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II Shmuel/Samuel 19. Speaker: Rabbi Zvi Aryeh Rosenfeld z”l.
Dovid HaMelech (King David) mourned the death of his son Avshalom with the words, “O’ my son Avshalom, my son, my son Avshalom! Would that I had died in your stead, O’ Avshalom my son, my son!” By using these specific words he rescued his son from the seven levels of gehinnom (eternal punishment after death). This achievement seems to contradict a kabbalistic principle that through performing good deeds a child can save his parents from gehinnom, but parents can’t rescue their own child from that purification process.
01:12 – The sages of the Talmud explain why and how King David was able to elevate the soul of his rebellious son (II Shmuel/Samuel 19, Sotah 10a).
02:32 – The unusual death of Avshalom atoned for some of his actions.
03:19 – Dovid HaMelech assumed responsibility for the rebellion of his son.
04:36 – Avshalom was basically good but was misled by people who were evil.
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