וּבְנֵי יִשְרָאֵל פָרוּ וַיִשְ רְ צוּ וַיִרְ בּוּ וַיַעַצְמוּ בִּמְאֹד מְאֹד וַתִמָלֵא הָאָרֶץ אֹתָם :ז שמות א,
The Medrash relates that the Jewish women gave birth to six children at once (the verse uses six expressions of increase פָרוּ וַיִשְ רְ צוּ וַיִרְ בּוּ וַיַעַצְמוּ בִּמְאֹד מְאֹד).
Only one other place in Tanach did this type of blessing of multiple six-births also occurred. As related in Shmuel II (perek 6, 9-13) Dovid thought it was time to bring back the Aron of HaShem to the Mishkan/Mikdash (the Aron had been captured by the Plishtim at the end of the rule of Eli haKohen)
Eli becomes Shofet of B’nei Yisrael; he also succeeds Pinchas as Kohen Gadol
Chana comes to Shilo and prays for a child
Shmuel is born later in this year
2854 Dovid ben Yishai is born
Eli dies at 98 years old on the 10th of Iyar after leading the Jews for forty years
On the day Eli dies the Mishkan at Shilo was destroyed
On that day the Aron is captured by the Plishtim and held for 7 months; they returned the Aron to the Jews and it was kept in Kiryat Ye’arim for 20 years
Shmuel begins leadership of the Jews
Shmuel anoints Shaul to become King
Mishkan reconstructed at Nov
2883 Dissatisfied with Shaul, Shmuel privately anoints Dovid to be the next King
Shmuel dies on the 28th of Iyar at the age of 52
Shaul dies 4 months later having been King for two and a half years
Dovid seeks to move the Aron but something happens and Uzzai dies; Dovid understands it is not the proper time. The Aron stays three months in the home of Edom haGitti.
2892 The Aron is moved to Yerushalayim, sixty years after Shmuel was born and eight years after his death
However, the incident occurred and Uzzai died. Dovid then placed the Aron in the home of Edom haGitti for three months. During those three months Edom was blessed in such a manner that Dovid recognized that is was now the proper time to move the Aron to Yerushalayim.
What was the blessing? Rashi refers to Divrei haYamin (1,26,5) which states that Edom had 8 sons and was then blessed with a total of 62. Rashi tells us that the 54 additional “sons” happened during the period that the Aron was in his house, his wife and his eight daughters-in-law each became pregnant with 6 sons (9 times 6 =54).
The Gr”a (in Aderes Eliyahu) asks a question that if these 9 women became pregnant during the three months that the Aron was in their home, how was this blessing recognizable? The Gr”a answers that since they were having six children in their womb, by the third month the pregnant women were so large that it was apparent that all 9 women were to be blessed with multiple births.
Maharasham answers differently by relating a story. A city was under a bad decree from the Tzar. A Tzadik appeared in their city and promised them that if they collected a certain large sum for Tzedakah then they would be saves from the bad decree. (Tzedaka is the only mitzvah in which you can “test” HaShem) They successfully raised the Tzedaka that same day and the very next day they received a telegram that the decree had been removed and everyone was happy. However, they reviewed the telegram and saw that it had been sent three days previously. Now they approached the Tzadik and asked if the Tzedaka was raised in error and should be returned since the decree had in reality been already removed.
The matter was brought before Maharsaham to decide the matter. He stated that even though this matter was not discussed in Shas or prior rabbinical decisions, he did find an evidential proof (ראיה) from Tanach which is the incident of Edom haGitti. He said that the blessing that was apparent to Dovid occurred when the Aron was in their home for the last three months of the pregnancy of the wife and 8 daughters-in-law. But how was that a blessing, when obviously they all became pregnant prior to the time that the Aron was in their house?
Maharasham answered that HaShem arranges the circumstances in advance to occur as a reward for the future good deeds (applying to the collection of Tzedakah and to the hosting of the holy Aron).
