It’s a question that’s occupied thinkers for millennia, and Midrash Tehillim – a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Psalms – offers some fascinating insights. Today, we're diving into Midrash Tehillim 53, and it's a wild ride, connecting everything from marriage to sacrifice to… well, a really unpleasant guy named Nabal.
The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) starts with a seemingly simple observation from (Proverbs 18:22): "He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord." The rabbis see the "good wife" as a powerful force. But it’s not all sunshine and roses. The text immediately throws in a counterpoint, quoting (Ecclesiastes 7:26): "And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets…". So, a woman can be a source of incredible good, or… the opposite. Quite a contrast!
But what does this have to do with conquering illness? The Midrash draws a parallel between the positive influence of a "good woman" and the power of sacrifices to bring atonement. Then, it equates that atonement with overcoming illness. Hold on, it gets even more interesting. Abigail, from the Book of Samuel, is presented as better than all the sacrifices in the world. Why? Because, the Midrash argues, she prevented David from committing a terrible deed. If David had gone through with his plan, he wouldn't have received atonement. Abigail's intervention was more effective than any ritual offering. The Midrash sees her act of preventing wrongdoing as a powerful force for good, one that can even conquer illness by preventing the need for atonement in the first place.
This is where Nabal enters the picture. Remember him? He's Abigail’s husband, and he’s not exactly winning any "Husband of the Year" awards. (1 (Samuel 25:2)5) describes him as a "scoundrel" whose name means "folly." The Midrash latches onto this, drawing a direct connection between Nabal’s name and his character. As Rabbi Simon says, the numerical value (gematria) of the Hebrew word for "Nabal" equals that of the word for "foolish." It's like the universe is shouting, "This guy is trouble!" The text even compares Nabal to Laban, Jacob's deceitful father-in-law, highlighting his duplicity.
The Midrash then uses Nabal as an example of someone whose "hand was short in observing the commandments." In other words, he wasn't exactly a righteous dude. According to the text, Nabal's evil inclination was strong. This is where (Deuteronomy 15:9) comes in: "Beware that there be not a base thought in your heart." The Midrash connects Nabal’s folly with base thoughts and a lack of adherence to God’s commandments.
But what about Abigail? She’s no passive bystander. She confronts David, urging him to consider the consequences of his actions. She warns him not to let this situation become a "stumbling block" (1 (Samuel 25:1)7) and reminds him to "search yourselves and seek righteousness" (Zephaniah 2:1). It's a call for introspection and self-improvement. Abigail’s wisdom shines brightly. She is the embodiment of the "good wife" mentioned earlier, guiding David away from sin and towards a more righteous path. She is the one who, according to the Midrash, prevented the need for atonement and, by extension, helped to "conquer illness." She does this by reminding David that he, too, must hold himself to a high standard. "If you want to adorn others, adorn yourself first and then adorn others," she says, quoting (Zephaniah 2:1). Ouch.
The Midrash further highlights the contrast between David and Nabal. David ultimately leaves sin behind, while Nabal embraces it. Nabal essentially denies God's presence, leading to corruption. It's a stark reminder of the consequences of choosing a path of wickedness. The rabbis then bring in Doeg the Edomite, another villain who falsely accused David, as an example of someone who denied God. The text states (Psalms 14:1), "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'" The Midrash emphasizes that while straying from the right path can be rectified through repentance, denying God is a far more serious offense.
The Midrash ends with a somewhat cryptic statement about "corruption in corruption," echoing a similar phrase used to describe the generation of the flood in (Genesis 6:12). It links this corruption to Nabal's "worthlessness," which it connects to revealing secrets and engaging in inappropriate behavior, referencing the sons of Eli in (1 (Samuel 2:12-2)2). Ultimately, the Midrash paints a picture of Nabal as someone who is corrupt both internally and externally, someone who has completely strayed from the path of righteousness.
So, what can we take away from all this? The rabbis of the Midrash Tehillim are teaching us that overcoming challenges, even illness, requires more than just physical remedies. It demands moral clarity, righteous action, and a commitment to avoiding sin. It reminds us that sometimes, the most powerful medicine is preventing the disease in the first place. And maybe, just maybe, listening to the wisdom of a "good woman" can save us from ourselves.
