“Benayahu

<<son of

<<Yehoyada” —

<<this is

<<the Sanhedrin;

<<“and Evyasar” —

<<these are

<<the Urim

<<and Tumim.

And so

<<it

<<says:

<<“And Benayahu

<<son of

<<Yehoyada

<<was over

<<the Kereisi

<<and over

<<the Peleisi.”

<<And why

<<were called

<<their names

<<“Kereisi”

<<and “Peleisi”?

<<“Kereisi” —

<<for they cut

<<their words;

<<“Peleisi” —

<<for they are wondrous

<<in their words.

<<And afterward

<<“the commander of

<<the army

<<of the king

<<was Yoav.”

Rav Yitzchak bar Adda said,

<<and some say it:

<<Rav Yitzchak son of Rav Idi said:

<<what is

<<the verse?

<<“Awake,

<<my glory;

<<awake,

<<harp

<<and lyre;

<<I will awaken

<<the dawn.”

Rabbi Zeira

<<said:

<<Moshe

<<in fact

<<did

<<know [the moment],

<<and David

<<too

<<did

<<know [it].

And since

<<David

<<did

<<know,

<<a harp —

<<why did he need it?

<<To wake up

<<from his sleep.

And since

<<Moshe

<<did

<<know,

<<why did he need

<<to say

<<“about midnight”?

<<Moshe

<<held:

<<lest

<<err

<<the astrologers of

<<Pharaoh,

<<and they say:

<<“Moshe

<<a liar

<<is.”

<<For said

<<the master:

<<teach

<<your tongue

<<to say

<<“I do not

<<know,”

<<lest

<<you be shown a liar

<<and be caught.

Rav Ashi

<<said:

<<at the middle of

<<the night

<<of the thirteenth,

<<as dawns

<<the fourteenth,

<<he was

<<standing,

<<and thus

<<Moshe said to Israel:

<<said

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He:

<<tomorrow,

<<about the middle of

<<the night

<<like

<<now,

<<I

<<go out

<<into the midst of

<<Egypt.

“Of David:

<<guard

<<my soul,

<<for

<<pious

<<am I.”

<<Levi

<<and Rabbi Yitzchak.

<<One

<<said:

<<thus

<<David said

<<before

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He:

<<Master of the world,

<<is it not that

<<pious

<<am I?

<<For all

<<the kings of

<<east

<<and west

<<sleep

<<until

<<three

<<hours,

<<but I —

<<“at the middle of

<<the night

<<I rise

<<to give thanks

<<to You.”

And the other:

<<thus

<<David said

<<before

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He:

<<Master of the world,

<<is it not that

<<pious

<<am I?

<<For all

<<the kings of

<<east

<<and west

<<sit

<<in groups

<<upon groups

<<in their glory,

<<but I —

<<my hands

<<are soiled

<<with blood

<<and with the fetal sac

<<and with the afterbirth,

<<in order

<<to declare pure

<<a woman

<<for her husband.

<<And not

<<only that,

<<but

<<all

<<that

<<I

<<do,

<<I

<<consult

<<with Mefiboshes

<<my teacher,

<<and I say

<<to him:

<<“Mefiboshes

<<my teacher,

<<rightly

<<did I judge?

<<rightly

<<did I convict?

<<rightly

<<did I acquit?

<<rightly

<<did I declare pure?

<<rightly

<<did I declare impure?”

<<and not

<<was I ashamed.

Rabbi Yehoshua son of Rav Idi said:

<<what is

<<the verse?

<<“And I will speak

<<of Your testimonies

<<before

<<kings,

<<and not

<<will I be ashamed.”

A Tanna taught:

<<not

<<“Mefiboshes”

<<was his name,

<<but

<<“Ish-boshes”

<<was his name.

<<And why

<<was called

<<his name

<<Mefiboshes?

<<For he would

<<shame

<<the face of

<<David

<<in halachah.

<<Therefore

<<merited

<<David

<<and there came forth

<<from him

<<Kilav.

And Rabbi Yochanan said:

<<not

<<“Kilav”

<<was his name,

<<but

<<“Daniel”

<<was his name.

<<And why

<<was called

<<his name

<<“Kilav”?

<<For he would

<<humiliate

<<the face of

<<Mefiboshes

<<in halachah.

And about him

<<Shlomo said

<<in his wisdom:

<<“My son,

<<if

<<is wise

<<your heart,

<<will rejoice

<<my heart,

<<even

<<mine”;

<<and it says:

<<“Be wise,

<<my son,

<<and gladden

<<my heart,

<<that I may answer

<<those who taunt me

<<a word.”

And David —

<<does

<<he call

<<himself

<<“pious”?

<<But isn't it written:

<<“Had I not

<<believed

<<to see

<<the goodness of

<<Hashem

<<in the land of

<<the living”;

<<and it was taught

<<in the name

<<of Rabbi Yosei:

<<why

<<are there dots

<<over

<<“lulei”?

<<David said

<<before

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He:

<<Master of the world,

<<confident

<<am I

<<in You

<<that You

<<pay

<<reward

<<good

<<to the righteous

<<in the time to come,

<<but

<<I do not

<<know

<<whether

<<there is

<<for me

<<a share

<<among them

<<or

<<not!

Lest

<<cause [it to be lost]

<<the sin.

As Rabbi Yaakov bar Idi taught,

<<for Rabbi Yaakov bar Idi

<<raised a contradiction:

<<it is written:

<<“And behold,

<<I am

<<with you,

<<and I will guard you

<<in all

<<that

<<you go”;

<<and it is written:

<<“And was afraid

<<Yaakov

<<greatly.”

<<He said:

<<lest

<<cause [it to be lost]

<<the sin.

As it is taught:

<<“Until

<<passes over

<<Your people,

<<Hashem,

<<until

<<passes over

<<the people

<<that

<<You acquired.”

“Until

<<passes over

<<Your people,

<<Hashem” —

<<this is

<<the entry

<<first;

<<“until

<<passes over

<<the people

<<that

<<You acquired” —

<<this is

<<the entry

<<second.

<<From here

<<said

<<the Sages:

<<fit

<<were

<<Israel

<<to have performed

<<for them

<<a miracle

<<in the days of

<<Ezra

<<in the way

<<that was performed

<<for them

<<in the days of

<<Yehoshua bin Nun,

<<but

<<caused [it to be lost]

<<the sin.

“And the Sages

<<say:

<<until

<<midnight.”

<<The Sages —

<<like whom

<<do they hold?

<<If

<<like Rabbi Eliezer

<<they hold,

<<let them say

<<like Rabbi Eliezer!