Avner and Yoav
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The Battle by the Pool in Giv'on (Part I)
Chapter 2 (II)
Rabbi Amnon BazakThe battle at the pool in Givon between Avner ben Ner's men and those of Yoav ben Zeruya, ends with the defeat of Avner, but Yoav also suffers losses. Who is responsible for the bloodshed? And what was the purpose of the battle in Givon?
Yoav Kills Avner
Chapter 3 (III)
Rabbi Amnon BazakAvner's attempt to unify the kingdom fails when he is killed by Yoav. What is the attitude projected by the narrative toward this episode? How does David react?
Between War and Peace
Rabbi Alex IsraelYoav's murders of Avner and Amassa exhibit the simple act of dishonor to the king, and also jeopardize the prospect of national peace and unity. Yoav's bloody ways characterize the reign of David but are not appropriate for the peaceful reign of Shlomo.
Shimi Ben Gera's venture to "Akhish ben Ma'akha, King of Gat" may be hinting that this is a venture of political maneuvering on Shimi's part, an appointment with a rival king and not a simple return of slaves.
The description in Divrei HaYamim of the transition between David and Shlomo is formal, regal, ceremonial, public, and sedate in contrast to the description in Melakhim.
The Assassination of Gedalya
Part 1
Rabbi David SabatoYirmiyahu decided to join Gedalya out of religious-prophetic motives, since he saw in his appointment God's desire to rebuild the nation. The military personal decided to join him for political motives, relying on Gedalya's official status vis-à-vis the Babylonian kingdom, which they feared. And the Diaspora Jews joined Gedalya out of nationalistic-popular motives and a desire to return to their own country.
Yohanan ben Kareah and his men attempt to convince Gedalya of the assassination plot of Yishmael ben Netanya. Gedalya's refusal to heed the warning is not merely complacency on the personal plane regarding the danger posed to his life, but also a great risk on the public-national level. The political struggle against Gedalya has widespread national consequences.
Having failed to heed the warning of Yohanan, Gedalya falls into a trap that was set for him by Yishmael the son of Netanya and his men; he is killed in his house in Mitzpa in the course of a Rosh Hashana dinner that he hosted for them. Here Gedalya's naiveté reveals itself in a most striking manner – not only did he not agree to prevent the assassination, but he did not even take any precautions against Yishmael.
What were the motives of Yishmael the son of Netanya? It is likely that this murder is just the tip of the iceberg of the fierce political struggle that took place in the kingdom of Yehuda prior to the destruction. The royal family and most of the ministers supported the rebellion against Babylon, and apparently received support from the people of Ammon in the east, who opposed Babylonian rule. Against them stood the "pro-Babylonian" faction, with Yirmiyahu's support and led by members of the family of Shafan the scribe. Thus, the assassination plot stems from deep political memories and from the tension between the royal family of Yishmael and the family of Shafan, to which Gedalya belonged. Apart from this, there is also a deeply personal cause: Yishmael, who was of royal descent, cannot accept the possibility that Gedalya, who came from a family of scribes, should become the political leader of the people of Yehuda.
Three biblical events are alluded to as the backdrop for the story of the murder of Gedalya: the massacres of Yehu, the war between Asa and Basha, and the story of the meeting between Avner and Yoav at Givon. These events paint Yishmael's deed with the red color of mass murder and civil war, and turn it into another link in the chain of internal civil wars in the history of the people of Israel that led to the destruction. Internal strife and narrow personal and political motivations joined together in the story of the assassination of Gedalya to become the fatal blow to the last chance to rebuild the nation in its land.