וְנָס שָׁמָּה רוֹצֵחַ מַכֵּה נֶפֶשׁ בִּשְׁגָגָה. בִּשְׁגָגָה וְלֹא בְּזָדוֹן. אִם יֵלֵךְ אָדָם וְיַהֲרֹג בְּזָדוֹן וְיֹאמַר בִּשְׁגָגָה הָרַגְתִּי וִיהֵא בּוֹרֵחַ לְעָרֵי מִקְלָט, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אֲפִלּוּ הוּא נִכְנָס וּבוֹרֵחַ לַמִּזְבֵּחַ שֶׁלִּי, הִרְגוּ אוֹתוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: מֵעִם מִזְבְּחִי תִּקָּחֶנּוּ לָמוּת (שמות כא, יד). וּמִי הָיָה זֶה שֶׁבָּרַח לַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְנֶהֱרַג. זֶה יוֹאָב, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְהַשְּׁמוּעָה בָּאָה עַד יוֹאָב וְגוֹ' (מל״א ב, כח). אַתְּ מוֹצֵא, שֶׁחָכָם גָּדוֹל הָיָה יוֹאָב בַּתּוֹרָה וְרֹאשׁ סַנְהֶדְרִין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: יוֹשֵׁב בְּשֶׁבֶת תַּחְכְּמֹנִי רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁלִישִׁים (ש״ב כג, ח), וְלֹא הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה, וְכִי יָזִיד אִישׁ עַל רֵעֵהוּ וְגוֹ' (שמות כא, יד), שֶׁהָלַךְ וְהֶחְזִיק בְּקַרְנוֹת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ. אֶלָּא אָמַר יוֹאָב, הֲרוּגֵי בֵּית דִּין אֵינָם נִקְבָּרִים בִּקְבוּרַת אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם, אֶלָּא הֵן לְעַצְמָן. מוּטָב לִי לָמוּת כָּאן, שֶׁאֶקָּבֵר בְּקִבְרֵי אֲבוֹתַי. וַיָּשֶׁב בְּנָיָהוּ אֶת הַמֶּלֶךְ וְגוֹ' (מל״א ב, ל). וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ עֲשֵׂה כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר וּפְגַע בּוֹ וּקְבַרְתּוֹ וְגוֹ' (שם פסוק לא). וְלָמָּה נֶהֱרַג. שֶׁכָּךְ צִוָּהוּ דָּוִד אָבִיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְגַם אַתָּה יָדַעְתָּ אֶת אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לִי יוֹאָב בֶּן צְרוּיָה (שם פסוק ה). מֶה עָשָׂה לוֹ. אַתְּ מוֹצֵא, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁכָּתַב דָּוִד לְיוֹאָב, הָבוּ אֶת אוּרִיָּה אֶל מוּל פְּנֵי הַמִּלְחָמָה וְגוֹ' (ש״ב יא, טו), וְעָשָׂה כֵן וְנֶהֱרַג, נִתְקַבְּצוּ כָּל רָאשֵׁי הַחַיָּלִים עַל יוֹאָב לְהָרְגוֹ, שֶׁהָיָה רֹאשׁ הַגִּבּוֹרִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בּוֹ: אוּרִיָּה הַחִתִּי עַל שְׁלֹשִׁים וְשִׁבְעָה (שם כג, לט), הֶרְאָה לָהֶם יוֹאָב אֶת הַכְּתָב. לְפִיכָךְ כְּתִיב: אֶת אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לִי יוֹאָב בֶּן צְרוּיָה. אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לִשְׁנֵי שָׂרֵי צִבְאוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְאַבְנֵר בֶּן נֵר וְלַעֲמָשָׂא בֶּן יֶתֶר וַיַּהַרְגֵם (מל״א ב, ה), הָיוּ סְבוּרִים כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁדָּוִד צִוָּהוּ לְהָרְגָם, שֶׁהָיָה אַבְנֵר בֶּן נֵר בֶּן דּוֹד שֶׁל שָׁאוּל. וּלְפִיכָךְ עָמַד דָּוִד וְקִלֵּל אֶת יוֹאָב וְאָמַר, אַל יִכָּרֵת מִבֵּית יוֹאָב וְגוֹ' (ש״ב ג, כט). וְנִתְפַּיְּסוּ כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיָדְעוּ שֶׁלֹּא צִוָּהוּ דָּוִד. וּלְכָךְ צִוָּה לִשְׁלֹמֹה בְּנוֹ, שֶׁיַּהֲרֹג אוֹתוֹ, שֶׁהָיָה יוֹאָב בֶּן אֲחוֹתוֹ שֶׁל דָּוִד, וְהָיָה מְבַקֵּשׁ לְקָרְבוֹ לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. כֵּיוָן שֶׁבִּקֵּשׁ שְׁלֹמֹה לַהֲרֹג אוֹתוֹ, אָמַר יוֹאָב לִבְנָיָהוּ, לֵךְ אֱמֹר לִשְׁלֹמֹה, אַל תְּדִינֵנִי בִּשְׁנֵי דִּינִין. אִם תַּהַרְגֵנִי, טוֹל מֵעָלַי הַקְּלָלוֹת