(PLEASE LEARN FOR A REFUA SHELAMA FOR HARAV YOSEF SHALOM BEN CHAYA MUSHA)
In our chapter, after Ish-Boshes accuses Avner of sinning with Ritzpah, a concubine of Shaul his late father, Avner offers King David his services to help consolidate his kingdom. King David agrees on condition that Avner returns Michal, daughter of Shaul, to King David. After all, Michal originally had been given King David upon his victory over Golaith. Subsequently, Shaul gave her to Palti ben Layish.
The gemora in Sanhedrin (19b) inquires why Palti ben Layish is also called Paltiel? R' Yochanan explains that his true name was Palti. Why then was he also called Paltiel? He was called Paltiel because Hashem (the addition of e-l to Palti is a name of Hashem) helped him abstain from sinning with Michal, daughter of Shaul.
What did Palti do? When he was given Michal, he realized that she had at least been designated for Shaul as a wife. Thus, he knew that he could not be intimate with her. For this reason, immediately upon Shaul Hamelech giving Michal to Palti, Palti stuck a sword between him and her. This sword symbolized the death by the sword that one being intimate with Michal would be liable. From that moment onward, Hashem assisted Palti in remaining steadfast in his resolve not to give in to the temptation to sin with Michal.
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