An Explanation of the Haftarah "Tomorrow is the New Moon"

An Explanation of the Haftarah "Tomorrow is the New Moon"

Originally posted 23 Iyar 5786, May 10 2026

The Connection Between the Haftarah and the Torah Portion

In the Haftarah it is written, "And Yehonatan said to him: Tomorrow is the new moon," and this is similar to the Shabbat that falls on the eve of Rosh Chodesh.

Content of the Haftarah

Introduction: Shmuel told King Shaul according to the command of Hashem to go and eradicate Amalek, from man to woman, from infant to suckling, from ox to sheep. So that no remnant or survivor would remain of him, but he did not do so and did not kill Agag king of Amalek and the livestock, and it is written there that Shmuel said to Shaul: "Because you have rejected the word of Hashem, Hashem has rejected you from being king." Afterwards, Shmuel anointed David as king based on the word of Hashem.

And it came to pass from that day on that the Spirit of Hashem departed from Shaul, and an evil spirit from Hashem terrified him. And they brought David before Shaul, and whenever the evil spirit was upon Shaul, David played the lyre, and the evil spirit departed from him.

And David became Shaul's armor-bearer. And it happened afterwards, when the Philistines fought with Israel, David killed Golyat (Goliath) the Philistine, and upon their return from the war, the people said: "Shaul has slain his thousands [of Philistines], and David his tens of thousands." And Shaul became jealous of David from that day forward and wanted to kill him, and David fled from Shaul.

And it is written that Yehonatan son of Shaul delighted greatly in David; David said to him: What is my iniquity and what is my sin before your father that he seeks my life? Yehonatan said to him that he did not know that his father wanted to kill him. David answered him that his father Shaul does not want his son to be in pain, therefore he does not reveal [it] to you.

The Content: Yehonatan says to David that tomorrow is Rosh Chodesh, that the king reclines for a meal with his ministers and servants, and you shall not come to the king's table, but hide for three days in the place where both of us swore, and I will reveal to you by a sign whether the king desires your good or your harm.

I will take my attendant with me near your hiding place, and I will shoot three arrows and send him to retrieve them. If I say to the attendant, "Look, the arrow is closer to me and you have passed it," it is a sign that peace is with you, and do not fear. And if I say to the attendant that the arrow is far from you, it is a sign that the king desires your harm, and you shall not leave, but continue to hide.

And indeed the king sat at his table and David's place was empty, for he was accustomed to sit next to Shaul, followed by Yehonatan, and followed by Avner. And when David did not come, Yehonatan stood up and swapped his place with Avner, because it is not respectful for the son to recline next to his father, as they were accustomed to eat while reclining. Shaul said nothing, for he thought David had experienced a nocturnal emission and had not yet immersed for his emission, and could not recline with them so as not to defile the table.

But when on the following day his place was also empty, the king asked his son why the son of Yishai had not come to the meal; Yehonatan answered him that he had given him permission to go to his family because they had a family sacrifice.

The king became angry with Yehonatan his son and rebuked him for agreeing that David should reign in his place, and also commanded him to go and bring him for he is a son of death [deserving of death]. But Yehonatan did not agree, but asked his father and said to him: What is David's transgression and what has he done that he should die? Shaul raised the spear to strike his son, and then he understood that his father was resolved and determined to kill David.

Yehonatan went out with his attendant to the field on the third day, shot the arrows, and as agreed between them said to his attendant, "Behold, the arrow is far from you, run to fetch it." David, hearing this, understood that Shaul wanted to put him to death, and remained in his hiding place until Yehonatan sent his attendant back to the city. Then he came out from his hiding place, and they wept, each one upon the shoulder of the other; Yehonatan sent him in peace and reminded him that the oath they both swore shall rest upon them and upon their seed forever.

1 Shmuel, Chapter 20, Verses 18–31

18 And Yehonatan said to him to David, tomorrow is the New Moon, and you will be missed, for your seat will be empty. The king will remember where you are, and ask where David is, for your seat will be missed—the place where you usually sit (Rashi).

