The New King's Piece: Anointment of Sholmo

Notes taken from
https://www.evernote.com/shard/s199/sh/0945ba39-fd11-4fe5-9ffb-07469d5d0fc7/e88a4aefa73016339438f5a3a58a3606

Question: why does the נביא's description of the end of דוד המלך's life completely omit the appointment of the officers, the charge to the people and the second annoinment of שלמה detailed in over five פרקים in דברי הימים?
Discussion Questions:
What makes a king?
What does the difference in level of detail between דברי הימים and מלכים indicate?
How does one prevent מחלקת or handle it as it arises?
How does an איש אשת חיל handle conveying bad news?

מלכים א א׳:כ״ח-ל״א

(כח) וַיַּ֨עַן הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ דָּוִד֙ וַיֹּ֔אמֶר קִרְאוּ־לִ֖י לְבַת־שָׁ֑בַע וַתָּבֹא֙ לִפְנֵ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וַֽתַּעֲמֹ֖ד לִפְנֵ֥י הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ (כט) וַיִּשָּׁבַ֥ע הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ וַיֹּאמַ֑ר חַי־יְהֹוָ֕ה אֲשֶׁר־פָּדָ֥ה אֶת־נַפְשִׁ֖י מִכׇּל־צָרָֽה׃ (ל) כִּ֡י כַּאֲשֶׁר֩ נִשְׁבַּ֨עְתִּי לָ֜ךְ בַּיהֹוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר כִּֽי־שְׁלֹמֹ֤ה בְנֵךְ֙ יִמְלֹ֣ךְ אַחֲרַ֔י וְה֛וּא יֵשֵׁ֥ב עַל־כִּסְאִ֖י תַּחְתָּ֑י כִּ֛י כֵּ֥ן אֶעֱשֶׂ֖ה הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃ (לא) וַתִּקֹּ֨ד בַּת־שֶׁ֤בַע אַפַּ֙יִם֙ אֶ֔רֶץ וַתִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ לַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וַתֹּ֕אמֶר יְחִ֗י אֲדֹנִ֛י הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ דָּוִ֖ד לְעֹלָֽם׃ {פ}

I Kings 1:28-31

(28) King David’s response was: “Summon Bathsheba!” She entered the king’s presence and stood before the king. (29) And the king took an oath, saying, “As the LORD lives, who has rescued me from every trouble: (30) The oath I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel, that your son Solomon should succeed me as king and that he should sit upon my throne in my stead, I will fulfill this very day!” (31) Bathsheba bowed low in homage to the king with her face to the ground, and she said, “May my lord King David live forever!”

Questions:
1. Why answered to בת שבע?

אברבנאל: Her words were more powerful and closer to the truth of the matter. She was the one to whom the oath was made.
מלבים: Since the oath to her was to be fulfilled that very day.
רלב׳׳ג: Similar to the אישה מתוקע

2. What does the language of the oath indicate?

אברבנאל: That דוד המלך was reenergized to rectify the situation with אדוניהו.

3. When דוד המלך is at the end of this life, to say he will life forever seems strange?

אברבנאל : Speaking of 'true life' . Prefer that he live more than שלמה become king. (which is why explicated המלך דוד. Him and as king.)

מלכים א א׳:ל״ב-ל״ה

(לב) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ׀ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ דָּוִ֗ד קִרְאוּ־לִ֞י לְצָד֤וֹק הַכֹּהֵן֙ וּלְנָתָ֣ן הַנָּבִ֔יא וְלִבְנָיָ֖הוּ בֶּן־יְהוֹיָדָ֑ע וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ לִפְנֵ֥י הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ (לג) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ לָהֶ֗ם קְח֤וּ עִמָּכֶם֙ אֶת־עַבְדֵ֣י אֲדֹנֵיכֶ֔ם וְהִרְכַּבְתֶּם֙ אֶת־שְׁלֹמֹ֣ה בְנִ֔י עַל־הַפִּרְדָּ֖ה אֲשֶׁר־לִ֑י וְהוֹרַדְתֶּ֥ם אֹת֖וֹ אֶל־גִּחֽוֹן׃ (לד) וּמָשַׁ֣ח אֹת֣וֹ שָׁ֠ם צָד֨וֹק הַכֹּהֵ֜ן וְנָתָ֧ן הַנָּבִ֛יא לְמֶ֖לֶךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וּתְקַעְתֶּם֙ בַּשּׁוֹפָ֔ר וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֕ם יְחִ֖י הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹֽה׃ (לה) וַעֲלִיתֶ֣ם אַחֲרָ֗יו וּבָא֙ וְיָשַׁ֣ב עַל־כִּסְאִ֔י וְה֥וּא יִמְלֹ֖ךְ תַּחְתָּ֑י וְאֹת֤וֹ צִוִּ֙יתִי֙ לִֽהְי֣וֹת נָגִ֔יד עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וְעַל־יְהוּדָֽה׃

