Avodah Zarah, Daf Mem Daled, Part 3
Introduction
Yesterday s section ended with a discussion of King David donning a crown. Today s section begins with a midrash that alludes to the special qualities of this crown. It then continues with more midrashim about David s crown, and its importance to David s descendants.
(תהלים קיט, נו) זאת היתה לי כי פקודיך נצרתי מאי קאמר? הכי קאמר בשכר שפקודיך נצרתי זאת היתה לי לעדות
מאי עדותה א"ר יהושע בן לוי שהיה מניחה במקום תפילין והולמתו והא בעי אנוחי תפילין א"ר שמואל בר רב יצחק מקום יש בראש שראוי להניח בו שתי תפילין
This I have had, because I kept Your precepts (Psalms 119:56). What does this mean? This is what it means: As a reward for keeping Your precepts, this is a testimony on my behalf. What is its testimony? R. Joshua b. Levi said: He used to wear [the crown] in the place of the tefillin and it fitted him. But does he not have to put on tefillin? R. Shmuel bar R. Yitzchak said: There is sufficient room on the forehead to lay two sets of tefillin.
The fact that the crown fits perfectly on his head is a reward for his having kept God s precepts. There is room on this spot for both the crown and to wear tefillin. Thus David could wear his tefillin and crown at the same time.
(דברי הימים ב כג, יא) ויוציאו את בן המלך ויתנו עליו את הנזר ואת העדות נזר זו כלילא עדות
א"ר יהודה אמר רב עדות הוא לבית דוד שכל הראוי למלכות הולמתו וכל שאינו ראוי למלכות אין הולמתו
[It is written], Then he brought out the king s son and put upon him the crown [hanezer] and the testimony (II Chronicles 23:11).
Nezer: this is the crown.
The testimony ?
Rav Judah said in the name of Rav: It was a testimony to the house of David that whoever was fit for the throne [the crown] would fit him, but anyone who was not fit for the throne, the crown would not fit him.
The verse quoted here refers to the coronation of Yehoash. The testimony that he was fit for the crown was that it fit his head. Sort of like the slipper on Cinderella.
(מלכים א א, ה) ואדניה בן חגית מתנשא לאמר אני אמלוך אמר רב יהודה אמר רב שמתנשא להולמו ולא הולמתו
[It is written], Then Adoniyah the son of Haggith exalted himself saying, I will be king (I Kings 1:5).
Rav Judah said in the name of Rav: He exalted himself [thinking that the crown] would fit him, but it did not fit him.
Adoniyah is the son of David who pronounced himself king even before David s death. According to the midrash, since he was not fit to be king, the crown did not fit his head.
(מלכים א א, ה) ויעש לו רכב ופרשים וחמשים איש רצים לפניו מאי רבותייהו תנא כולם נטולי טחול וחקוקי כפות הרגלים היו:
And he prepared his chariots, and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him (I Kings 1:5) What s so great about this? It was taught: All of them had had their spleen cut out and the soles of their feet hollowed.
This section digresses a bit about Adoniyah. As part of his project of self-aggrandizement, he hires an entourage, sort of like modern celebs. I suppose if he lived today, he d hire some Instagram followers or maybe some paparazzi to follow him around. In any case, what s the big deal about 50 people to run in front of him? That does not sound like an impressive number. The Talmud answers that these are special runners they had their spleens removes, and flesh from their feet removed. This seems to have been an ancient way of improving one s speed. Doping in sports does not seem to be anything new.