On Britches and Breaches David and Michal, and David Dances Before God Session III

(11) Saul sent messengers to David’s home to keep watch on him and to kill him in the morning. But David’s wife Michal told him, “Unless you run for your life tonight, you will be killed tomorrow.” (12) Michal let David down from the window and he escaped and fled. (13) Michal then took the household idol, laid it on the bed, and covered it with a cloth; and at its head she put a net of goat’s hair. (14) Saul sent messengers to seize David; but she said, “He is sick.” (15) Saul, however, sent back the messengers to see David for themselves. “Bring him up to me in the bed,” he ordered, “that he may be put to death.” (16) When the messengers came, they found the household idol in the bed, with the net of goat’s hair at its head. (17) Saul said to Michal, “Why did you play that trick on me and let my enemy get away safely?” “Because,” Michal answered Saul, “he said to me: ‘Help me get away or I’ll kill you.’”

(14) David whirled with all his might before the LORD; David was girt with a linen ephod. (15) Thus David and all the House of Israel brought up the Ark of the LORD with shouts and with blasts of the horn. (16) As the Ark of the LORD entered the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the LORD; and she despised him for it. (17) They brought in the Ark of the LORD and set it up in its place inside the tent which David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and offerings of well-being before the LORD. (18) When David finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and the offerings of well-being, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of Hosts. (19) And he distributed among all the people—the entire multitude of Israel, man and woman alike—to each a loaf of bread, a cake made in a pan, and a raisin cake. Then all the people left for their homes. (20) David went home to greet his household. And Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “Didn’t the king of Israel do himself honor today—exposing himself today in the sight of the slavegirls of his subjects, as one of the riffraff might expose himself!” (21) David answered Michal, “It was before the LORD who chose me instead of your father and all his family and appointed me ruler over the LORD’s people Israel! I will dance before the LORD (22) and dishonor myself even more, and be low in my own esteem; but among the slavegirls that you speak of I will be honored.” (23) So to her dying day Michal daughter of Saul had no children.

AND DAVID sacrificed his own honor for the honor of Hashem in three ways:A) In his body, that HE DANCED and ran WITH ALL HIS MIGHT BEFORE THE ARK OF HASHEM; B) in his dress, that he was WEARING A LINEN EPHOD, like the clothing of priests and servants of Hashem, and not the clothing of a king, so as not to show his pride before Hashem; and in these two, David was separate from the people, for because of his status, he had to show his submission before the creator, as it is written, "The king, once having bowed, does not straighten [until the prayer is complete]" (BT Brachot 34b). And on this, it is written AND DAVID, C) that all of Israel joined with him, as it is written, AND DAVID AND ALL OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL BROUGHT UP THE ARK OF HASHEM, WITH TRUMPET-SOUNDS (or SINGING) AND THE CALL OF THE SHOFAR, to awaken happiness and joy.