Berakhot 4A

״בניהו בן יהוידע״ זה סנהדרין, ״ואביתר״ אלו אורים ותומים.

Benayahu ben Yehoyada corresponds to the Sanhedrin, since he was the head of the Sanhedrin, and Evyatar corresponds to the Urim VeTummim, as Evyatar ben Ahimelekh the priest would oversee inquiries directed to the Urim VeTummim (see I Samuel 23:9).

וכן הוא אומר: ״ובניהו בן יהוידע על הכרתי ועל הפלתי״. ולמה נקרא שמם ״כרתי״ ו״פלתי״? ״כרתי״ שכורתים דבריהם, ״פלתי״ שמופלאים בדבריהם. ואחר כך ״שר צבא למלך יואב״.

And so it says regarding Benayahu ben Yehoyada’s position as head of the Sanhedrin: “And Benayahu ben Yehoyada was over the Kereti and over the Peleti” (II Samuel 20:23). And why was the Sanhedrin called Kereti UPeleti? It was called Kereti because they were decisive [koretim] in their pronouncements. It was called Peleti because their pronouncements and wisdom were wondrous [mufla’im]. The head of the Kereti UPeleti was the head of the Sanhedrin. According to the order of the verse, upon being instructed by King David to go to war, the rabbis first consulted with Ahitophel, then with the Sanhedrin, then they would ask the Urim VeTummim, and only after that was the general of the king’s army, Yoav, given the command to ready the military for battle.

אמר רב יצחק בר אדא, ואמרי לה אמר רב יצחק בריה דרב אידי: מאי קרא ״עורה כבודי עורה הנבל וכנור אעירה שחר״.

Rav Yitzḥak bar Adda, and some say Rav Yitzḥak, son of Rav Idi, said: From what verse is it derived that David’s lyre would wake him at midnight? “Awake, my glory; awake, harp and lyre; I will wake the dawn” (Psalms 57:9). This means that the playing lyre has already woken, and now I must engage in Torah study until dawn.

רבי זירא אמר: משה לעולם הוה ידע, ודוד נמי הוה ידע.

R' Zeira offered a different solution to the question of whether Moses and David knew exactly when it was midnight and said: Moses certainly knew when it was midnight, and David also knew.