Daf 8b (דַּף ח׳ ע״ב)

King David was afraid, when that incident (with Batsheva) occurred (דָּוִד מַלְכָּא בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּאִירַע לֵיהּ הַהוּא עוֹבָדָא דָּחִיל). At that moment, Dumah ascended before Kudsha Berikh Hu (בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא סָלִיק דוּמָ״ה קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא) and said before Him: Master of the worlds (וְאָמַר לֵיהּ מָארֵי דְּעָלְמָא), it is written in the Torah (כְּתִיב בַּתּוֹרָה), “And a man who commits adultery with another man's wife…” (וְאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִנְאַף אֶת אֵשֶׁת אִישׁ), and it is written, “And to your fellow's wife…” (וּכְתִיב וְאֶל אֵשֶׁת עֲמִיתְךָ וְגו׳). David, who corrupted the covenant with a forbidden woman-what is the law concerning him? (דָּוִד דְּקִלְקֵל בְּרִית בְּעֶרְוָה מַהוּ)

Kudsha Berikh Hu said to him: David is righteous (אָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דָּוִד זַכָּאָה הוּא), and the holy covenant remains properly established in him (וּבְרִית קַדִּישָׁא עַל תִּקּוּנֵיהּ קַיְימָא), for it is revealed before Me that Batsheva was prepared for him from the day the world was created (דְּהָא גְּלֵי קָדָמַי דְּאִזְדַּמְּנַת לֵיהּ בַּת שֶׁבַע מִיּוֹמָא דְאִתְבְּרֵי עָלְמָא). He said to Him, “If it is revealed before You, is it revealed before him?” (אָמַר לֵיהּ אִי קַמָּךְ גָּלֵי קַמֵּיהּ לָא גָלֵי). He said to him, “Moreover, it was by permission that the matter happened” (אָמַר לֵיהּ וְתוּ בְּהֶתֵּירָא הֲוָה מַה דְּהֲוָה). “For all those who go out to war, not one of them went out without giving his wife a bill of divorce” (דְּהָא כָּל אִנּוּן דְּעָאלוּ לִקְרָבָא לָא עָאל חַד מִנַּיְיהוּ עַד דְּאַפְטַר בְּגֵט לְאִנְתְּתֵיהּ).

He said to Him, “If so, he should have waited three months, and he did not wait” (אָמַר לֵיהּ אִי הָכִי הֲוָה לֵיהּ לְאוֹרְכָא תְּלַת יַרְחֵי וְלָא אוֹרִיךְ). He said to him, “Why would the matter depend on a case where there’s concern of pregnancy, when it is revealed before Me that Uriah never approached her” (אָמַר לֵיהּ בְּמַאי אוֹקִים מִלָּה בְּאֲתַר דְּחַיְישִׁינָן דְּהִיא מְעוּבֶּרֶת, וְגָלֵי קֳדָמַי דְאוּרִיָּה לָא קָרִיב בָּהּ לְעָלְמִין), “for My Name is sealed within him as a testimony” (דְּהָא שְׁמִי חָתִים בְּגַוֵּיהּ לְסַהֲדוּתָא). It is written Uriah and it is written Uriahu, My Name is sealed within him (כְּתִיב אוּרִיָּה וּכְתִיב אוּרִיָּהוּ, שְׁמִי חָתוּם בַּהֲדֵיהּ), and he never had intercourse with her (דְּלָא שִׁמֵּשׁ בָּהּ לְעָלְמִין).

He said to Him, “Master of the world! What I said-that if it is revealed before You that Uriah did not lie with her, is it revealed before him? He should have waited three months” (אָמַר לֵיהּ מָארֵי דְעָלְמָא, הָא מָה דְּאֲמָרִית אִי קַמָּךְ גָּלֵי דְלָא שְׁכִיב בַּהֲדָהּ אוּרִיָּה, קַמֵּיהּ מִי גָלֵי, הֲוָה לֵיהּ לְאוֹרְכָא לָהּ תְּלַת יַרְחֵי). “And furthermore, if he knew Uriah never lay with her, why did David send to him and command him to lie with his wife, as it is written: ‘Go down to your house and wash your feet’” (וְתוּ אִי יָדַע דְּלָא שְׁכִיב בַּהֲדָהּ לְעָלְמִין, אַמַּאי שָׁדַר לֵיהּ דָּוִד וּפְקֵיד עֲלֵיהּ לְשַׁמָּשָׁא בְּאִנְתְּתֵיהּ, דִּכְתִיב רֵד לְבֵיתְךָ וּרְחַץ רַגְלֶיךָ) [Shmuel II 11:8].

