What do we know about Avigail?

avi0903

Tue, Feb 16 2016, 9:15 pm

My daughter is doing a research paper on Avigail, and now that I'm helping her, I realize I don't know much about her. Do any of you know any sources about her, or any interesting facts about her?

I do find it interesting that Dovid was interested in her even though she had a husband, similar to his taking an interest in Bat Sheva, even though she was married.

Not of course to disparage Dovid, and I know he didn't do anything wrong, I just found it interesting.

Anyway, does anyone have any idea of sources my daughter can use, or how she can build a paper around Avigail?

Thanks!

Tirza

Tue, Feb 16 2016, 9:58 pm

There's not all that much information about Avigail. I hope that your daughter's paper doesn't have to be very long ( :
I remember hearing once that the gemara says that Avigail was one of the 7 most beautiful women in the world (along with Chava, Sarah, Rachel, Esther, and I forget who else). I'm not sure if that's accurate, and I don't have a source. I just remember hearing it.

rachelbg

Tue, Feb 16 2016, 10:13 pm

Go take out a Shmuel Alef, and read up on the meforshim. Avigail was a beautiful woman, inside and out, who was wise, had incredible social savvy, and saved the lives of her husband and future husband (Dovid HaMelech) in one shot. It's near the end of Shmuel Alef. Avigail may be my favorite woman in TaNaCh.

trixx

Tue, Feb 16 2016, 11:59 pm

avi0903 wrote:

Avigail was married to a wicked person who refused to give Dovid food when he was running away (if I remember the details correctly)... her zechus for secretly giving him food was that she got to marry him... look it up in the navi

etky

Wed, Feb 17 2016, 12:55 am

rachelbg wrote:

Indeed - few matched her. I don't think any other woman in Tanach is described the way she is as being "tovat sechel" AND "yifat toar".
Actually, I don't think that David's interest in Avigayil is any way similar to his interest in Batsheva which was a completely physical arousal after viewing her bathing.
David and Avigayil had an intellectual interaction in the course of which David was certainly able to take her measure as a person of real substance, aside from her physical attributes.
He only takes her in marriage after Naval dies.
It could also be that there was a tactical aspect of David's marrige to Avigayil. Naval was a wealthy, local strongman in Yehuda and David was on the run before Shaul and needed all the backing and assets he could get.
OP, maybe it would be interesting for your daughter to compare Avigayil to the other two of David's wives who take an active part in the narrative - Michal and Batsheva.

avi0903

Wed, Feb 17 2016, 10:02 am

Thank you all for your great responses. Other than of course the navi itself, do you know of any other sources where my daughter could look for information? We have Ishe HaTanach, which doesn't actually have much, Bialik has a book with midrashim. Any other ideas? Thanks!!!!