Shabbos 56b

שבת נ״ו ע״ב

Shabbat 56b

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Topic

Righteous figures who 'did not sin': דוד and לשון הרע, שלמה, and יאשיהו

Overview

This amud finishes the story of דוד, מפיבשת, and ציבא. The גמרא reads מפיבשת's reply as a hidden complaint against God for bringing דוד home safely, and it explains the name מריב בעל and the בת קול 'quarreler, son of a quarreler' in that light. רב teaches that because דוד split the field after accepting ציבא's לשון הרע, his kingdom was split, which led to עבודה זרה and exile. Next, רבי יונתן says anyone who claims שלמה sinned is mistaken. The גמרא tests this against פסוקים about his wives, the altars he 'built,' and 'he did evil.' It concludes that שלמה failed to stop his wives, so the פסוק blames him as if he had sinned. Teachings follow about בת פרעה's idolatrous music and about how רומי began at the time of שלמה's marriage and ירבעם's golden calves. רבי יונתן then says יאשיהו never sinned and reads his 'return' as repaying, from his own money, the cases he judged as a boy. רב disagrees and calls יאשיהו the greatest בעל תשובה, and great penitents of later generations are named. The פרק במה בהמה ends with the הדרן.

Opening lines

The steps (37)

1. Statementמפיבשת defends himself to דוד
2. Statementדוד splits the field, and מפיבשת replies
3. Proofמפיבשת's hidden complaint
4. ProofThe verse calls him מריב בעל
5. ChallengeBut his name was מפיבשת
6. ResolutionHe quarreled with his Master
7. StatementExplaining 'son of a quarreler': שאול's quarrel
8. StatementSplit the field, split the kingdom
9. StatementThe terrible cost of accepting slander
10. StatementWhoever says שלמה sinned is mistaken
11. ChallengeWhat about the verse that his wives turned his heart?
12. ResolutionThat verse follows רבי נתן, who noticed the contradiction
13. ResolutionThey tried to lead him after other gods, but he did not go
14. ChallengeBut the verse says שלמה built an altar for כמוש
15. ResolutionHe wanted to build it but did not
16. RejectionThe same word is used for יהושע, who really built
17. ResolutionA new approach: רבי יוסי's ברייתא on the altars near ירושלים
18. Challengeאסא and יהושפט had already destroyed all idolatry
19. ResolutionThe earlier king is compared to the later king
20. ChallengeBut the פסוק says שלמה did evil
21. ResolutionHe failed to stop his wives
22. StatementBetter to be a servant for idolatry than to have 'he did evil' written
23. Statementבת פרעה brought idolatrous music, and שלמה did not protest
24. StatementAt שלמה's marriage, the foundation of רומי was planted
25. StatementA ברייתא: Italy began when ירבעם set up the golden calves
26. StatementAnyone who says יאשיהו sinned is mistaken
27. ChallengeBut the verse says יאשיהו 'returned,' which suggests he once sinned
28. Resolutionיאשיהו returned money from the cases he judged as a youth
29. ResolutionHe paid from his own money, as the verse says 'with all his might'
30. Statementרב disagrees: יאשיהו was the greatest penitent
31. QuestionWho is the penitent of רב's generation?
32. ResponseIt was אבא, or his brother אחא
33. Statementרב יוסף adds another penitent in his generation
34. QuestionWho is רב יוסף's penitent?
35. ResponseIt was עוקבן בר נחמיה, known as נתן דצוציתא
36. Proofרב יוסף's dream showed his repentance was accepted
37. Conclusionהדרן — Closing the chapter of במה בהמה