He said to him, “Indeed, he did not know, but he waited longer than three months-for four months passed” (אָמַר לֵיהּ וַדַּאי לָא יָדַע, אֲבָל יַתִּיר מִתְּלַת יַרְחֵי אוֹרִיךְ, דְּהָא אַרְבַּע יַרְחֵי הֲווּ). For so we have learned: On the twenty-fifth of Nisan, David sent out the proclamation through all Yisrael (דְּהָכִי תָּנִינָן, בַּחֲמִשָּׁה וְעֶשְׂרִים דְּנִיסָן אַעֲבַר דָּוִד כָּרוֹזָא בְּכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל), and they were with Yoav on the seventh of Sivan and went and struck the land of the children of Ammon (וְהֲווּ עִם יוֹאָב בְּשִׁבְעָה יוֹמִין דְּסִיוָן, וְאֲזְלוּ וְחֲבָּלוּ אַרְעָא דִבְנֵי עַמּוֹן). Sivan, Tammuz, Av, and Elul they stayed there (סִיוָן וְתַמּוּז וְאָב וְאֱלוּל אִשְׁתָּהוּ שָׁם). And on the twenty-fourth of Elul, the matter with Batsheva occurred (וּבְאַרְבָּעָה וְעֶשְׂרִים בֶּאֱלוּל הֲוָה מַה דְּהֲוָה מִבַּת שֶׁבַע). And on Yom Kippur, Kudsha Berikh Hu forgave him that sin (וּבְיוֹמָא דְכִפּוּרֵי מָחַל לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הַהוּא חוֹבָה). And some say: On the seventh of Adar the proclamation went out (וְאִית דְּאַמְרֵי בְּז׳ בְּאֲדָר אַעֲבַר כָּרוֹזָא), and they assembled on the fifteenth of Iyyar (וְאִתְכַּנָּשׁוּ בְּחֲמֵיסַר דְּאִיָּיר), and on the fifteenth of Elul, the matter with Batsheva occurred (וּבְחֲמֵיסַר בֶּאֱלוּל הֲוָה מַה דְּהֲוָה מִבַּת שֶׁבַע). And on Yom Kippur, it was announced as it is written: “Also Hashem has caused your sin to pass-you shall not die” (וּבְיוֹמָא דְכִפּוּרָא אִתְבְּשַׂר, דִּכְתִיב גַּם יְיָ הֶעֱבִיר חַטָּאתְךָ לֹא תָמוּת) [Shmuel II 12:13]. What is “You shall not die”? You shall not die by the hand of Dumah (מַאי לֹא תָמוּת לֹא תָמוּת בִּידָא דְּדוּמָה).

Dumah said: “Master of the worlds, I have one matter against him-he opened his mouth and said, ‘As Hashem lives, the man who has done this deserves to die’” (אָמַר דּוּמָה מָארֵי דְעָלְמָא, הָא מִלָּה חֲדָא אִית לִי גַּבֵּיהּ, דְּאִיהוּ אַפְתַּח פּוּמֵיהּ וְאָמַר חַי יְיָ כִּי בֶּן מָוֶת הָאִישׁ הָעוֹשֶׂה זֹאת) [Shmuel II 12:5], “and he judged himself. I have a claim against him” (וְאִיהוּ דָּן לְנַפְשֵׁיהּ, טְרוֹנְיָיא אִית לִי עֲלֵיהּ).

He said to him, “You have no permission-for he confessed before Me and said: ‘I have sinned against Hashem,’ even though he truly did not sin” (אָמַר לֵיהּ, לֵית לָךְ רְשׁוּ, דְּהָא אוֹדֵי לְגַבָּאי וְאָמַר חָטָאתִי לַה׳, וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּלָא חָב) [Shmuel II 12:13]. “But in what he did to Uriah, punishment was decreed upon him, and he accepted it” (אֲבָל בַּמֶּה דְּחָטָא בְּאוּרִיָּה, עוֹנָשָׁא כְּתָבִית עֲלֵיהּ וְקִבֵּל). Immediately Dumah returned to his place, brokenhearted (מִיָּד אַהֲדַר דּוּמָ״ה לְאַתְרֵיהּ בְּפַחֵי נֶפֶשׁ). And regarding this David said, “Had Hashem not been my help, my soul would have soon dwelt in silence” (וְעַל דָּא אָמַר דָּוִד לוּלֵי יְיָ עֶזְרָתָה לִי, כִּמְעַט שָׁכְנָה דּוּמָה נַפְשִׁי) [Tehillim 94:17]. “‘Had Hashem not been my help’-He was my protector” (לוּלֵי ה׳ עֶזְרָתָה לִי דְּהֲוָה אַפּוֹטְרוֹפָּא דִילִי). “‘Almost’-what is ‘almost’?” (כִּמְעַט - מַהוּ כִּמְעַט), “as a fine thread, like the distance between me and the Sitra achra” (כְּחוּטָא דַּקִּיק כְּשִׁיעוּרָא דְּאִית בֵּינִי וּבֵין סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא), “that little measure is what kept Dumah from dwelling in my soul” (כְּהַהוּא שִׁעוּרָא הֲוַת דְּלָא שָׁכְנָה דּוּמָה נַפְשִׁי). And because of this, a person must guard himself not to say a word like David said (וּבְגִין כָּךְ בָּעֵי לְאִסְתַּמְרָא בַּר נָשׁ דְּלָא יֵימָא מִלָּה כְּדָוִד), because he will not be able to say to Dumah, “It was a mistake,” as David said, and Kudsha Berikh Hu upheld him in judgment (בְּגִין דְּלָא יָכִיל לְמֵימַר לְדוּמָה כִּי שְׁגָגָה הִיא, כְּמָה דְּהֲוָה לְדָוִד, וְנָצַח לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּדִינָא) [Kohelet 5:5].

