Josephus</a><a href="JosephusAntiquitiesoftheJews7-13" data-aht="source">Antiquities of the Jews 7:13</a><a href="Josephus" data-aht="parshan">About Josephus</a></multilink>,<multilink><a href="BavliBerakhot62b" data-aht="source"> Bavli Berakhot</a><a href="BavliBerakhot62b" data-aht="source">Berakhot 62b</a><a href="Talmud Bavli" data-aht="parshan">About the Bavli</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RashiShemot30-12" data-aht="source">Rashi</a><a href="RashiShemot30-12" data-aht="source">Shemot 30:12</a><a href="R. Shelomo Yitzchaki (Rashi)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="ChizkuniShemot30-12" data-aht="source">Chizkuni</a><a href="ChizkuniShemot30-12" data-aht="source">Shemot 30:12</a><a href="ChizkuniShemot30-16" data-aht="source">Shemot 30:16</a><a href="R. Chizkiyah b. Manoach (Chizkuni)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Chizkiyah b. Manoach</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RambanBemidbar16-21" data-aht="source">Ramban</a><a href="RambanShemot30-12" data-aht="source">Shemot 30:12</a><a href="RambanBemidbar16-21" data-aht="source">Bemidbar 16:21</a><a href="R. Moshe b. Nachman (Ramban, Nachmanides)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Moshe b. Nachman</a></multilink>,<fn>This is Ramban's opinion as expressed in his comments to Shemot 32.&#160; See below that he raises an alternative understanding of the event in his comments to Bemidbar 1.</fn> <multilink><a href="RalbagShemuelII24-1" data-aht="source">Ralbag</a><a href="RalbagShemuelII24-1" data-aht="source">Shemuel II 24:1</a><a href="RalbagShemotBeurHaMilot30-12" data-aht="source">Shemot Beur HaMilot 30:12</a><a href="RalbagShemotToalot30-1-2" data-aht="source">Shemot Toalot 30:1-2</a><a href="R. Levi b. Gershom (Ralbag, Gersonides)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Levi b. Gershom</a></multilink>, gr"a,&#160; <multilink><a href="MalbimShemuelII24-1" data-aht="source">Malbim</a><a href="MalbimShemot30-12" data-aht="source">Shemot 30:12</a><a href="MalbimShemuelII24-1" data-aht="source">Shemuel II 24:1-2</a><a href="R. Meir Leibush Weiser (Malbim)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Meir Leibush Weiser</a></multilink></mekorot>
 
