אלא שש סאין.
Rather, he gave her 6 se’a.
Study Sanhedrin folio 93B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
אלא שש סאין.
Rather, he gave her 6 se’a.
וכי דרכה של אשה ליטול שש סאין? אלא רמז [רמז] לה, שעתידין ששה בנים לצאת ממנה שמתברכין בשש [שש] ברכות. ואלו הן: דוד ומשיח, דניאל, חנניה, מישאל ועזריה. דוד, דכתיב: ״ויען אחד מהנערים ויאמר הנה ראיתי בן לישי בית הלחמי ידע נגן וגבור חיל ואיש מלחמה ונבון דבר ואיש תאר וה׳ עמו וגו׳״.
The Talmud asks: And is it the typical manner of a woman to take a heavy burden of 6 se’a of barley? Rather, Boaz alluded to Ruth that 6 descendants are destined to emerge from her who would each be blessed with 6 blessings, and these are they: David, and the Messiah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. The Talmud elaborates: David was blessed with 6 virtues, as it is written: “And one of the servants answered and said: Behold, I have seen a son of Yishai of the house of Bethlehem who knows to play, and is a fine warrior, and a man of war, and prudent in speech, and a comely man, and YHWH is with him” (I Samuel 16:18).
ואמר רב יהודה אמר רב: כל הפסוק הזה לא אמרו דואג אלא בלשון הרע. ״ידע נגן״ – שיודע לישאל, ״גבור״ – שיודע להשיב, ״איש מלחמה״ – שיודע לישא וליתן במלחמתה של תורה, ״איש תאר״ – שמראה פנים בהלכה, ״ונבון דבר״ – שמבין דבר מתוך דבר, ״וה׳ עמו״ – שהלכה כמותו בכל מקום.
Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: Doeg the Edomite, one of Saul’s servants, stated this entire verse only as lashon hara, in an attempt to incite Saul to be jealous of David. “Who knows how to play” means that he knows how to ask complex and germane questions about Torah matters. “A fine warrior” means that he knows how to answer questions raised with regard to matters of Torah. “A man of war,” means that he knows to negotiate his way in the battle to understand the Torah. “A comely man” is one who displays understanding in facets of halakha and explains it well. “And prudent in speech [davar]” means that he infers one matter [davar] from another matter. “And YHWH is with him” means that the halakha is ruled in accordance with his opinion in every area of halakha.
Text data via Sefaria: William Davidson Edition - English and William Davidson Edition - Vocalized Aramaic, CC-BY-NC; edition provenance: Koren. Display terminology has been modernized for readability.