“Why should the Elohim be angry at your voice?”-at that voice he uttered (לָמָּה יִקְצוֹף הָאֱלֹהִים עַל קוֹלֶךָ - עַל הַהוּא קוֹל דְּאִיהוּ אָמַר), “and ruin the work of your hands”-this is the sacred flesh, the holy covenant, which becomes damaged and draws him to Gehinnom by the hand of Dumah (וְחִבֵּל אֶת מַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶיךָ - דָּא בְּשַׂר קֹדֶשׁ בְּרִית קַדִּישָׁא דְּפָגִים וְאִתְמְשַׁךְ בְּגֵיהִנֹּם עַל יְדָא דְדוּמָה). And because of this it is written: “And the work of His hands the firmament declares” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדָיו מַגִּיד הָרָקִיעַ) [Tehillim 19:2]. These are the friends who joined with the bride, and are masters of her covenant (אִלֵּין אִנּוּן חַבְרַיָּיא דְּאִתְחַבָּרוּ בְּכַלָּה דָא וּמָארֵי קַיָּימָא דִילָהּ).

Magid-He proclaims and inscribes each one (מַגִּיד וְרָשִׁים כָּל חַד וְחַד). Who is “the firmament”? This is the firmament in which the sun and moon, stars and constellations dwell (מָאן הָרָקִיעַ דָּא אִיהוּ הָרָקִיעַ דְּבֵיהּ חַמָּה וּלְבָנָה וְכֹכְבַיָּא וּמַזָּלֵי), and this is the Book of Remembrance (וְדָא אִיהוּ סֵפֶר זִכָּרוֹן) [Shemot 17a]. It declares and records them, to be sons of the palace and to constantly do His will (אִיהוּ מַגִּיד וְרָשִׁים לְהוּ וּכְתִיב לְהוּ לְמֶהֱוֵי בְּנֵי הֵיכָלָא וּלְמֶעְבַּד רְעוּתְהוֹן תָּדִיר). “Day to day pours forth speech…” (יוֹם לְיוֹם יַבִּיעַ אוֹמֶר) [Tehillim 19:3]-this refers to the holy day from among the supernal days of the King, which proclaim to the friends and declare the word each one said to his fellow (יוֹמָא קַדִּישָׁא מֵאִנּוּן יוֹמִין עִלָּאִין דְּמַלְכָּא, מְשַׁבְּחִין לוֹן לְחַבְרַיָּיא וְאָמְרִין הַהִיא מִלָּה דְּאָמַר כָּל חַד לְחַבְרֵיהּ).

Day to day pours forth that speech and praises him (יוֹמָא לְיוֹמָא יַבִּיעַ הַהוּא אוֹמֶר וּמְשַׁבַּח לֵיהּ). “And night to night expresses knowledge…” (וְלַיְלָה לְלַיְלָה יְחַוֶּה דָּעַת) [Tehillim 19:3]-every level that is completed (some say: rules) in the night praises one another, that da‘at of each one with his companion (כָּל דַּרְגָא דְּאַשְׁלִים [נ״א דְּשַׁלִּיט] בְּלֵילְיָא מְשַׁבַּח דָּא לְדָא, הַהוּא דַּעַת דְּכָל חַד מְחַבְרֵיהּ). And in great completeness-or love-they became friends and beloveds (וּבִשְׁלִימוּ [ס״א וּבְרַחִימוּ] סַגֵּי, אִתְעֲבִידוּ לוֹן חַבְרִין וּרְחִימִין).