A short Insight into SHMUEL 2, Chapter 10 By Rabbi Nisson Dov Miller

(PLEASE LEARN FOR A RUFUA SHELAMA FOR THE GEDOLIM Rav Elyashiv -Yosef Sholom ben Chaya Musha, Rav Shteinman - Aaron Yehuda Leib ben Gitel Feiga, Rav Weiss - Yitzchak Tuvia ben Rikal, Rav Belsky - Yisroel ben Chana Tzirtel, Rav Yosef - Yaakov Chai ben Margalit And Telzer Rosh Yeshiva, Yitxchok Izak ben Trina Devorah for a refuah shleima b’soch kol cholei am Yisrael.) After we learn that Chanun, son of the King of Ammon, took over the kingdom upon his father's death, the verse relates what King David was thinking, “I shall do an act of kindness for Chanun, son of Nachash, just as his father acted with kindness towards me. So David sent [a message] to him by the hand of his servants to console him over his father...” According to the Rashi, King David is referring to the fact that Nachash, Chanun's father, protected King David's brother after the King of Moav murdered the rest of his family. As a gesture of gratitude, King David wanted to comfort the mourning Chanun. The Medresh Rabbah (Bamidbar 21,5 “Tzaror”) tells us that Hashem was upset with King David for comforting Chanun. “You went against My words. I wrote 'Do not seek out their welfare or good for all days' and you do an act of kindness towards them? The verse in Koheles says, 'Do not be too righteous.'” This medresh seems perplexing. The Kesef Mishnah (Laws of Kings 6,6) brings the words of the Yerai'im who says that it is permitted for a Jew to do an act of kindness to a person from Ammon and Moav if this is done to show gratitude for a good deed that that person did for him. If so, then how then do we understand, the Kesef Mishnah asks, the Medresh Rabbah which reveals to us that Hashem was critical of King David's behavior towards Chanan?