שֶׁקִּלְּלַנִי דָּוִד אָבִיךְ. וְאִם לֹא, תָּנִיחַ אוֹתִי בְּקִלְלוֹתָיו וְאַל תַּהַרְגֵנִי. מִיָּד, וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ עֲשֵׂה כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר וּפְגַע בּוֹ וּקְבַרְתּוֹ (מל״א ב, לא). אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה, כָּל קְלָלוֹת שֶׁקִּלֵּל דָּוִד אֶת יוֹאָב, נִתְקַיְּמוּ בְּזַרְעוֹ שֶׁל דָּוִד. זָב, מֵרְחַבְעָם בֶּן שְׁלֹמֹה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בּוֹ: וְהַמֶּלֶךְ רְחַבְעָם הִתְאַמֵּץ לַעֲלוֹת בַּמֶּרְכָּבָה (שם יב, יח). וּכְתִיב בְּזָב, כָּל הַמֶּרְכָּב אֲשֶׁר יִרְכַּב עָלָיו הַזָּב וְגוֹ' (ויקרא טו, ט). מְצֹרָע, מֵעֻזִּיָּהוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיְהִי מְצֹרָע עַד יוֹם מוֹתוֹ (מל״ב טו, ה). וּמַחְזִיק בַּפֶּלֶךְ, מֵאָסָא, דִּכְתִיב: לְעֵת זִקְנָתוֹ חָלָה אֶת רַגְלָיו (מל״א טו, כג), שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה כְּאִשָּׁה, שֶׁאֲחָזַתוּ פּוֹדַגְרָ״ה. נוֹפֵל בַּחֶרֶב, מִיֹּאשִׁיָּהוּ, דִּכְתִיב: וַיֹּרוּ הַיֹּרִים אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ (דה״ב לה, כג). וְאָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה, שֶׁעֲשָׂאוּהוּ כָּל גּוּפוֹ כִּכְבָרָה. וְאָמַר רַב, נַעֲצוּ בּוֹ לוּנְבִיאוֹת שֶׁל בַּרְזֶל עַד שֶׁעֲשָׂאוּהוּ כָּל גּוּפוֹ כִּכְבָרָה. וַחֲסַר לֶחֶם, מִיְּהוֹיָכִין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַאֲרוּחָתוֹ אֲרוּחַת תָּמִיד נִתְּנָה לוֹ וְגוֹ' (ירמיה נב, לד), מִשֻּׁלְחָנוֹ שֶׁל אֱוִיל מְרוֹדָךְ. וְאַתְּ מוֹצֵא, שֶׁכָּל זְמַן שֶׁהָיָה יְהוֹיָדַע הַכֹּהֵן קַיָּם, הָיָה יוֹאָשׁ עוֹשֶׂה רְצוֹן בּוֹרְאוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיַּעַשׂ יְהוֹאָשׁ הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינֵי ה' כָּל יָמָיו אֲשֶׁר הוֹרָהוּ יְהוֹיָדַע הַכֹּהֵן (מל״ב יב, ג). וְאַחֲרֵי מוֹת יְהוֹיָדַע בָּאוּ שָׂרֵי יְהוּדָה וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ לַמֶּלֶךְ אָז שָׁמַע הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲלֵיהֶם (דה״ב כד, יז), שֶׁקִּבֵּל עַל עַצְמוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת אֵלֶּה. לְפִיכָךְ וְאֶת יוֹאָשׁ עָשׂוּ שְׁפָטִים (שם פסוק כד). וּמִפְּנֵי מָה נֶהֱרַג אַבְנֵר. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁעָשָׂה דָּמָן שֶׁל נְעָרִים הֶפְקֵר וּשְׂחוֹק, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְנֵר אֶל יוֹאָב יָקוּמוּ נָא הַנְּעָרִים וִישַׂחֲקוּ לְפָנֵינוּ (ש״ב ב, יד). וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים: מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִקְדִּים שְׁמוֹ לִשְׁמוֹ שֶׁל דָּוִד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיִּשְׁלַח אַבְנֵר מַלְאָכִים אֶל דָּוִד תַּחְתָּיו לֵאמֹר וְגוֹ' (שם ג, יב). וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים: מִפְּנֵי שֶׁלֹּא הֵנִיחַ לְשָׁאוּל לְהִתְפַּיֵּס עַל דָּוִד, אֶלָּא אָמַר לֵיהּ בְּסִירָה הוּעַדְתָּ. וְרַבָּנָן אָמְרֵי, עַל שֶׁהָיָה סְפֵיקָה עַל יָדוֹ לִמְחוֹת דְּבַר נוֹב עִיר הַכֹּהֲנִים, וְלֹא מִחָה. (Numb. 35:11:) “Where a killer may flee who has taken a life by mistake.” “By mistake,” and not on purpose. If someone goes and kills on purpose, then says, “It was by mistake that I killed,” and flees to [one of the] cities of refuge, the Holy