Judah's Pledge Redeemed When David Slew Goliath

"And he said: Pray, my lord" (Genesis 44:18) — "for your servant became surety for the lad." When did Judah discharge his surety? In the days of Goliath. Since Israel was in distress at that hour, what is written? "And the Philistine drew near morning and evening" (I Samuel 17:16), reviling and blaspheming. Saul began to send out a herald: "And it shall be that the man who strikes him down, the king will enrich him" (I Samuel 17:25). And you find that everyone who reviles is liable to death, as it is said: "And he who blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death" (Leviticus 24:16). And that wicked one was reviling for forty days (I Samuel 17:16). Moses said: "And He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them" (Deuteronomy 7:10) — a wicked one who performs a righteous deed, the Holy One, blessed be He, casts it back in his face in this world, in order to destroy him in the world to come; but for the righteous He sets aside their righteous deeds for the world to come. What did this wicked one do that he was reviling for forty days? Rabbi Yitzchak and Rabbi Levi. Rabbi Levi said: Because Orpah his mother walked four miles with her mother-in-law, [the Holy One, blessed be He, rewarded her,] and the Holy One, blessed be He, raised up from her four mighty men, as it is said: "These four were born to the giant in Gath" (II Samuel 21:22). Rabbi Yitzchak said: She walked forty paces with her; therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, gave her her reward and gave her Goliath, and he was reviling before the Holy One, blessed be He, for forty days, as it is said: "And he presented himself forty days" (I Samuel 17:16). Jesse said to David his son: Behold, the hour has come to fulfill that surety of your forefather, who became surety for Benjamin from the hand of his father, as it is said: "I myself will be surety for him" (Genesis 43:9); rather, go and bring him out from his surety, as it is said: "And you shall visit your brothers for welfare, and take their pledge" (I Samuel 17:18) — and "their pledge" (arubatam) is nothing but a surety (arevut). What did David do? He went and fulfilled the surety, and killed Goliath. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: By your life, just as you gave your life for Saul, who is from the tribe of Benjamin, just as Judah your forefather did for Benjamin, as it is said: "And now, let your servant remain in place of the lad as a slave to my lord" (Genesis 44:33) — so I place the Temple within your border and within the border of Benjamin. And from where do we know that the Temple was in the portion of Benjamin and in the portion of Judah? For one verse says: "Benjamin is a wolf that tears; in the morning he devours the prey" (Genesis 49:27) — this is the morning daily offering; "and at evening he divides the spoil" (Genesis 49:27) — this is the twilight daily offering; and another verse says: "Beautiful in elevation, the joy of all the earth" (Psalms 48:3). And not only that, but by your life, all the tribes will go into exile, yet the tribe of Judah and Benjamin will not go into exile with them. Why? Because these two tribes believed in Me and sanctified My name at the sea with Moses. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said in the name of Rabbi Levi: When the sea was split for Israel, there was mire in it, and the tribe of Reuben said to the tribe of Simeon: From mire you came forth and to mire you go, as it is said: "Ephraim has surrounded Me with falsehood, and the house of Israel with deceit" (Hosea 12:1). What did the tribe of Judah and Benjamin do? They sanctified the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said: "There is Benjamin, the youngest, ruling them, the princes of Judah their company" (Psalms 68:28).