(Mishnah): When he consoles others, everyone passes one after the other, and the Segan is on one side of him, and everyone else is on the other side.

When others console him, they say 'we are an atonement for you (to bear what should have come upon you).' He says 'you should be blessed from Shamayim.'

When they give to him the meal of Havra'ah (the first meal after losing a relative), they sit on the ground, and he sits on a bench.

(Gemara) Inference: This teaches that a bench is not subject to the law of inverting the bed (he sits on it normally. We infer this, for) a Kohen Gadol is obligated to invert the bed (like everyone else).

(Beraisa): We do not take out a Mes [for burial] close to the time for Keri'as Shma. Rather, they must take it out a while before the time, or a while after the time, to enable people to recite [Shma] and pray.

Question (Mishnah): If they buried the Mes and returned [if people in the consolation line can read Shma before the Avelim reach them... This shows that burial was shortly before the time for Shma!]

Answer: They thought that there is time [to bury it before the time], and there was not time.

(Tosefta): The eulogizer and all engaged in the eulogy interrupt for Keri'as Shma, but not for Tefilah. A case occurred and our Rebbeyim interrupted for Keri'as Shma and Tefilah.

Question (Mishnah): If [people in the line] can begin and finish [Shma before the Avelim reach them... if not, they do not begin. How can you say that we interrupt?]

Answer: The Mishnah discusses the first day [of burial]. The [Tosefta] teaches about [a eulogy] on the second day.

(R. Shmuel bar Avduma): One who enters the Beis ha'Keneses and finds people standing in Tefilah (Shemoneh Esre), if he knows that he can finish before the Shali'ach Tzibur will begin [Chazaras ha'Shatz, so he will be able] to answer Amen, he prays [with them]. If not, he does not pray [until after answering].

Which Amen [did he discuss]? Two Amora'im [argued about this] - one said the Amen of ha'Kel ha'Kadosh, and one said of Shome'a Tefilah on a weekday.

(Beraisa - R. Yehudah): If they were all standing in the line - those standing for honor [of the Avelim - Korban ha'Edah] are obligated [to recite Shma. Those] due to Aveilus (relatives of the Mes) are exempt.

When they began to eulogize - those who see [the Avelim, i.e. they stand] in the inner row are exempt. Those who do not see are obligated.

Remark: Our Mishnah taught that when [the Kohen Gadol] consoles others, everyone passes one after the other, and the Memuneh is between him and everyone - this is like Mishnah Rishonah. What was learned that people on the inside are exempt, and people on the outside are obligated, is like Mishnah Acharonah.

(R. Chaninah): Initially, families stood and the Avelim passed. When quarrels arose (about who will be in front) in Tzipori, R. Yosi enacted that families pass and the Avelim stand.

(R. Shmuel of Sofafta): The matter returned to the old custom.

(Mishnah): A king does not judge, and we do not judge him. He does not testify, and others do not testify about him;

He does not do Chalitzah, and we do not do Chalitzah to his widow. He does not do Yibum, and we do not do Yibum to his widow.

R. Yehudah says, if he wants to do Chalitzah or Yibum, he may. He is praised for this;

Chachamim say, we do not allow him.

One may not marry his king's widow;

R. Yehudah says, a king may marry a king's widow. David married Sha'ul's widow - "va'Etnah Lecha Es Beis Adonecha v'Es Neshei Adonecha b'Chekecha.''

(Gemara) Question: [How can the Mishnah say that] he does not judge? It says "v'Hayah David Oseh Mishpat u'Tzedakah l'Chol Amo''! Can you say so? (The Bavli says that the Mishnah does not discuss Malchei Beis David. The Yerushalmi does not answer this. Alternatively, it answers that David was an exception, like we expound from this verse - Mar'eh ha'Panim.)

Explanation #1: We say from here (this verse) that he judged and acquitted the innocent and obligated the guilty. If the one who obligated was poor, [David] gave to him from his own. It turns out that he did judgment with this one, and Tzedakah with this one.