<mekorot><multilink><a href="JosephusAntiquitiesoftheJews7-13" data-aht="source">Josephus</a><a href="JosephusAntiquitiesoftheJews7-13" data-aht="source">Antiquities of the Jews 7:13</a><a href="Josephus" data-aht="parshan">About Josephus</a></multilink>,<multilink><a href="BavliBerakhot62b" data-aht="source"> Bavli Berakhot</a><a href="BavliBerakhot62b" data-aht="source">Berakhot 62b</a><a href="Talmud Bavli" data-aht="parshan">About the Bavli</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RashiShemot30-12" data-aht="source">Rashi</a><a href="RashiShemot30-12" data-aht="source">Shemot 30:12</a><a href="R. Shelomo Yitzchaki (Rashi)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="ChizkuniShemot30-12" data-aht="source">Chizkuni</a><a href="ChizkuniShemot30-12" data-aht="source">Shemot 30:12</a><a href="ChizkuniShemot30-16" data-aht="source">Shemot 30:16</a><a href="R. Chizkiyah b. Manoach (Chizkuni)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Chizkiyah b. Manoach</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RambanBemidbar16-21" data-aht="source">Ramban</a><a href="RambanShemot30-12" data-aht="source">Shemot 30:12</a><a href="RambanBemidbar16-21" data-aht="source">Bemidbar 16:21</a><a href="R. Moshe b. Nachman (Ramban, Nachmanides)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Moshe b. Nachman</a></multilink>,<fn>This is Ramban's opinion as expressed in his comments to Shemot 32.&#160; See below that he raises an alternative understanding of the event in his comments to Bemidbar 1.</fn> <multilink><a href="RalbagShemuelII24-1" data-aht="source">Ralbag</a><a href="RalbagShemuelII24-1" data-aht="source">Shemuel II 24:1</a><a href="RalbagShemotBeurHaMilot30-12" data-aht="source">Shemot Beur HaMilot 30:12</a><a href="RalbagShemotToalot30-1-2" data-aht="source">Shemot Toalot 30:1-2</a><a href="R. Levi b. Gershom (Ralbag, Gersonides)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Levi b. Gershom</a></multilink>, gr"a,&#160; <multilink><a href="MalbimShemuelII24-1" data-aht="source">Malbim</a><a href="MalbimShemot30-12" data-aht="source">Shemot 30:12</a><a href="MalbimShemuelII24-1" data-aht="source">Shemuel II 24:1-2</a><a href="R. Meir Leibush Weiser (Malbim)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Meir Leibush Weiser</a></multilink></mekorot>
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<point><b>"כִּי תִשָּׂא אֶת רֹאשׁ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל... וְנָתְנוּ אִישׁ כֹּפֶר נַפְשׁוֹ"</b> – According to all these sources, the Torah's command to count people via a redemptive object (כופר נפש) is an ongoing one. &#160; A direct headcount is prohibited in all generations, and not just during the first census in the Wilderness.&#160;</point>
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<point><b>"כִּי תִשָּׂא אֶת רֹאשׁ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל... וְנָתְנוּ אִישׁ כֹּפֶר נַפְשׁוֹ"</b> – According to all these sources, the Torah's command to count people via a redemptive object (כופר נפש) is an ongoing one.&#160; A direct headcount is prohibited in all generations, and not just during the first census in the Wilderness.</point>
 
<point><b>How could David err?</b><ul>
 
<point><b>How could David err?</b><ul>
 
<li>Ramban suggests that since the Torah is not explicit regarding the scope of the obligation to count via objects, David mistakenly assumed that it was only relevant for Moshe's initial census and did not apply to all future generations.</li>
 
<li>Ramban suggests that since the Torah is not explicit regarding the scope of the obligation to count via objects, David mistakenly assumed that it was only relevant for Moshe's initial census and did not apply to all future generations.</li>

Version as of 03:19, 28 March 2017

David's Counting of the Nation

Exegetical Approaches

This topic has not yet undergone editorial review

Counted Heads

David sinned in directly counting the nation rather than using a redemptive object.

Sources:JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 7:13About Josephus, Bavli BerakhotBerakhot 62bAbout the Bavli, RashiShemot 30:12About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki, ChizkuniShemot 30:12Shemot 30:16About R. Chizkiyah b. Manoach, RambanShemot 30:12Bemidbar 16:21About R. Moshe b. Nachman,1 RalbagShemuel II 24:1Shemot Beur HaMilot 30:12Shemot Toalot 30:1-2About R. Levi b. Gershom, gr"a,  MalbimShemot 30:12Shemuel II 24:1-2About R. Meir Leibush Weiser
"כִּי תִשָּׂא אֶת רֹאשׁ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל... וְנָתְנוּ אִישׁ כֹּפֶר נַפְשׁוֹ" – According to all these sources, the Torah's command to count people via a redemptive object (כופר נפש) is an ongoing one.  A direct headcount is prohibited in all generations, and not just during the first census in the Wilderness.
How could David err?
  • Ramban suggests that since the Torah is not explicit regarding the scope of the obligation to count via objects, David mistakenly assumed that it was only relevant for Moshe's initial census and did not apply to all future generations.
  • According to Chizkuni, the original half shekel donations to the Tabernacle afforded protection from plague not just during the act of giving but for the entire period in which the silver lasted. David might have erred because by the time of his census the silver was no longer around.   

Unnecessary Census

No Sin of David

David did not sin in counting the nation.  The plague resulted from the sins of the people, to punish them for their role in joining Avshalom's rebellion.

Sources:R. Saadia
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