Editing Absalom (section)

==Rabbinic literature==
The explanation in Rabbanic Literature about why Ahithophel had advised Absalom to act against his father: The Talmud speaks of this counsellor of David as "a man, like [[Balaam]], whose great wisdom was not received in humility as a gift from heaven, and so became a stumbling block to him."<ref name="Numbers Rabbah 22">Numbers Rabbah 22</ref> He was "one of those who, while casting longing eyes upon things not belonging to them, also lose the things they possess."<ref>Tosefta, Sotah, 4:19</ref> Accordingly, Ahithophel was granted access by Almighty God into the Divine powers of God. And being thus familiar with Divine wisdom and knowledge as imparted through the Holy Spirit, he was consulted as an oracle like the [[Urim and Thummim]].<ref>2 Samuel 16:23, Yerushalmi Sanhedrin 10 (29a), Sukkah 53a et seq.</ref> "..and great as was his wisdom, it was equalled by his scholarship. Therefore, David did not hesitate to submit himself to his instruction, even though Ahithophel was a very young
man at his death, not more than thirty-three years old. The one thing lacking in him was sincere piety, which proved his undoing in the end, for it induced him to participate in Absalom's rebellion against David. Thus, he forfeited even his share in the world to come. 
To this dire course of action, he was misled by astrology and other signs, which he interpreted as prophecies of his kingship when in reality, they pointed to the royal destiny of his granddaughter Bath-sheba. Possessed by his erroneous belief, he cunningly urged Absalom to commit an unheard-of crime. Thus, Absalom would profit nothing by his rebellion, for, though he accomplished his father's ruin, he would yet be held to account and condemned to death for his violation of family purity, and the way to the throne would be clear for Ahithophel, the great sage in Israel."<ref>[https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2882/2882.txt Legends of the Jews pp.62-67]{{PD-notice}}</ref> 
The life and death of Absalom offered to the rabbis a welcome theme wherewith to warn the people against false ambition, vainglory, and unfilial conduct. The vanity with which he displayed his beautiful hair, the rabbis say, became his snare and his stumbling-block. "By his long hair the [[Nazirite]] entangled the people to rebel against his father, and by it he himself became entangled, to fall a victim to his pursuers".<ref>Mishnah Soṭah, i. 8</ref> And again, elsewhere: "By his vile stratagem he deceived and stole three hearts, that of his father, of the elders, and finally of the whole nation of Israel, and for this reason three darts were thrust into his heart to end his treacherous life".<ref>Tosef., Soṭah, iii. 17</ref> More striking is the following: "Did one ever hear of an oak-tree having a heart? And yet in the oak-tree in whose branches Absalom was caught, we read that upon its heart he was held up still alive while the darts were thrust through him.<ref>[Mek., Shirah, § 6]</ref> This is to show that when a man becomes so heartless as to make war against his own father, nature itself takes on a heart to avenge the deed."

"The knowledge that a part of Absalom's following sided with him in secret,--that, though he was pursued by his son, his friends remained true to him,--somewhat consoled David in his distress. He thought that in these circumstances, if the worst came to the worst, Absalom would at least feel pity for him. At first, however, the despair of David knew no bounds. He was on the point of worshipping an idol, when his friend Hushai the Archite approached him, saying: "The people will wonder that such a king should serve idols." David replied: "Should a king such as I am be killed by his own son? It is better for me to serve idols than that God should be held responsible for my misfortune, and His Name thus be desecrated." Hushai reproached him: "Why didst thou marry a captive?" "There is no wrong in that," replied David, "it is permitted according to the law." Thereupon Hushai: "But thou didst disregard the connection between the passage permitting it and the one that follows almost immediately after it in the Scriptures, dealing with the disobedient and rebellious son, the natural issue of such a marriage."<ref>{{citation-attribution|1=[https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2882/2882.txt Legends of the Jews pp.100-101]}}</ref> Absalom's end was beset with terrors. When he was caught in the branches of the oak-tree, he was about to sever his hair with a sword stroke, but suddenly he saw hell yawning beneath him, and he preferred to hang in the tree to throwing himself into the abyss alive. Absalom's crime was, indeed, of a nature to deserve the supreme torture, for which reason he is one of the few Jews who have no portion in the world to come.<ref>{{citation-attribution|1=[https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2882/2882.txt Legends of the Jews p.105]}}</ref>