One, blessed be He, says, “Even if he comes in and flees to My altar, kill him, according to what is stated (in Exod. 21:14), ‘[But when someone plots against his companion and kills him treacherously], you shall take him away [even] from My altar [for execution].’” Who was this person who fled to the altar and was killed? This was Joab, of whom it is stated (in I Kings 2:28), “When the news came to Joab,… [Joab fled unto the tent of the Lord and seized the horns of the altar].” You find that Joab was a great sage and the head of the Sanhedrin,33Gk.: Synehedrion. as stated (in II Sam. 23:8), “one who sits in the seat of wisdom.”34These words are commonly understood as the proper name, JOSHEB-BASSHEBETH, A TAHCHEMONITE, but this and other citations of the verse in rabbinic literature tend to understand the verse as translated here. See Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 4:12, and the note there; also below, Tanh. (Buber), Deut. 1:3. Cf. MQ 26b, for an interpretation that identifies this sage with David himself. [So] when he went and seized the horns of the altar, did he not know what is written in the Torah (in Exod. 21:14), “But when someone plots against his companion [and kills him treacherously, you shall take him away (even) from my altar for execution]?”35yMakk. 2:7 [6] (31d); Sanh. 48b; see Makk. 12b. It is simply that [Joab] had said, “Those killed by a court of law are not buried in the graves of their ancestors but by themselves. It is better to die here, so that I may be buried with my ancestors.” (I Kings 2:30–31:) “Then Benaiah brought back word unto the king.... So the king said to him, ‘Do as he has spoken, strike him down and bury him.’” Why was he killed? Because his (Solomon's) father, David, had ordered him [to do] so (in I Kings 2:5), “Moreover, you also know what Joab ben Zeruiah did to me.” What did he do to him? You find that, when David wrote to Joab (in II Sam. 11:15), “Set Uriah in the front line [where the fighting is the fiercest]...,” he did so, and he was killed. All the army leaders assembled against Joab, as [Uriah] was the head of the warriors, as stated of him (in II Sam. 23:39), “Uriah the Hittite, [was one of all] thirty-seven [leaders].” He showed them the document. It is therefore stated (in I Kings 2:5), “What Joab ben Zeruiah] did to me.” (I Kings 2:5, cont.:) “And what he did to the two commanders of Israel's forces, to Abner ben Ner and to Amasa ben Jether, he killed them.” All of Israel had been of the opinion that David had ordered him to kill [Abner] because Abner was Saul's cousin. And for that reason David arose and cursed Joab, when he said (in II Sam. 3:29), “may the house of Joab never lack [one with a discharge, a leper, one who grasps the crutch,36Modern translations commonly understand these words to mean, A MALE WHO HANDLES THE SPINDLE, but the midrash understands them in the sense given here. one who falls by the sword, and one lacking bread].” Then all Israel was appeased,37Rt.: PYS. Cf. Gk.: peisai (“to have persuaded”). when they knew that there was no [authorization] from David. So David ordered his son, Solomon, to kill