The Mishna [Sanhedrin 20b] teaches that a king may take a path for himself even from someone's private property.
Tosfos is bothered.....
Why was Achav punished for killing Navos, seeing as the latter refused to sell him his field?
Question #2: Furthermore, why did David see fit to ask whether he was permitted to 'exchange' barley-stacks belonging to Yisre'eilim to feed his animal, as we learned in Perek ha'Koneis?
Answer #2: Had Achav so wished, he could have indeed taken the vineyard for free without asking, but now that he asked, Navos thought that the king was giving him the choice to refuse. [Question on Tosfos: If the king can forcibly take it for free - he can certainly forcibly take it for pay?!]
תימה - למה נענש אחאב על נבות, כיון שלא רצה למכור לו כרמו?
Why was Achav punished for killing Navos, seeing as the latter refused to sell him his field?
ועוד - דבפרק הכונס צאן לדיר (ב"ק דף ס.) קאמר דדוד שאל אם היה יכול להחליף גדישין של שעורין מישראל לתת בפני בהמתו?
Question #2: Furthermore, why did David see fit to ask whether he was permitted to 'exchange' barley-stacks belonging to Yisre'eilim to feed his animal, as we learned in Perek ha'Koneis?
וי"ל, דבפרשת המלך כתיב (שמואל א ח) "יקח ונתן לעבדיו", ולא לעצמו.
Answer #1: The Pasuk in Shmuel writes that the king "will take ... and give it to his servants", implying, but not for himself. [Question on Tosfos: If he can take it for his servants - he can CERTAINLY take it for himself??!!]
ועוד י"ל - דבחנם היה יכול ליקח אם היה רוצה; אבל כשהיה שואל אחאב שימכרו לו, חשב נבות שרשות בידו לומר 'לא אמכור!'
Answer #2: Had Achav so wished, he could have indeed taken the vineyard for free without asking, but now that he asked, Navos thought that the king was giving him the choice to refuse. [Question on Tosfos: If the king can forcibly take it for free - he can certainly forcibly take it for pay?!]
ועי"ל - דנענש לפי ששאל הכרם לעשות ע"ז, דכתיב (מלכים א כא) "והיה לי לגן ירק", כמו "המתקדשים והמטהרים אל הגנות" (ישעיה סו).
Answer #3: Achav was punished, because he wanted the vineyard for idolatrous purposes, as he is recorded as saying "And I shall turn it into a vegetable garden", which has connotations of idolatry, just like the Pasuk in Yeshayah (in connection with idol-worship) "Those who prepare and purify themselves to go to the gardens".
והנקדן תירץ - דאינו מותר רק בשדות הרחוקים מן העיר, דלא מעלי כל כך; אבל כרם נבות היה אצל היכל אחאב בשומרון.
Answer #4: 'The Nakdan' answers that the concession for a king to take a subject's field is restricted to one that is far from the town, which are not so valuable; whereas the field of Navos was situated beside Achav's palace, in the town of Shomron.
ועי"ל - דדוקא בשדה מקנה, אבל שדה אחוזה שירש מאבותיו לא, כמו שהשיב נבות "חלילה לי מתתי נחלת אבותי לך!"
Answer #5: Alternatively, the concession is restricted to a field that the current owner purchased, but not to one that he inherited from his father, as is inherent in Navos' reply to Achav "Far be it from me from giving you the inheritance of my fathers."