Popular legend states that the eye of Absalom was of immense size, signifying his insatiable greed.<ref>Niddah, 24b</ref> Indeed, "hell itself opened beneath him, and David, his father, cried seven times: 'My son! my son!' while bewailing his death, praying at the same time for his redemption from the seventh section of [[Gehenna]], to which he was consigned".<ref>Soṭah, 10b</ref> According to R. Meir,<ref>Sanh. 103b</ref> "he has no share in the life to come". And according to the description of Gehenna by [[Joshua ben Levi]], who, like Dante, wandered through hell under the guidance of the angel Duma, Absalom still dwells there, having the rebellious heathen in charge; and when the angels with their fiery rods run also against Absalom to smite him like the rest, a heavenly voice says: "Spare Absalom, the son of David, My servant."{{sfn|Singer|1901|p=133}} "That the extreme penalties of hell were thus averted from him, was on account of David's eightfold repetition of his son's name in his lament over him. Besides, David's intercession had the effect of re-attaching Absalom's severed head to his body. An account of Joshua Ben Levi going to the fifth compartment of PAradise reports:"The fifth compartment is of silver, and gold, and refined gold, and of crystal, and bdellium; and through its midst flows the river Gihon. The walls are of silver and gold, and a perfume breathes through it more exquisite than the perfume of Lebanon. And beds of silver and gold are there prepared, covered with violet and purple covers, woven by Eve, and mixed with scarlet and made of hair of goats, woven by angels. Here dwell the Messiah and Elijah in a palanquin of the wood of Lebanon; the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the seat of it of purple. Herein lieth the Messiah, the son of David, who is the love of the daughters of Jerusalem, the midst thereof is love. The prophet Elijah takes the head of the Messiah and places it in his bosom and says to him: "Be quiet and wait, for the end draweth nigh." On every Monday and Thursday and Saturday and Holiday the Patriarchs come to him and the fathers of the Tribes and Moses and Aaron and David and Solomon and every king of Israel and of the house of Judah, and they weep with him and comfort him, and say unto him: "Be quiet and wait and rely upon thy Creator, for the end draweth nigh." Also Korah and his company and Dathan and Abiram and Absalom come to him on every Wednesday, and ask him: "When will the end of our misery come? When wilt thou reveal thyself?"16. He answereth them and says: "Go to your fathers and ask them." And when they hear of their fathers they feel ashamed and do not ask any further.<ref>[https://sacred-texts.com/journals/jras/1893-15.htm Hebrew Visions of Hell and Paradise]</ref> King David's prayers granted his rebellious son Avshalom access to the World to Come<ref>[https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2312388/jewish/Chapter-5-Who-Will-Rise.htm Who-Will-Rise Chabad Library]</ref> At his death Absalom was childless, for all his children, his three sons and his daughter, died before him, as a punishment for his having set fire to a field of grain belonging to Joab."<ref>{{citation-attribution|1=[https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2882/2882.txt Legends of the Jews pp.107-108]}}</ref> Although Absalom avenged his sister defilement by Amnon ironically he proved himself not to be very much different from Amnon. As Amnon had sought the advice of Jonadab in order to rape Tamar, Absalom had sought the advice of Ahitophel who advised Absalom to have incestuous relations with his father's concubines in order to show all Israel how odious he was to his father [2 Samuel 16:20] .Likewise as Amnon had brought two curses on himself for incest with his half sister and failing to fulfill the Torah Law, Absalom brought four curses on himself for dishonoring his father; relations with his father's wives [concubines]; and failing to fulfill the Torah Law twice. [Deuteronomy 27:20 26]  The Rabbis explain that the concubines were not punished by G-d. They were violated by  Absalom.  Absalom with his own free will, choose to do that. It is true G-d created a world where we humans can choose good or evil, but the choice in the end remains ours. Although G-d had told David that his wives would be taken, he did not ordain or force Absalom to violate them. He just foretold it. Is A lesson to be learned of the consequences from Absalom life is that his lust for power was so deep that he engaged in acts of  [[chillul hashem]]  and brought upon himself 4 curses from the Torah? (Dishonoring his father by his revolt; dishonoring his father's wives; and twice bring curses on himself for not fulfilling the Torah law)?Yes. He was a prince who could had almost anything. The only things he wanted were things he could not have. He lusted after his sister and his father's throne. Wealth is not determined by possessions but by mindset. In his mind, Absalom was a pauper. He only looked at what he did not have.<ref>[https://www.thehebrewcafe.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=680&page=3 Response of Chabbad Ask A Rabbi Query 27 September 2024]</ref>