Explanation #2 (Rebbi): He judged and acquitted the innocent and obligated the guilty. Hash-m considers it as if he did Tzedakah [even] with the one who was obligated, for he removed theft from his hand.

The Mishnah says that we do not judge him. This is based on "mi'Lefanecha Mishpati Yetzei'' (only Hash-m will judge him).

(R. Yitzchak citing Rebbi): The king and the Tzibur are judged in front of [Hash-m] every day - "La'asos Mishpat Avdo u'Mishpat Amo Yisrael Devar Yom b'Yomo.''

(R. Yudan): If [the king] wanted to do Chalitzah or Yibum, he is praised for this.

Rebuttal (Rabanan): If you say so, he blemishes the honor of the king!

One may not marry a king's widow, nor his divorcee. We learn from "va'Tihyenah Tzeruros Ad Yom Musan Almanos Chayos'' (David's Pilagshim, with whom Avshalom had Bi'ah);

(R. Yudah bar Pazi citing R. Pazi citing R. Yochanan): This teaches that David used to [command them to] braid their hair and adorn them and enter them in front of him every day, and he said to his Yetzer ha'Ra "you desired something forbidden to you. I swear, I will make you desire something permitted to you!''

(Rabanan of Kisarin): They were truly forbidden. If a commoner's Kelim (wives), which a commoner used, a king may not use them. Kelim of the king, which a commoner (Avshalom) used, all the more so the king may not use them!

NOTE: Korban ha'Edah explains that a king may not marry a commoner's widow. We find that David married Avigayil and Bas Sheva! Parshas Derachim says that David did not have the status of a king when he married Avigayil, so she was permitted to him even after he was considered king. Radvaz (7:29) suggests that one who rebels against the king, his wife is permitted to the king. Machaneh Chayim 1:16 answers that a Hedyot's use forbids only if he is already king. (This answers only for Avigayil.) Further, a king is forbidden only through Bi'as Isur of a Hedyot; also Ohr Somayach (Nitzavim 30:2) says so.

(Mishnah - R. Yudan): A king may marry widows of a king, for we find that David married Sha'ul's widow - "va'Etnah Lecha Es Beis Adonecha v''Es Neshei Adonecha b'Chekecha'' - this refers to Meirav, Michal and Ritzpah. (Meirav and Michal were Sha'ul's daughters (Beis Adonecha). How could he marry sisters? The Bavli (19b) says that David's Kidushin of Meirav was invalid, or after she died David married Michal. Shirei Korban says that R. Yehudah cannot give these answers. (If one of them was born to an Eshes Yefas To'ar and conceived before conversion, they would not be considered sisters.) Ritzpah was Sha'ul's Pilegesh (Shmuel 2:3:7); R. Yehudah holds that a Pilegesh has [Kidushin, and even] a Kesuvah (Yerushalmi Kesuvos 5:2), so she is properly called Sha'ul's wife.

Chetzron had three sons - "u'Vnei Chetzron Yerachmi'el v'Es Ram v'Es Keluvi.''

Question: Was Yerachmi'el the first son?! (It lists Ram's sons before Yerachmi'el's!)

Answer: Rather, [Yerachmi'el] married a Nochris to aggrandize himself - "va'Tehi Ishah Acheres li'Yrachmi'el u'Shma Atarah Hi Em Ones'' - she entered mourning into his house.

"V'Ram Holid Es Aminadav v'Aminadav Holid Es Nachshon v'Nachshon Holid Es Salmah v'Salmon Holid Es Bo'az'', and Bo'az married Rus.

Naval (Avigayil's first husband) comes from Keluvi (this is Kalev). Naval said "no one in Yisrael has better lineage than me, [totally] from Yisrael!'' (The lineage from Chetzron's other sons is blemished; Yerachmi'el married a Nochris, and Naval thought that a Mo'avis (Rus) is forbidden.)

Source: "V'Ish b'Ma'on u'Ma'asehu va'Karmel veha'Ish Gadol Me'od; ... v'Hu Chalivi'' - he comes from Keluvi.