To conquer illness. It is said (Proverbs 18:22) "He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord." There is no end to a good woman, just as there is no end to a bad woman, as it is written (Ecclesiastes 7:26) "And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her." Abigail was better than all the sacrifices in the world, as if David had done the deed he planned to do, he would not have received atonement, but she came to him and saved him. Thus, she was better than all the sacrifices. Conquer illness, for just as sacrifices bring atonement, illness does too. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: "Good shall come and be good for him, and evil shall go in its evil." (1 Samuel 25:38) What caused him to die? It was because his hand was short in observing the commandments, as it says (1 Samuel 25:25) "Let not my lord regard this scoundrel Nabal; for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him." "Nabal" refers to his evil inclination. Similarly, it says (Deuteronomy 15:9) "Beware that there be not a base thought in your heart." My lord David said to him (1 Samuel 25:25) "Nabal is his name, and folly is with him." Rabbi Simon said: "He is called 'Nabal' because he was foolish; the two words have the same numerical value. Just as Laban was deceitful, so was Nabal. Since both were deceitful, Solomon spoke of both when he said (Proverbs 12:20) "Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace is joy." Who are those who make peace between Israel and their Father in Heaven? They are the people of Israel to whom peace was given, as it is said (Psalms 29:11) "May the Lord give strength to His people; May the Lord bless His people with peace." Abigail said to David, "My lord, when this judgment comes before you, what will you do?" The poor man went and said to the master of the house, "Do me justice and give me one piece of bread, and I will not be in need of you." The poor man fell upon him and killed him. If they come to you for judgment, what will you say to them? You are uncertain about the matter and you cannot make a decision. And they say, "He did not act thus with the wicked who did not give to him, and you are doubtful." As it is said (1 Samuel 25:17), "Let not this thing be a stumbling block to you." Do not be doubtful and do not say that because I am king, no one can rebuke me. Rebuke yourself. And so it is said (Zephaniah 2:1), "Search yourselves and seek righteousness." If you want to adorn others, adorn yourself first and then adorn others. Let not this thing be a stumbling block to you. You already have one beam in your own eye. What is (1 Samuel 25:31), "and you will remember your truth"? She said to him, "Do not forget me. I will be before you when this judgment comes before you and when you judge it." "Be mindful of the good that she did for me when I was in distress, so that I did not shed blood. If I had committed that act, I would not be able to atone for it. She said to him, "This is not from you, do not exalt yourself. The Lord sent you to me, as it is said (1 Samuel 25:32-33), 'Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me. And blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you.' And you too should be blessed, as it is said (1 Samuel 25:33), 'Blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you.' David left sin behind and Nabal entered it, therefore Nabal said in his heart (1 Samuel 25:25), 'There is no God.' When David confronted him, both were corrupt, as it is said (Genesis 6:12), 'All flesh had corrupted their way.' They were both abominations before the Lord, as it is said (Deuteronomy 23:19), 'An abomination of the Lord your God are both of them.' Everything is revealed before you, for I am wise and seek the Lord. As it says (1 Samuel 18:14), 'And David acted wisely in all his ways.' Therefore, Nabal said in his heart, etc. What is the corruption in corruption? Similarly, it says in the generation of the flood (Genesis 6:12), 'All flesh had corrupted their way.' And so Abigail says to David (1 Samuel 25:25), 'Do not pay attention to this worthless man, Nabal.' What is the worthlessness? It refers to revealing secrets. And so it says (1 Samuel 2:12-22), 'The sons of Eli were worthless men; they did not know the Lord. They lay with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.' Another explanation of 'deceit in the heart of those who plan evil' (Proverbs 12:20) is that it refers to Doeg, who falsely accused David, as it says (1 Samuel 22:9), 'Doeg the Edomite, who was stationed over the servants of Saul.' Similarly, he said (1 Samuel 25:10), 'Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse?' And he denied God, as it says (Psalms 14:1), 'The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."' Everything has gone astray, but anything that has gone astray from the right path can still return through repentance. But here, it does not say that everything has gone astray, but rather everything has denied. They were all denied, both externally and internally."