him, because Joab was the son of David's sister, and he sought to approach him to the world to come.38If he received punishment in this world, his deed would no longer bar him from doing so. When Solomon sought to kill him, Joab said to Benaiah, “Go and tell Solomon, ‘Do not sentence me with two judgments. If you are killing me, take off from me the curses with which your father, David, cursed me; and if not, leave me with his curses.’” Immediately (in I Kings 2:31), “So the king said to him, ‘Do as he has spoken, strike him down and bury him.” R. Judah has said, “All curses with which David cursed Joab were all fulfilled in David's seed.”39yQid. 1:7 (61a); cf. above, Gen. 7:7; ‘Arakh. 16a. One with a discharge [was fulfilled in] Rehoboam ben Solomon (according to I Kings 12:18 = II Chron. 10:18), “then King Rehoboam succeeded in mounting his chariot (merkavah).” It also says concerning one with a discharge (in Lev. 15:9), “And any saddle (merkav) on which the one with a discharge rides [shall be unclean].” A leper [was fulfilled in] Uzziah, of whom it is stated (in II Kings 15:5), “and he was a leper until the day of his death.” One who grasps the crutch [was fulfilled in] Asa, of whom it is written (in I Kings 15:23), “however in his old age he became diseased in his feet,” where (he became like a woman, as) gout40Gk.: podagra; Lat.: podagra. had seized him. One who falls by the sword [was fulfilled in] Josiah, of whom it is written (in II Chron. 35:23), “Then the archers shot King Josiah.” Moreover, Rav Judah has said that his whole body was like a sieve. And Rav said, “They thrust iron lances41Gk.: longchai. into him, until they had perforated him like a sieve.” And one lacking bread [was fulfilled in] Jehoiachin, of whom it is stated (in II Kings 25:30 = Jer. 52:34), “And for his food allowance a regular food allowance was given to him from the king, from the table of Evil-Merodach.” You also find that as long as Jehoiada lived, Joash did the will of his Creator, as stated (in II Kings 12:3 // II Chron. 24:2), “And Jehoash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all his days as the priest Jehoiada instructed him.” (II Chron. 24:17:) “Now after the death of Jehoiada, the princes of Judah came and bowed low to the king, and the king hearkened unto them,” in that he took it upon himself to make an idol. Therefore (according to vs. 24), “they inflicted judgments on Joash.” Now for what was Abner punished? It was because he had made light and an amusement (rt.: shq), the blood of the young men, as stated (in II Sam. 2:14), “Then Abner said unto Joab, ‘Please let the young men arise and play (rt.: shq) before us.’”42The result of their “playing” was that they all killed each other. And there are also those who say it was because he put his name before the name of David, as stated (in II Sam. 3:12), “Then Abner sent messengers unto David where he was, saying, ‘To whom does the land belong?’” But the sages say, “It was because he did not let Saul be reconciled with David.” And our masters say, “He had the power to protest [the massacre] at Nob, the city of priests, and did not protest.”