A very interesting question can be asked on this week’s
Haftara, which is taken from the beginning of the book of Melachim. Natan the
prophet is very concerned with a rebellion started by Adoniahu to take over the
throne as David, the current king, nears the end of his life. Natan instructs
Batsheva, David’s wife, to inform David of the severity of the rebellion, and
David is now greatly concerned as well. The issue is that Natan had a prophecy
that he shared with David in the book of Shmuel Bet that Shlomo was going to be
the next king. So what is there to be worried about? In fact, one can suggest that
the only reason Natan asked Batsheva to tell David is because Natan assumed
that David wouldn’t listen to a word he said given the prophecy had already
made about Shlomo being the next king. From an on-lookers perspective, that’s a
good point! Why should David be worried? Why should Natan be worried? He was
the one who had the prophecy.
I think
Harry asks a very important question that will enable us to understand what
exactly is going on in Melachim. In the chapter The Lost Prophecy in book five The
Order of the Phoenix, Harry is speaking with Dumbledore about the prophecy
that Trelawny made 14 years prior. Harry realizes that the prophecy is
referring to him, but then Dumbledore says something very interesting. “The odd
thing, Harry,” he said softly, “is that it may not have meant you at all.
Sibyll’s prophecy could have applied to two wizard boys, both born at the end
of July that year, both of whom had parents in the Order of the Phoenix, both
sets of parents having narrowly escaped Voldemort three times. One, of course,
was you. The other was Neville Longbottom.” Harry then asks the crucial
question, “Then - it might not be me?” But then Dumbledore gives an unfortunate
answer. “I am afraid,” said Dumbledore slowly, looking as though every word
cost him a great effort, “that there is no doubt that it is you.” “in marking
you with that scar, he did not kill you, as he intended, but gave you powers,
and a future,”. What’s being discussed is a non-definite prophecy that is not
only not particular to one person, but didn’t even need to be fulfilled. So
much of the conclusion was contingent on those involved fulfilling the prophecy
when they didn’t need to. Dumbledore explains that had Voldemort heard the end
of the prophecy, he may have completely re-thought his actions. There are
hundreds of prophecies that have simply never been fulfilled, and they’re just
sitting in the hall of prophecy. They’re waiting for those involved to either
act or pass up on the situation that would fulfill the prophecy.
Now we
can understand why Natan and David were so nervous. I’m not the first to
suggest this answer. The Abarbarnel, one of the most prominent and well known
commentators on Tanach, suggests the answer seen in Harry Potter. Abarbarnel
says that Natan’s reaction can be explained by the fact that a prophecy is not
a guarantee. A prophecy is an allusion to a situation that will arise wherein
that prophecy could be fulfilled, but, depending on the actions of those
involved, doesn’t have to be. David’s solution to the rebellion is to appoint
Shlomo as king immediately to show anyone on Adoniahu’s side that the king is
against him. This works perfectly, and Shlomo is not only anointed as king, but
the very situation that could have foiled the prophecy, was the one that caused
Shlomo’s anointment. However, nothing was a guarantee.
