King David, the sweet singer of Israel, knew that feeling all too well. According to the Legends of the Jews, collected and retold by Rabbi Louis Ginzberg, David’s reign wasn’t all harps and psalms. It was also marked by great sorrow, particularly the devastating famine that gripped the land of Israel.

This famine, by the way, wasn't just any famine. It was considered one of the ten severest famines to plague humanity from the time of Adam until the coming of the Messiah! Can you imagine the weight of that? And David, as king, felt personally responsible. He believed the famine was a punishment, a divine visitation upon his people.

So, what did he do? He started searching for the reason. The first year, David suspected idolatry might be the cause. After all, the Torah tells us that turning away from God can bring about terrible consequences. He launched an investigation, but it turned up nothing. No hidden idols, no secret altars.

The second year, he shifted his focus to moral failings. Perhaps widespread licentiousness had angered God. According to some rabbinic teachings, sexual immorality can be just as grievous an offense as idolatry. But again, his search proved fruitless. The people, as far as he could tell, were behaving morally.

By the third year, David was desperate. He began to examine the way charity was administered. Maybe some injustice or neglect in caring for the poor had brought about this divine wrath. After all, the prophets constantly reminded the Israelites to look after the vulnerable. But once more, the investigation came up empty.

Finally, David turned to God directly. He pleaded for answers, asking why his people were suffering so greatly. And God revealed a surprising reason. "Was not Saul a king anointed with holy oil?" God asked, "Did he not abolish idolatry? Is he not the companion of Samuel in Paradise? Yet, while you all dwell in the land of Israel, he is 'outside of the land.'" In other words, the neglect of the previous king, Saul, was the root cause.

Think about that for a moment. Even though Saul was dead, his unfinished business, his unmourned resting place, was causing unrest in the heavens. It's a powerful reminder that our actions, and our failures to act, can have long-lasting consequences.

So, David acted. Immediately. He gathered the scholars and nobles of his kingdom, and they journeyed to Jabesh-gilead. There, they exhumed the remains of Saul and his son, Jonathan. And in a solemn procession, they carried them throughout the land of Israel, all the way to their ancestral inheritance in the tribe of Benjamin.

Imagine the scene: the entire nation pausing to honor their former king. Paying tribute to the man who, despite his flaws, had once led them into battle. And as the people mourned and showed their respect, God's compassion was stirred. The famine came to an end.

What does this story tell us? Perhaps it's about the importance of honoring the past, even the parts that are difficult. Maybe it's about the power of collective action and repentance. Or perhaps it’s about how even in death, our actions, or lack thereof, can still impact the world. The Midrash Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings, is filled with stories that remind us of the interconnectedness of all things. And the story of David and the famine certainly fits that theme. It is a reminder that sometimes, healing comes not from looking forward, but from looking back and setting things right.