David's Counting of the Nation/2

David's Counting of the Nation

Exegetical Approaches

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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

The plague resulted from the fact that the census was unnese

Sources:Bemidbar Rabbah2:17About Bemidbar Rabbah, TanchumaKi Tisa 9About the Tanchuma, RadakShemuel II 24:1About R. David Kimchi, RidShemuel II 24:10About R. Yeshayah of Trani, RambanBemidbar 1:2About R. Moshe b. Nachman,RalbagShemuel II 24:1Shemot Beur HaMilot 30:12Shemot Toalot 30:1-2About R. Levi b. Gershom, Akeidat Yitzchakשמות שער נ"ב שאלות א'-ד'About R. Yitzchak Arama, Abarbanel, ShadalShemot 30:12Shemot 30:12About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto, Hoil MosheBemidbar 1:2About R. Moshe Yitzchak Ashkenazi

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

¹ This is Ramban's opinion as expressed in his comments to Shemot 32.  See below that he raises an alternative understanding of the event in his comments to Bemidbar 1.