"Va'Yishma David ba'Midbar Ki Gozez Naval; ... va'Amartem Ko le'Chai'' - to continue "v'Atah Shalom...''

(R. Yusta bar Shalom): They made an encampment - "[va'Yanuchu;] va'Ya'an Naval Es Avdei David...''. (The Yerushalmi (Eruvin 1:10, 10b) learns from here that an encampment must have at least 10 people to get four leniencies.)

Question: What is the source that in capital cases, we begin from the side (not from the biggest Chacham)?

Answer (Shmuel ha'Zaken in front of R. Acha): "Va'Yomer David la'Anashav... (each man girded his sword, and also David girded his sword).''

Question: "Va'Ya'at Bahem.'' What is "va'Ya'at Bahem "?

Answer: [Naval] verbally cast them away.

"V'Atah De'i u'Re'i Mah Ta'asi; ... va'Tifgosh Osam'' - she revealed her thigh, and they went l'Orah. "Va'Tifgosh Osam'' - they all had Keri (seminal emissions. Meforshim ask why this Tzadekes revealed her thigh. She merited Nevu'ah! Some say that she did not intentionally reveal it. The words connote unlike this, especially since we preface the youth's advice that she decide how to save herself. Radvaz (7:29) says that she revealed it for illumination (she and the girls taking the gift went l'Orah; they were descending a mountain at night), unaware that men would see. Others say that the men went l'Orah (in desire for her - Tosfos).)

"V'David Amar Ach la'Sheker Shamarti... Mashtin b'Kir'' - why did he mention [not leaving] a dog, which urinates on a wall? He would not have mercy to leave [alive] even a dog.

"Va'Tere Avigayil Es David...'' - she said to him, my master David, what did I do? What did my children do? What did my animals do?

He said to her, it is because he cursed Malchus David. She said to him, are you a king? He told her, didn't Shmuel anoint me to be king?! She told him, the mintage of our master Sha'ul is still around (your kingship was not publicized).

"Va'Ani Amasecha'' teaches that he asked to have Bi'ah with her. Immediately, she took out her stain and showed it to him (perhaps it is Dam Nidah).

He said to her, do we inspect stains at night?! She said to him, do your ears not hear what your mouth says? We do not inspect stains at night, but we judge capital cases at night?! He told her, we already finished his judgment during the day.

(R. Lazar): She told him, "v'Lo Sihyeh Zos Lecha l'Fukah'' (a pitfall) - there were Pikpukei Devarim (dubious matters, e.g. David's opinion that he is king and he may kill Naval for rebellion, and ultimately it will cause skepticism about whether you are proper to be king) there.

R. Levi was expounding this Parshah. R. Zeira insisted that Talmidim come to hear R. Levi expound, for it is impossible that he will expound without Chidushim. One [Talmid] entered [and heard that he expounds this Parshah of Avigayil], and told them no (it is Agadah. You will not hear Chidushim.)

R. Zeira heard, and said that even in Agadah, there are Chidushim. L'Fukah - there were Pikpukei Devarim there.

She told him, when the matter will become known people will say about you that you transgress Arayos. You are destined to stumble with a married woman (Bas Sheva) - it is better that you have one [Aveirah], and not two. The future [Aveirah] is greater than this - people should not say that this is like this (that also now, you had Bi'ah with me before Naval died - KORBAN HA'EDAH. MAR'EH HA'PANIM - David thought that it is as if he already died, for he was sentenced to death);

"V'Lishpoch Dam'' - in the future you will rule over Yisrael, and they will say "he murdered''! What you said that anyone who curses Malchus Beis David is Chayav Misah - you are still lacking the throne (your kingship was not publicized).

"V'Zacharta Es Amasecha'' - this teaches that she made herself Hefker (while she was still married, she hinted to David that he should marry her after Naval will die). Since she did so, the verse detracted from her [name]. Everywhere, one reads Avigayil, except for this verse - "va'Yomer David l'Avigal Baruch Hash-m...''

"Mi'Bo v'Damim'' - (you stopped me from transgressing) Dam Nidah and spilling blood (murder).