“Craft for you” – you use them, as you are king, but no one else may use them other than King David, as it is stated: “The Levites stood [in their places]9The bracketed phrase is taken from II Chronicles 30:16).…and the song was sung, and the trumpets were sounded” (II Chronicles 29:26, 28). Rav said: The trumpets that were in the Temple were also sequestered,10According to Rav, the trumpets were set aside ["sequestered"] for use only in the Temple, and were not used by David for other purposes. but King David would use a lute, as it is stated: “Awaken my honor.
Awaken the harp and lute, I will awaken dawn” (Psalms 57:9). Rabbi Pinḥas HaKohen bar Ḥama said: A lute was suspended over David’s bed. When midnight would arrive, a north wind would blow on it and it would play on its own. Immediately, David and all the disciples who engaged in Torah study would rise, toil and drive sleep from their eyes, and study Torah until the rise of the morning star.
That is why David would say: “Awaken my honor. Awaken the harp and lute, I will awaken dawn.” Typically, dawn awakens people, but I will awaken dawn, I awaken dawn. Another matter, “awaken my honor” – what is “awaken my honor”?
It is due to the service of my Creator. His evil inclination would say to him: ‘David, are you not a king? It is the way of kings is to sleep until three hours of the day, but you arise at midnight.’ He would say to it: “Awaken my honor.”
My honor is nothing before the honor of my Creator. That is why it is stated: “Awaken my honor.” “At midnight, I rise to give thanks to You” (Psalms 119:62). David said: I am obligated to arise at midnight and to laud you for the wonders that you performed for my grandmother at midnight, as it is written: “It was midnight, and the man was startled and recoiled…she said: I am Ruth, your maidservant” (Ruth 3:8–9).
He said to her: “Sleep tonight” (Ruth 3:13). Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi ben Rabbi Shalom said: She said to him: ‘You are dismissing me with words.’ He said to her: ‘“As the Lord lives”11This phrase is an oath. (Ruth 3:13), I am not dismissing you with words.’ “As the Lord lives” – it teaches that he administered an oath against his evil inclination, that was inciting him and saying: ‘You are unmarried and she is unmarried, this is the moment to engage in relations with her.’
Immediately, that righteous one took an oath: ‘As the Lord lives, I will not touch her.’ It is not Boaz alone, but rather, all the righteous people administer oaths against their evil inclination. Likewise, you find regarding David, when Saul fell into his hands. What did David say?
“David said: As the Lord lives; rather, the Lord will strike him, or his day will come…[Far be it from me, before the Lord, to extend my hand against the anointed one of the Lord]” (I Samuel 26:10–11). Why did he take two oaths?12“As the Lord lives” and “before the Lord” signify oaths. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: His evil inclination would come and say to him: ‘Had you fallen into his hand, he would not have mercy on you, and he would kill you.
By Torah law, it is permitted to kill him: One who comes to kill you, kill him first, as he is a pursuer.’ Therefore, he sprung and took an oath twice: “As the Lord lives” – that he will not kill him. Israel said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, You know the power of the evil inclination, that it is harsh.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘Clear it away a little in this world, and I will remove it from you in the future,’ as it is stated: “Pave, pave the highway, clear the stones, raise…” (Isaiah 62:10).
Likewise it says: “He will say: Pave, pave, clear the way, lift the obstruction from the way of My people” (Isaiah 57:14). But in the World to Come, I will uproot it from you: “I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh, and I will give [you a heart of flesh]” (Ezekiel 36:26).