משנה: הַחֲסִידִים וְאַנְשֵׁי מַעֲשֶׂה הָיוּ מְרַקְּדִין לִפְנֵיהֶן בַּאֲבוּקוֹת וְאוֹמֵר לִפְנֵיהֶן דִּבְרֵי תושְׁבָּחוֹת. וְהַלְוִיִּם בְּכִינּוֹרוֹת בִּנְבָלִים וּבִמְצִלְתַּיִם וּבְכָל־כְּלֵי שִׁיר בְּלֹא מִסְפָּר עַל חֲמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה מַעֲלוֹת הַיּוֹרְדוֹת מֵעֶזְרַת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעֶזְרַת נָשִׁים כְּנֶגֶד חֲמֵשּׁ עֶשְׂרֶה שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת שֶׁבַּתְּהִילִּים שֶׁעֲלֵיהֶם עוֹמְדִים הַלְּוִים בְּשִׁיר. MISHNAH: The pious ones and people of good deeds73As defined in the Halakhah. were dancing in public with torches and reciting words of praise. And the Levites with lutes, with harps, and with cymbals and all kinds of innumerable musical instruments on the fifteen steps which descend from the courtyard of Israel to the women’s courtyard corresponding to the fifteen songs of ascent in Psalms74Pss. 120–134. on which the Levites were standing for song.
הלכה: הַחֲסִידִים וְאַנְשֵׁי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה. יֵשׁ מֵהֶן שֶׁהָיוּ אוֹמְרִין. אַשְׁרַיִיךְ יַלְדּותִי שֶׁלֹּא בִײַשְׁתָּ אֶת זִקְנוּתִי. אֵילּוּ אַנְשֵׁי מַעֲשֶׂה. וְיֵשׁ מֵהֶן אוֹמְרִין. אַשְׁרַיִיךְ זִקְנוּתִי שֶׁכִּיפַּרְתְּ עַל יַלְדּוּתִי. אֵילּוּ בַעֲלֵי תְשׁוּבָה. אִילּוּ וָאֵילּוּ הָיוּ אוֹמְרִין. אַשְׁרֵי מִי שֶׁלֹּא חָטָא. וּמִי שֶׁחָטָא יִימָּחֵל לוֹ. הִלֵּל הַזָּקֵן כַּד הֲוֵי חֲמִי לָן עָֽבְרִין בְפַחַז הֲוָה אֲמַר לוֹן. דַּאֲנָן הָכָא מָן הָכָא. וּלְקִילּוּסָן הוּא צָרִיךְ. וְהָֽכְתִיב אֶ֤לֶף אַלְפִין֙ יְשַׁמְּשׁוּנֵּיהּ וְרִיבּוֹא ריבְווָן קָֽדָמ֣וֹהִי יְקוּמ֑וּן. כַּד הֲוָה חֲמִי לוֹן עָֽבְדִין בְּכוֹשֶׁר הֲוָה אֲמַר. דִּי לָא נָן הָכָא מָאן הָכָא. שֶׁאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לְפָנָיו כַּמָּה קִילּוּסִין חָבִיב הוּא קִילּוּסָן שֶׁלְיִשְׂרָאֵל יוֹתֵר מִכֹּל. מַה טַעַם. וּנְעִ֖ים זְמִר֥וֹת יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ י֜וֹשֵׁ֗ב תְּהִלּ֥וֹת יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ HALAKHAH: “The pious ones and people of good deeds.” Some of them were saying, blessed be my youth which did not shame my old age; these are the people of good deeds. But others were saying, blessed be my old age which atoned for my youth. Both of these were saying, blessed be who never sinned; and he who sinned may be forgiven. Hillel the Elder, if he saw them wantonly transgressing said to them, even though I am here, who is here? Does He need acclamations? Is it not written75Dan. 7:10., thousands upon thousands serve Him, and myriads of myriads stand before Him? If he saw them acting correctly he was saying, if I am not here who is here? Even though there are many acclaims before Him, the acclaim of Israel is beloved more than anything else. What is the reason? And the pleasantness of the songs of Israel762S. 23:1.; enthroned on the praises of Israel77Ps. 22:4..
בֶּן יְהוֹצָדָק הָיָה מִשְׁתַּבֵּחַ בִּקְפִיצוֹתָיו. אָֽמְרוּ עָלָיו עַל רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל שֶׁהָיָה מְרַקֵּד בִּשְׁמוֹנֶה אֲבוּקוֹת שֶׁלְזָהָב וְלֹא הָיָה אֶחָד מֵהֶן נוֹגֵעַ (בָּאָרֶץ) [בַּחֲבֵרוֹ]. וּכְשֶׁהָיָה כוֹרֵעַ הָיָה נוֹעֵץ גּוֹדְלוֹ בָאָרֶץ וְכוֹרֵעַ וּמִיַּד הָיָה נִזְקָף. אֵי זוֹ הִיא כְרִיעָה וְאֵי זוֹ הִיא בְרִיכָה. רִבִּי חִייָה רַבָּה הֶרְאָה כְרִיעָה לִפְנֵי רִבִּי [וְנִפְסַח] וְנִתְרַפֵּא. לֵוִי בַּר סִיסִי הֶרְאָה בְרִיכָה לִפְנֵי רִבִּי וְנִפְסַח וְלֹא נִתְרַפֵּא. Ben Yehoṣadaq was priding himself for his vaulting. 78Babli 53a. The corrector’s change [in brackets] follows the Babli and should be deleted. In the Babli the torches are lit. They said about Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel that he was dancing with eight golden torches and neither of them touched (the ground) [any other.] When he was bowing down to his shinbone he thrust his thumb into the ground, bowed down to his shinbone, and immediately stood up. 79Parallels are in Berakhot1:8 (Note 249), Gen. rabba39(18). The text in Berakhot editio princeps is the corrector’s, quite different from the scribe’s which is consistent with the text here. What is bowing down to one’s shinbone and what is kneeling? The great Rebbi Ḥiyya showed bowing down to his shinbone before Rebbi, [became lame] and was healed. Levi ben Sisi showed kneeling before Rebbi, became lame and was not healed.
