Devar/5769/Vayechi
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And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem (1 Kings 2:11)
This week's haftarah ends with a short summary of the life of King David, of blessed memory. The best king the Jewish people ever had -- to the extent that the King Messiah who is to come in the future is called "the son of David". It would have been proper to honor his son Solomon in that manner -- since he was the one who built the Temple, and ushered in a long era of peace.
Nevertheless, we see the King Messiah is called "son of David". Because he is required to conquer the enemies surrounding the Land of Israel: if he did so and succeeded, and conquered all the surrounding nations (Laws of Kings 11:8). A person who is entirely about peace ("Shelomo", Solomon = shalom, peace) is not well matched for that job. He will not succeed, because he will not conquer the enemies, rather he will sign treaties and understandings with them. And the King Messiah must conquer, and suppress the surrounding peoples, because only in that manner is it possible to establish a kingdom of priests without danger of intermixing. Of course, he will also bring peace, but the King Messiah's peace will be attained as a result of the powerlessness of his enemies, whereas Solomon's peace was attained from economic and political considerations, which are liable to change from time to time.
King David started his rule specifically in Hebron. A city which was not friendly then, and even less so now. It would be proper for us to pave the way for our future King, by conquering the city of Hebron and its outlying areas, and to begin the process of suppressing our enemies even before the coming of our righteous Messiah. Let my lord king David live for ever. (1 Kings 1:31)
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