Difference between revisions of "David's Counting of the Nation/2"
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<point><b>"כִּי תִשָּׂא אֶת רֹאשׁ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל... וְנָתְנוּ אִישׁ כֹּפֶר נַפְשׁוֹ"</b> – According to all these sources, a direct headcount is prohibited by the Torah.  The directive to count via a redemptive object (כופר נפש) is an ongoing one, relevant for all generations and not just during the first census in the Wilderness.  David's direct count therefore constituted a sin and led to plague.  For elaboration on the directive to donate half shekels, see <a href="Half Shekels – For Census or Tabernacle" data-aht="page">Half Shekels – For Census or Tabernacle?</a></point> | <point><b>"כִּי תִשָּׂא אֶת רֹאשׁ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל... וְנָתְנוּ אִישׁ כֹּפֶר נַפְשׁוֹ"</b> – According to all these sources, a direct headcount is prohibited by the Torah.  The directive to count via a redemptive object (כופר נפש) is an ongoing one, relevant for all generations and not just during the first census in the Wilderness.  David's direct count therefore constituted a sin and led to plague.  For elaboration on the directive to donate half shekels, see <a href="Half Shekels – For Census or Tabernacle" data-aht="page">Half Shekels – For Census or Tabernacle?</a></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 shekels, David mistakenly assumed that the command applied only to Moshe's initial census and not to all future generations.<fn>It is not clear, however, what prompted him to realize that he had sinned once the census was taken.  According to the account in Divrei HaYamim, it is possible that immediately after the census Hashem smites the nation, and it was this that clued  David in to his wrongdoing.  There (in contrast to the account in Shemuel), the verse states, "וַיַּךְ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל" before David's confession, "חָטָאתִי מְאֹד אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי אֶת הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה".  | + | <li>Ramban suggests that since the Torah is not explicit regarding the scope of the obligation to count via shekels, David mistakenly assumed that the command applied only to Moshe's initial census and not to all future generations.<fn>It is not clear, however, what prompted him to realize that he had sinned once the census was taken.  According to the account in Divrei HaYamim, it is possible that immediately after the census Hashem smites the nation, and it was this that clued  David in to his wrongdoing.  There (in contrast to the account in Shemuel), the verse states, "וַיַּךְ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל" before David's confession, "חָטָאתִי מְאֹד אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי אֶת הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה".  However, if the nation was already punished then,  it is not clear why they would be punished again afterwards leading to the alternative possibility that the phrase "וַיַּךְ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל" is simply a heading referring to what follows.</fn></li> |
<li>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. By David's census, however, the silver was no longer around and new donations were needed.  Since censuses had not required new shekels in centuries, it is not surprising that David might have erred.</li> | <li>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. By David's census, however, the silver was no longer around and new donations were needed.  Since censuses had not required new shekels in centuries, it is not surprising that David might have erred.</li> | ||
</ul></point> | </ul></point> | ||
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<li>Natural consequence</li> | <li>Natural consequence</li> | ||
<li>Guilty of a different crime</li> | <li>Guilty of a different crime</li> | ||
| − | <li></li> | + | <li> –</li> |
</ul></point> | </ul></point> | ||
</category> | </category> | ||
Version as of 06:37, 29 March 2017
David's Counting of the Nation
Exegetical Approaches
Counted Heads
David sinned in directly counting the nation rather than using a redemptive object.
"כִּי תִשָּׂא אֶת רֹאשׁ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל... וְנָתְנוּ אִישׁ כֹּפֶר נַפְשׁוֹ" – According to all these sources, a direct headcount is prohibited by the Torah. The directive to count via a redemptive object (כופר נפש) is an ongoing one, relevant for all generations and not just during the first census in the Wilderness. David's direct count therefore constituted a sin and led to plague. For elaboration on the directive to donate half shekels, see Half Shekels – For Census or Tabernacle?
How could David err?
- Ramban suggests that since the Torah is not explicit regarding the scope of the obligation to count via shekels, David mistakenly assumed that the command applied only to Moshe's initial census and not to all future generations.2
- 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. By David's census, however, the silver was no longer around and new donations were needed. Since censuses had not required new shekels in centuries, it is not surprising that David might have erred.
Yoav's reluctance – Yoav's reluctance to count the nation and his question, "לָמָּה יִהְיֶה לְאַשְׁמָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל" stemmed from his realization that David was transgressing a prohibition which might result in a catastrophe for the nation. It is unclear, according to this approach, however, why Yoav himself did not simply collect half shekels from the nation as a redemption so as to avert the sin and its consequence.
"וַיָּסֶת אֶת דָּוִד" – Ralbag explains that the verse does not mean to suggest that Hashem forced David to sin,3 as then he should not have been culpable. Rather, the phrase is an abbreviated way of saying, "וַיָּסֶת [לבו] אֶת דָּוִד".4 Alternatively, the action is attributed to Hashem since he is the first cause from which all stems.5
Choice of punishment
Why is the nation punished and David spared?
- Natural consequence
- Guilty of a different crime
- –
Unnecessary Census
The plague resulted from the fact that the census was unnese
Sources:Bemidbar Rabbah, Tanchuma, Radak, Rid, Ramban, Ralbag, Akeidat Yitzchak, Abarbanel, Shadal, Hoil Moshe
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
