194- Why Was David Punished?

“Raba said, ‘Why was David punished? It is because he called the words of Torah ‘songs,’ as was said, ‘Your laws were songs to me in the house of my dwelling.’ The Creator said to him, ‘Words of Torah, of which it is written, ‘If you blink, it is gone,’ you call them ‘songs’? I therefore fail you with something that even children know, as it is written, ‘But he did not give any to the sons of Kehat because theirs was the work of holiness,’ and he came in a wagon.’’”

RASHI interpreted “the house of my dwelling”: When I ran from my enemies and feared them, I played with Your laws and they were to me songs to entertain me. You make me blink and fold, for if you fold your eyes to inadvertently blink from looking at them, promptly, it is gone.

MAHARSHA: “Songs,” since the singing is in one’s mouth momentarily, while the words of Torah are never to part from one’s mouth so he will not forget them (Sotah 35a).

We can interpret that words of Torah are Malchut, who is called “speech,” which is faith, and faith must be continuous, for about faith it can be said, “If you cast your eyes on it, it is gone,” for in a moment, everything disappears from him. Conversely, the Torah is not forgotten in one moment.

Yet, he was using the laws during the escape, meaning when he had fear, then he was using the fear, and the Creator told him that this was a continuous matter.

“Therefore, I fail you,” since “One does not grasp words of Torah unless he has failed in them” (Gitin 43a). “They shall carry the work of the Temple on their shoulders.” This is called “a burden,” which they carry on their shoulders, but he placed it in a wagon.

Agala [wagon] comes from the word Agol [round], which does not have a top or a bottom, meaning it is an awakening from below. Conversely, straight has top and bottom, depending on man’s work. This is called an “awakening from below.” A “shoulder” means taking on the burden, which is an awakening from below.