19 And on the third day, go down very low, hide very well, because they will search for you extensively (Rashi), and come to the place where you hid on the day of the deed, that we made there the oath, that Shaul swore an oath to Yehonatan not to kill David (Radak), and you shall sit dwell and tarry (Rashi Lev. 12:4)  by the stone Ezel. It was a stone that served as a sign for travelers (Rashi) there our meeting place will be.

20 And I will send you a sign, where I will shoot three arrows to the side of it and not directly at your hiding place for then the lad will see you, but rather to the side, as if shooting at a target. (Rashi): To shoot for myself a target [A]—this is a matter where archers aim to shoot at a target, like le-matarah [at a target]) (Metzudat Zion).

21 And behold after this, I will send the lad, and say to him "Go, find the arrows." If I say to the lad, "Look, the arrows are on this side of you closer to me; take them you take the  arrow and come," come to me (Rashi), for it is peace for you, and there is no harm, as Hashem lives. Yehonatan swore to David that he would tell him only the truth (see Radak).

22 But if I say thus to the young man to the lad: "Look, the arrows are beyond you," beyond where you are standing (Metsudat David), it is a sign that my father is angry with you go,  your way and even run away for Hashem has sent you away and you are saved under the providence of the Creator, because he tells you to flee from my father's sword (Rashi).

23 And as for the matter the covenant that we made, which we have spoken you and I, behold, Hashem is a witness (Rashi) between you and me forever. Do not risk meeting with me, for we have already made a covenant (Malbim).

24 So David hid in the field; and when the New Moon came, the king sat down to eat the food.

25 And the king sat on his seat his designated place as at other times, on the seat by the wall; the most honored place at the table (Metzudat David). and Yehonatan arose, stood up from his place, because it is not proper for a son to recline near his father; and in regular times David would separate when he reclined between Yehonatan and Shaul, but now that David was absent and Avner sat beside Shaul and afterwards Yehonatan sat at the side of Avner, but David's place was empty missing (Metzudat David).

26 Nevertheless, Shaul did not speak did not inquire anything that day, for he thought, "It is an accident; he is not clean; surely he is not clean." He saw an accidental impurity, apparently, and still had not immersed (Rashi), and is not fit to eat at the king's table (Radak). Furthermore, since he was defiled, Hashem is not with him, and therefore he feared (Alshich) [B].

27 And it came to pass on the day after the New Moon, the second day, on the second day of the New Moon (Targum Yehonatan) that David's place was empty lacking;. and Shaul said to Yehonatan his son, because he knew that they were friends "Why has the son of Yishai out of his great hatred he  did not mention his name (Abarbanel) not come to the food, neither yesterday nor today?"[C] .

28 And Yehonatan answered Shaul, "David earnestly asked he asked permission several times (Alshich) leave of me to go to Bethlehem;

29 And he said, 'Please let me go please give me permission to go, for our family has a sacrifice peace offerings in the city and who is the one who requested this, and my brother Eliav the first born commanded me (Rashi, Radak) has commanded me [to be there]. [To offer a last testament (a will) before dying by the king's sword (Alshich)]. And now, if I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away, please one day (Rashi) from service of the king, and see my brothers to rejoice in the sacrifice. ' Therefore he has not come to the king's table." He gave him royal permission to go, and so he went (Metzudat David).

30 Then Shaul's anger was kindled against Yehonatan [D], and he said to him, "You son of a perverse [from the language of avon (sin)] (Metzudat Zion), rebellious woman, son a woman who goes excessively outside and does not do my will, so too you rebel against me and love the one that I hate. Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Yishai to your own shame and to the shame of your mother's nakedness?" This is a disgrace to you and your mother, that they will say you are not my son, for you love my enemy (Radak).

31 "For as long as the son of Yishai lives on the earth, you shall not be established sustained, nor your kingdom. Therefore now send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die." For you gave him permission to go (Radak). He is a son of death.

32 And Yehonatan answered Shaul his father, and said to him, "Why should he be put to death? Behold, Hashem, may He be Blessed has made him king. What has he done?" (Radak)

33 And Shaul hurled threw his spear at him to strike him down; (Metzudat Zion) whereby Yehonatan knew that it was determined Absolute and final in his father's mind (Radak) by his father  in his mindset (Radak) to put David to death..