I Kings 1:32-35

(32) Then King David said, “Summon to me the priest Zadok, the prophet Nathan, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” When they came before the king, (33) the king said to them, “Take my loyal soldiers,^-h and have my son Solomon ride on my mule and bring him down to Gihon. (34) Let the priest Zadok and the prophet Nathan anoint him there king over Israel, whereupon you shall sound the horn and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ (35) Then march up after him, and let him come in and sit on my throne. For he shall succeed me as king; him I designate to be ruler of Israel and Judah.”

4. Why these individuals?

The quorum necessary for the anointing of a new king is present:

משנה תורה, הלכות מלכים ומלחמות א׳:ד׳

(ד) אֵין מַעֲמִידִין מֶלֶךְ מִקְּהַל גֵּרִים אֲפִלּוּ אַחַר כַּמָּה דּוֹרוֹת עַד שֶׁתִּהְיֶה אִמּוֹ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יז טו) "לֹא תוּכַל לָתֵת עָלֶיךָ אִישׁ נָכְרִי אֲשֶׁר לֹא אָחִיךָ הוּא". וְלֹא לְמַלְכוּת בִּלְבַד אֶלָּא לְכָל שְׂרָרוֹת שֶׁבְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. לֹא שַׂר צָבָא וְלֹא שַׂר חֲמִשִּׁים אוֹ שַׂר עֲשָׂרָה. אֲפִלּוּ מְמֻנֶּה עַל אַמַּת הַמַּיִם שֶׁמְּחַלֵּק מִמֶּנָּה לַשָּׂדוֹת. וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר דַּיָּן אוֹ נָשִׂיא שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא אֶלָּא מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יז טו) "מִקֶּרֶב אַחֶיךָ תָּשִׂים עָלֶיךָ מֶלֶךְ" כָּל מְשִׂימוֹת שֶׁאַתָּה מֵשִׂים לֹא יְהוּ אֶלָּא מִקֶּרֶב אַחֶיךָ:

Mishneh Torah, Kings and Wars 1:4

(4) A convert may not be appointed king, even after many generations, until one has a Jewish mother, as it says, “You cannot place over yourselves a foreign man, one who is not your brother” (Deut. 17:15). This rule is also applicable for any governing Position, and includes a commander in the Army and any officer in the Army, or even the one who is merely responsible for the reservoir which irrigates the fields. It goes without saying that a convert cannot be appointed Judge or President. All these Positions must be filled by (born) Jews, as it says, “place upon yourselves a king from those who are close to you” (ibid.). All official, governing Positions must be filled with those from among our brethren.

5. Why a mule and specifically the king's mule?

סנהדרין כ״ב א:י״א

מתני׳ אין רוכבין על סוסו ואין יושבין על כסאו ואין משתמשין בשרביטו ואין רואין אותו כשהוא מסתפר ולא כשהוא ערום ולא כשהוא בבית המרחץ שנאמר (דברים יז, טו) שום תשים עליך מלך שתהא אימתו עליך:

Sanhedrin 22a:11

MISHNA: One may not ride on the king’s horse, and one may not sit on his throne, and one may not use his scepter, and one may not see him when he is having his hair cut, nor when he is naked, nor when he is in the bathhouse, as it is stated: “You shall set a king over you” (Deuteronomy 17:15), meaning, ensure that his fear should be upon you. All of these actions would lessen one’s fear of and reverence for the king.

אברבנאל: To clearly indicate that שלמה is entering into the status of a king. Also a symbol of peace: 2 implications:

1. not afraid of אדוניהו and his riders and
2. horse is a sign of the peace and tranquility of שלמה המלך's reign.

Previous in Series on Kings:
The Many Stories of Adonijahu's Rebelllion: www.sefaria.org/sheets/390909