Chapter 2   Posuk 1

The time came for David to die. He commanded his son Shlomo saying:

It is not clear how long after he commanded that Shlomo should become king this story happened. It is interesting to note, that the things he will talk about now, he only said when his death was imminent and not before.

Chapter 2 Posuk 2

‘I am going in the way of the land. Strengthen and be a man.’

Shlomo, according to chazal, was 12 years old and therefore not called an ‘ish’, man, so David told him if he strengthens himself he will be a man.

Chapter 2 Posuk 3

‘Guard the service of Hashem, your lord, by going in his ways, observing his non-logical mitzvohs, his commandments, his communal laws, his mitzvohs that give witness as is written in the Torah of Moshe, in order that you should succeed in all you will do and any path you will take.’

In the previous posuk David says, ‘you should be a man’, only then can he deal with observance of the mitzvohs.

Why does David list ‘mitzvohs that give witness’ last? Logically it should be mentioned first, since witnessing the basic truths is what makes us do the rest of the mitzvahs.

Chapter 2 Posuk 4

‘In order that Hashem should keep his word to me when he said, "If your children will watch their ways and go before me in truth with all their heart and soul, then not one descendant will be cut off from the throne of Yisrael".’

Chapter 2 Posuk 5

‘Also, you know what was done to me by Yoav the son of Tzruya and what he did to the officers of Yisrael; Avner the son of Ner and Amsha the son of Yeser. He killed them and introduced the blood of war in a time of peace. He put the blood of war in the belt across his thighs and in the shoes on his feet.’

Chapter 2 Posuk 6

‘Use your wisdom and don’t let him age in peace to his grave.’

Yoav being the head general was to be dealt with carefully, a powerful man like that is not to be taken lightly and therefore David does not specifically mention killing him.

Chapter 2 Posuk 7

since they supported me when I ran away from Avshalom your brother.’

The chazal say that Barzelai is written five times in Tanach to show doing chessed is like doing the whole torah which is written in five books. The question is why Barzelai is specifically mentioned in this way.

Chapter 2 Posuk 8

‘Behold with you is Shimie ben Geira ben Hayimini from Bachurim. He cursed me a terrible curse when I went to Machanayim and he came down to the Jordan River to greet me. I swore to him in Hashem’s name that I will not kill him with a sword.’

Even when David is saying bad about Shimie, he is still careful to say ‘cursed me’ pointing out that Shimie did not really go against Shlomo, unlike the others who went after Adoniyahu.

David said he would not kill Shimie with a sword, which is the way that kings are required to punish a mored bimalchus - people who go against the king.

Chapter 2 Posuk 9

‘Now do not let him get away with this, for you are a wise man and you will know what to do to him. Let him go down to his grave with blood.’

David says directly he should go to his grave in blood which is unlike by Yoav where he said he should not age in peace.

Chapter 2 Posuk 10

‘David lay with his fathers and was buried in the city of David.’

Chapter 2 Posuk 11

The days that David was King of Yisrael was forty years; in Hebron he was king for seven years and in Yirushalayim for thirty three years.

Chapter 2 Posuk 12

Shlomo sat on the throne of David his father and his kingdom was greatly established.

Chapter 2 Posuk 13-17

Adoniyahu ben Chagiz came to Bas Sheva the mother of Shlomo. She asked, ‘Is all well with you?’, and he answered yes. He said he had something to say to her and she said to speak. He said, ‘You know that the kingship was to come to me and all the jews wanted me to become king. However the kingship passed over me and went to my brother since from Hashem it was to be. Now I have one request that I am asking of you. Do not turn yourself from my face.’ She said, ‘Speak’. He said, ‘Please speak to Shlomo, the king, because he will not turn away from your face, and ask him to give me Avishag Hashunamos for a wife.’

Apparently, Adoniyahu thought that since he really should have been king the zchus [benefit] of kingship to use his father wife would be permitted. Not only that, but Shlomo would not mind since it came from Hashem that he was king.

Chapter2 Section 18-25

Bas Sheva said, ‘Good. I will speak about you to the king.’ Bas Sheva came to the king Shlomo to speak to him about Adoniyahu. The king got up to greet her, he bowed down to her and sat on his throne. He set up a chair for the mother of the king and she sat on his right side. She said, ‘I have one small request to make of you, do not turn from my face.’ The king said to her, ‘Ask my mother because I will not turn from your face.’ She said, ‘Give Avishag the Shunamis to Adoniyahu your brother for a wife.’ The king Shlomo answered and said to his mother, ‘Why are you asking for Avishag the Shunamis for Adoniyahu. Ask for him to be king since he is my older brother and Evyasar the Cohein and Yoav ben Tzruya are with him.’ Shlomo swore in the name of Hashem saying, ‘So should Elokim do to me and more, for purposely Adoniyahu spoke these words. Now I swear by the living Hashem who established and sat me on the throne of David my father and made me a house like he had promised, that today Adoniyahu will die.’ The king Shlomo put this errand in the hand of Binayahu ben Yehoyada and he met him and he died.

Chapter 2 Section 26-27

To Evyasar the Cohein, the king said, ‘Go to Anasos, go to your field because you are a man of death. However, today I will not kill you because you carried the ark of Hashem Elokim before David my father and you had the same hardships as my father. Shlomo dismissed Evyasar from being the Cohein Gadol for Hashem. This fulfilled the words of Hashem that he spoke about the house of Eli in Shilo.

The reason why Shlomo dealt with Evyasar now, is that he felt that he was behind Adoniyahu in asking for Avishag as a wife.

Chapter 2 Posuk 28

The news reached Yoav since he had supported Adoniya and but not Avshalom. He ran to the tent of Hashem and he held unto the corners of the mizbaach. It was told to the king, Shlomo, that Yoav had run to the tent of Hashem and is by the mizbaach so he sent Binayahu ben Yehoyada saying, ‘Go meet him’ [kill him]. Binayahu went to the tent of Hashem and he said, ‘So said the king go out’. Yoav answered, ‘No. I will die here.’ Binayahu returned to the king saying, ‘So said Yoav and this is how he answered me.’ The king said to him [Binayahu], ‘Do like he said, meet him [kill him] and bury him. This will lift the innocent blood that Yoav spilled from upon me and from upon the house of my father. Hashem will return his blood on his head that he met [killed] two men who were tzadikim and better than him. He killed them with a sword and David my father did not know. They were Avner ben Neir the head general of Yisrael and Amsa ben Yesser the general of Yehuda. Return their blood on the head of Yoav and the head of his children forever. So that David and his children, his household and his throne should be in peace forever from Hashem. Binayahu ben Yehoyada went up and met him and he killed him and he buried him in his house in the desert.

Chazal say his house was like a desert, just as a desert is open to everyone so was Yoav house open to all the poor. Even though the posuk is speaking about him being killed because of the wrong things he did, still the posuk hints at his greatness.

Chapter 2 Posuk 35