כְּתִיב וַיָּ֥שָׁב דָּוִד֭ לְבָרֵ֣ךְ אֶת־בֵּית֑וֹ וַתֵּצֵ֞א מִיכַ֤ל בַּת־שָׁאוּל֙ לִקְרָאתוֹ וגו׳. מָהוּ אֶחָד הָרֵיקִים. אָמַר אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא. הָרֵיקִים שֶׁבָּרֵיקִים. זֶה אָרְכֵיסְטֵיס. אָֽמְרָה. הַיּוֹם נִגְלָה כְבוֹד בֵּית אַבָּא. אָֽמְרוּ עָלָיו עַל בֵּית שָׁאוּל שֶׁלֹּא נִרְאֶה מֵהֶם לֹא עֵקֶב וְלֹא גוֹדֶל מִימֵיהֶם. הָדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַ֠יָּבֹא אֶל־גִּדְר֨וֹת הַצֹּ֤אן אֲשֶׁר עַל־הַדֶּ֨רֶךְ֙ וְשָׁ֣ם מְעָרָ֔ה. רִבִּי אָבוּן בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי לָֽעְזָר. גָּדֵר לִפְנִים מִגָּדֵר הָיָה. וַיָּבֹ֥א שָׁא֖וּל לְהָסֵ֣ךְ אֶת־רַגְלָי֑ו. וַהֲוָה חֲמִי לֵיהּ מְשׁוּלְשָׁל צִיבְחַר וּמְסַלֵּיק צִיבְחַר. אֲמַר [דָּוִד]. הֵיאַךְ מִינְגַּע בְּהָדֵין גּוּפָא צַדִּיקָא. הָדָא הִיא דוּ אָמַר לֵיהּ. הִנֵּה֩ הַיּ֨וֹם הַזֶּ֜ה רָא֣וּ עֵינֶ֗יךָ אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁר־נְתָֽנְךָ֩ הַיּ֤וֹם ׀ בְּיָדִי֙ בַּמְּעָרָ֔ה וְאָמַ֥ר לַֽהֲרָגְךָ֖. וָאָחוּס עָלֶיךָ אֵין כָּתוּב כָּאן אֶלָּא וַתָּ֣חָס עָלֶי֑ךָ. צְנִיעוּתָךְ חָסָה עָלֶיךָ. וַיֹּ֣אמֶר דָּוִד֘ אֶל־מִיכַל֒ לִפְנֵ֣י יְי אֲשֶׁ֨ר בָּֽחַר־בִּ֤י מֵֽאָבִיךְ֙ וגו׳. וּנְקַלּוֹתִי עוֹך֙ מִזּ֒את וְהָיִ֥יתִי שָׁפָ֖ל בְּעֵינָיי וְעִם הָֽאֲמָהוֹת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמַ֔רְתְּ עִמָּ֖ם אִכָּבֵֽדָה: שֶׁאֵינָן אֲמָהוֹת אֶלָּא אִימָּהוֹת. וּמַה נֶאֶנְשָׁה. וּלְמִיכַל֙ בַּת־שָׁא֔וּל לֹֽא־הָ֥יָה לָהּ֖ ווָלֶד עַ֖ד י֥וֹם מוֹתָֽהּ׃. וְהָֽכְתִיב הַשִּׁשִּׁי יִתְרְעָ֔ם לְעֶגְלָה֖ אִשְׁתּוֹ. שֶׁגָּעַת כְּעֶגְלָה וָמֵתָה. 80A slightly shortened version is in Sanhedrin2:4, Notes 129–139. A different version is found in the last part of Num. rabba4. It is written: David returned to bless his house when Mikhal, Saul’s daughter, came towards him812S. 6:20, where Michal criticizes David for dancing in the street.., etc. Who is one of the empty ones? Abba bar Cahana said, the most empty one, that is the dancer82Greek ʼορχηστής, ου̅, ‘ο.. She told him, today the honor of my father’s house became obvious. One said about the family of Saul that one never saw a heel or a thumb of them. That is what is written: He came to the sheep fences along the road and there was a cave831S.24:3.. Rebbi Abun in the name of Rebbi Eleazar: That was a fence inside a fence84This explains the plural used in the verse and shows that Saul went to relieve himself in the cave guarded from the outside by a double fence. In the Babli, Berakhot 62b, this is quoted as tannaitic text.. Saul came to spread his feet831S.24:3.. He saw him how he lifted a little and covered a little. [David] said, how could one touch such a righteous body. That is what he told him, behold, what your eyes saw today which today gave me in your hand in the cave and I could have killed you851S. 24:10., etc. Is it not written “I had mercy on you” but it had mercy on you851S. 24:10., your modesty had mercy on you. David told Michal, before the Eternal Who chose me over your father862S. 6:21., etc. And I was still humbler than this and I was lowly in my eyes, and with the servant girls you mentioned, with them I shall be honored872S. 6:22., for they are not servant girls but mothers. How was she punished? Michal, Saul’s daughter, had no child until the day of her death882S. 6:23, implying that she died in childbirth.. But is it not written: The sixth Yitre`am, of his wife Calf892S. 3:5. Only Michal is called “David’s wife” (1S. 25:44). The problem that Yitre`am was born in Hebron is not addressed; it is discussed in the Babli, 21a.. She mooed like a calf and died.