{"id":58675,"date":"2019-07-02T14:37:56","date_gmt":"2019-07-02T11:37:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=58675"},"modified":"2023-01-24T17:39:34","modified_gmt":"2023-01-24T15:39:34","slug":"doeg-shepherd-scholar-and-sinner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/doeg-shepherd-scholar-and-sinner\/","title":{"rendered":"Doeg \u2013 Shepherd, Scholar and Sinner"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[739,730,363,762],"acf":{"old_id":"58675","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":33877,"related_cahpter":"254","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"Archetypal murderous informer with a razor sharp tongue","content":"

In our chapter, Doeg, King Saul\u2019s \u201cchief herdsman\u201d and counselor, informs on the High Priest Ahimelech: \u201cDoeg the Edomite, who was standing among the courtiers of Saul, spoke up: \u2018I saw [David] the son of Jesse come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob. He inquired of the Lord on his behalf and gave him provisions; he also gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine\u201d (22:9-10, see 21:8). This results in Doeg\u2019s execution of Ahimelech, and the murder of another 85 priests. \u201cAnd he put Nob, the town of the priests, to the sword: men and women, children and infants, oxen, asses, and sheep\u2014[all] to the sword\u201d (22:11-22).<\/span><\/p>\n

Doeg seems to have become the archetypal murderous informer as reflected in Psalms 52:1-3:<\/span><\/p>\n

For the leader. A maskil of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and informed Saul, telling him, \u2018David came to Ahimelech\u2019s house\u2019\u2026Your tongue devises mischief, like a sharpened razor that works treacherously\u2026.<\/span><\/p>\n

In Rabbinic tradition, Doeg is included among those who have \u201cno share in the world to come\u201d (Mishnah Sanhedrin 10:2).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In Midrash Tehillim (on Psalm 52:1), Doeg\u2019s identification as an Edomite (\u2018Adomi<\/em> \u2013 understood here as related to \u2019adom<\/em>, i.e red) is the basis for understanding him to have been a renowned Torah scholar. Doeg is said to \u201chave made others blush\u201d (hayah ma\u2019adim<\/em>) in matters of Halakhah. The Talmud (Sanhedrin 106b) depicts God as having reproached Doeg for behaving in a sinful manner despite his scholarly acumen. God demands of Doeg: How can you teach the laws of murder and \u201cevil use of language\u201d (leshon ha-ra’<\/em>) when you yourself are guilty of both?!\u00a0 The answer given to this rhetorical question is that Doeg\u2019s Torah learning was \u201cfrom his lip and outwards\u201d (mi-safah ve-la-hutz<\/em> \u2013 i.e. only for instructing others, but not internalized to affect his own behavior).<\/span><\/p>\n

Such a \u201csinful scholar\u201d deserved a fitting death. According to \u201cYelammedenu\u201d (cited in Yalkut Shimoni, Shmuel 131), when Doeg\u2019s disciples realized he was not teaching according to the accepted Halakah, they tied ropes to his legs and dragged him to his well-deserved death. But according to Rabbi Yohanan three angels of destruction appeared before Doeg. One caused him to forget his Torah learning, one burnt his soul, and one scattered his ashes in the synagogues and study-houses (Sanhedrin 106b).<\/span><\/p>\n

The Rabbinic discussion of Doeg illustrates how our ancient Sages addressed the on-going problem of learned and respected teachers who –in some cases — \u201cdo not practice what they preach.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Image: Doeg Kills Ahimelech At The Behest Of Saul; Abiathar Brings The Tidings To David – Masters of Otto van Moerdrecht, c. 1430 \/ CC<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":58676,"id":58676,"title":"Isam22-doeg-the-edomite2","filename":"Isam22-doeg-the-edomite2.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Isam22-doeg-the-edomite2.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/doeg-shepherd-scholar-and-sinner\/isam22-doeg-the-edomite2\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"isam22-doeg-the-edomite2","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":58675,"date":"2019-07-02 11:37:39","modified":"2020-11-24 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