It’s Biblical! This week: Abigail
Everything you wanted to know about your favourite Torah characters, and the ones you’ve never heard of...
David’s early years as king were tortuous, he having been anointed initially in secret and then forced on the run from the progressively unstable Saul, the first king of Israel, from whom power was taken after a litany of errors by the prophet Samuel. Yet the proto-King David was not immune to the struggles and vicissitudes of power; and it is in this context we meet Abigail.
Abigail is described in Tanach as intelligent and beautiful (Samuel I 25.3); the Sages list her among the seven prophetesses (Megillah 14a). We meet Abigail – whose name in Hebrew means ‘the joy of my father (or Father)’ – married to a rich landowner, Naval. He is a boor, both in name (Naval translates literally as ‘disgrace’) and nature. One struggles to imagine their marriage as one of equals.
The story begins when Naval the uncouth insults David’s men, who have come to his household. David is furious and immediately orders his execution. Abigail, hearing of the encroaching army, approaches with sumptuous tribute, and bravely gives one of the truly masterful speeches in Tanach.
Rabbi Amnon Bazak (Yeshivat Har Etzion) identifies three themes: she accepts personal responsibility for not greeting the messengers respectfully; she emphasises her husband is beneath the contempt of David; and any unnecessary bloodshed will diminish the status of the nascent king.
David capitulates, declaring: “Blessed is Hashem, God of Israel, who sent you to greet me; blessed is your sense, and blessed are you.”
Naval, who has been ignorant of the whole episode, is so shattered when he hears Abigail’s report he seems to die of shock. Abigail then marries the king, in whom we hope she has a match for her insightful and confident personality.
- Rabbi Wayland is an educator with United Synagogue Living & Learning
Listen to the Jewish Views Podcast:
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
