{"id":61654,"date":"2019-08-21T00:52:47","date_gmt":"2019-08-20T21:52:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=61654"},"modified":"2023-03-17T15:07:42","modified_gmt":"2023-03-17T13:07:42","slug":"the-mystery-of-abiathar-and-zadok","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/the-mystery-of-abiathar-and-zadok\/","title":{"rendered":"The Mystery Of Abiathar And Zadok"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Once Solomon\u2019s kingdom has been firmly established, the prophet lists his officials \u2013 including \u201cZadok and Abiathar\u2014priests\u201d (4:4). If we\u2019ve been paying attention, we should be surprised at this listing, as Solomon had already quite emphatically demoted Abiathar (2: 26) and replaced him with Zadok (ibid. 35), neatly fulfilling God\u2019s earlier decree to Eli, Abiathar\u2019s ancestor (ibid. 27). What is Abiathar still doing in office, alongside his replacement?<\/span><\/p>\n

Radak offers a logical explanation: This is not the same Abiathar. The Chomat Anach agrees: \u201cHow is it possible,\u201d after Solomon banished Abiathar from his position, \u201cthat he would be with Zadok?\u201d It must be some guy with the same name, from another priestly family.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chomat Anach\u2019s phrasing offers a subtle insight into not just his and Radak\u2019s perspective, but also the opposing view \u2013 that it\u2019s the same Abiathar, serving in some assistant or substitute capacity.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow is it possible\u201d not that he would still be serving as priest, but \u201cthat he would be with Zadok\u201d? Perhaps he could in theory comprehend the notion of serving in a lesser role after demotion \u2013 but at least for Chomat Anach, the real obstacle seems to be \u201cwith Zadok.\u201d How could someone who was removed from his position possibly stomach serving under his replacement? If it were a stranger \u2013 maybe. But \u201cwith Zadok\u201d? What an insult! How could it be?<\/span><\/p>\n

With this in mind to strengthen the question, we can more deeply appreciate the alternative answer \u2013 which the Chomat Anach himself indicates is the majority view \u2013 that somehow, <\/span>something<\/span><\/i> was compelling enough to overcome even the apparent impossibility of working \u201cwith Zadok.\u201d Indeed, Ralbag uses that very word, explaining that Abiathar was \u201ccompelled\u201d (<\/span>huchrach<\/span><\/i>), to serve whenever Zadok couldn\u2019t. What compelled him? Did Solomon make him do it, or was there some deeper force moving him to do so willingly?<\/span><\/p>\n

In a separate philosophical\/ethical section of his commentary, Ralbag elaborates that once one served as High Priest, \u201cthe greatness would not depart from him all his days\u201d; Abarbanel calls such departing \u201cimpossible.\u201d Abiathar had been touched by a sanctity he couldn\u2019t shake off, that permeated his being and made it impossible for him <\/span>not <\/span><\/i>to reconnect with it when called to do so \u2013 a sense of sanctity more powerful than any grudge.<\/span><\/p>\n

There is much we might say here about the selflessness that often accompanies passion, as dedicated individuals so often put aside petty concerns for the sake of a greater cause.<\/span><\/p>\n

And there is also a meta-lesson to be gained from the different perspectives of different commentators. Where one believes it would have been \u201cimpossible\u201d for Abiathar to serve along with Zadok, another sees it as \u201cimpossible\u201d that he would have refrained when called upon. These different perspectives offer a powerful reminder to us, as readers and often commentators ourselves, to use caution before determining any one reading of a text is the only one. \u201cThere are seventy faces to the Torah\u201d; the Bible is rife with possibility.<\/span><\/p>\n

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