34 So Yehonatan arose from the table in fierce anger, and ate no food on the second day of the month, the second day of Rosh Chodesh (Targum, Radak) for he was grieved for David, for David's sake (Rashi) because his father had humiliated him. And even though he also received humiliation, the primary cause of his anger and grief was over David (Rashi).

35 And it came to pass in the morning, on the third day of the month, that Yehonatan went out into the field at the appointed time he had set with David, (Radak) and a little lad was with him.

36 And he said to his lad, "Run after the first arrow, find now the arrows which I shoot." As the lad ran as he was still running, he shot the arrow the second arrow past him so that it would pass the lad (Radak).

37 And when the lad had come to the place of the arrow which Yehonatan had shot, the first arrow Yehonatan shot first (Radak), Yehonatan called after the lad, and said, "Is not the arrow which I shot afterward beyond you?" (Radak) [E]

38 And Yehonatan called after the lad, "Hurry, after the second arrow make haste, do not stand still! By the place of the first arrow" And Yehonatan's lad gathered up the (arrow) arrows—the first and the second arrow (Radak)—and came to his master.

39 But the lad knew nothing; he did not know anything of the signal of the arrows (Radak); only Yehonatan and David knew the matter.

40 And Yehonatan gave his weapons—the bow and the arrows (Radak)—to his lad, and said to him, "Go, carry them to the city."

41 As soon as the lad was gone, David arose from near the south side, from the southern side of the stone Ezel (Rashi), and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times; and they kissed one another for the separation was difficult, and wept one with another, until David exceeded [F], weeping much more than Yehonatan (Radak).

42 And Yehonatan said to David, "Go in peace, but remember the oath forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of Hashem, saying, and we said (Radak) Hashem shall be between me and you, and between my seed and your seed forever.'"

Insights and Notes

A. It is brought in "Kochav Mi-Yaakov" and also in "Me'am Lo'ez": The matter of shooting the arrows was because Yehonatan wanted to know what was decreed in heaven. For from the words of Shaul alone, it is impossible to know what will fall to the lot of David—whether he will rest or not rest—since from the words of man alone it is impossible to decide what will be. Since sometimes a person speaks evil against his friend, but the L-rd intends it for good, as in the case of Yoseph with his brothers (Genesis 50:20): "And as for you, you thought evil against me, the L-rd intended it for good"; and this is what is said (Lamentations 3:37–38): "Who is he that says, and it comes to pass, when Hashem has not commanded it? Out of the mouth of the Most High there proceeds not evils and good?" meaning that if it is not from the mouth of the Most High [that both] evils and good proceed, it is not in human power to accomplish anything.

And it is a known thing that if archers shoot arrows, they sometimes seek them in a place nearby and they are found in a distant place, and sometimes the reverse. And this is what Yehonatan said: "And I will shoot three arrows to the side... for a target"—that is, my desire is to know whether decree comes from heaven. If the lad seeks the arrows in a nearby place, and I will need to say to him, "Look, the arrows are beyond you and further," it is a sign that it is a decree from heaven that David shall be wanderer from his place and separate from us. But if the lad seeks the arrows in a distant place and I will need to say to him, "Look, the arrows are on this side of you," it is a sign that Hashem wills that David shall remain in his place. And this is as Rashi explains: The Holy One, blessed be He, desires you, so do not fear, even if I heard evil about you from my father.

B. By way of a hint, the author of "Me'am Lo'ez" wrote (1 Samuel I, page 252): "'For he said, it is an accident...'"—that nothing in the world happens by chance, but rather everything is by divine providence. Therefore, he who says "it is an accident" shows that he himself is not pure. Why? For "he is not clean" in his thoughts, since everything comes by His providence, blessed be He, and nothing happens without providence. And this is what Avraham our father said to the angels (Genesis 18:5): "And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and sustain your hearts; after that you shall pass on, for therefore are you come to your servant"—meaning the intent was not that they just happened to pass by him for the sake of eating and drinking, for it is not customary to speak thus to guests. Rather, the intent was certainly: Not for nothing were you summoned here on a hot day, but rather private divine providence caused all the circumstances to bring you here, so that I may fulfill the commandment of hospitality to guests.

And another explanation is brought there based on the statement of the Tanna (Pirkei Avot 1, Mishnah 6): "And judge every person favorably". If a person sees a fault in his friend, it is a sign that he himself is guilty, as is said (Kiddushin 70a): "Whoever disqualifies others, disqualifies with his own fault"—and one who suspects kosher individuals is afflicted in his body, meaning it is a sign that he himself is afflicted because he has a lacking. And this is what is said here: "And Shaul did not speak anything that day, for he said, it is an accident"—meaning he judged him favorably, and why did he do so? "For it is not clean (pure) to judge the other to liability, but rather one must judge every man favorably.

C. Our master and teacher, the Gaon Rabbi Yosef Adas ztvk"l, explained: Why is the arrival of the Messiah, the offspring of David son of Yishai, delayed? Because people worry only about their sustenance, about livelihood and the economy, and do not pray much for the coming of the Messiah. And this is what the verse says: "Why has not the son of Yishai come both yesterday and today?" The reason Messiah son of David is delayed is because of "the bread"—because they pray much for bread and livelihood, and do not pray much for the coming of the Messiah.

D. "Then Shaul's anger was kindled against Yehonatan" — It is written: You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, until where is rebuke? Rav said: Until being hit. And Shmuel said: Until curse. And Rabbi Yochanan said: Until rebuke/scolding. Said Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak: And all three derived it from one verse, as it is written: Then Shaul's anger was kindled against Yehonatan, etc. According to the one who said "until being hit", as it is written to strike him. According to the one who said "until curse", as it is written to your own shame and to the shame of your mother's nakedness. According to the one who said "until rebuke", as it is written and anger was kindled. According to the one who said "until rebuke", behold is it not written here strike and curse? There it is different, due to extra affection that Yehonatan had for David, he risked himself for him more (than what is required) (Arakhin 16b).

E. From here we see the righteousness of Yehonatan, that he was careful from the sin of gossip and evil speech, for he did not want to utter from his mouth that his father spoke evil against David, and hinted at the matter with arrows. And three arrows hint at evil speech which kills three: the speaker, the listener/receiver, and the one spoken about.

Yehonatan merited through his devotion, his pain, his crying, and his earnest, truthful tears, which were merged together with the tears of David his companion, for because of true pain and sincere intention that stems from the depth of the heart, he merited that in his name was woven a letter from the name of the Holy One, blessed be He. And many of the prophets and sages merited sublime attainments and revelations because they grieved over the honor of Heaven and His Torah, may his name be blessed. Daniel was revealed secrets and revelations until even the prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi did not merit to see, and he was called "a man greatly beloved", pleasant before the Holy One, blessed be He, and praised in upper worlds and desired by his generation because he grieved that Koresh (Cyrus) rescinded his support for the building of the Temple. And out of being wise in fear of Heaven, secret solutions were revealed to him.

And the Alshich Hakadosh wrote: "And Shaul spoke to Yehonatan his son and to all his servants to put David to death, and Yehonatan son of Shaul delighted in David greatly". This teaches how great is the virtue of the loving friend who brings near the righteous person and helps him. For behold, when Shaul spoke to his son to put David to death, Yehonatan's name was Yonatan; and by virtue of his loving David and bringing him near, an additional letter was added to his name—one of the letters of the (name for the) Holy One, blessed be He—and he was called Yehonatan. "And Yehonatan told David saying, Shaul my father seeks to put you to death", "and Yehonatan spoke good of David to Shaul his father, and Shaul listened to the voice of Yehonatan".

F. It is possible to hint that "until David exceeded" [1 Samuel 20:41] hints at T"T David his Malchut was magnified in the secret of Greatness, and it has the letter Yod, like the Rashbi wrote as a sign of pairing, "and moreover truly she is my sister, the daughter of my father" [Genesis 20:12]. And the word Higdil [exceeded] (used in verse 41)  has a Gematria value of 52, for the name of 52  is in Malchut and magnified in the secret of Gadlut [greatness]. And if I erred, may Hashem the good atone for me and examine well (Chida).